'national League Is League Three' - Inside Non-league's 3up Campaign

Picture nan scene. Your squad has amassed 96 points, finishing 13 clear of nan nearest challengers, but doesn't triumph promotion. Instead, nan nine who vanished 23 points and 3 places beneath you goes up.

That was nan business York City were faced pinch past play erstwhile they agonisingly missed retired connected promotion from nan National League to nan English Football League (EFL).

The beauty of nan play-offs immoderate mightiness reason arsenic Oldham Athletic yet benefitted, but a consequence which prompted York's co-owner Julie-Anne Uggla to slam nan existent promotion system arsenic "unjust" and "no longer fresh for purpose".

It's conscionable 1 of galore reasons why non-league clubs are erstwhile again ramping up nan unit connected nan EFL to summation nan number of promotion places into League Two from 2 to three.

More than 100 matches, including each 12 successful nan National League, will kick-off 3 minutes later than accustomed astatine 15:03 GMT connected Saturday to bring nan rumor into nan spotlight.

The 3UP campaign is besides backed by nan 48 National League North and South clubs, arsenic good arsenic nan 208 teams crossed nan Isthmian, Northern and Southern Premier Leagues.

Momentum for nan run has gathered gait successful caller weeks, pinch Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer commending nan efforts, 60 MPs backing nan thought and broadcaster Jeff Stelling joining arsenic a National League ambassador.

Big names successful English shot person besides fixed their support, including legendary head Neil Warnock, who said "common sense" should prevail to let an other promotion spot and that it's "only fear" from EFL clubs preventing it from happening.

"They're worried astir these teams, and rather rightly so, because a batch of these teams will clasp their own," Warnock said.

He whitethorn person a valid point.

Recent history suggests that National League sides compete good aft winning promotion.

Of nan 19 clubs promoted successful nan past 10 seasons - Grimsby person gone up doubly successful that clip - only 4 are not still successful nan EFL today: Forest Green Rovers, Sutton United, Hartlepool United and Macclesfield Town, who folded successful 2020.

Meanwhile, 4 of nan 15 teams still competing successful nan EFL are higher than League Two, pinch Lincoln City, Leyton Orient and Stockport County successful League One, while Wrexham are successful nan Championship.

Forest Green leader Robbie Savage is an advocator of nan 3UP run and hopes "it will travel to fruition 1 day".

"If you tin get retired of this league, look astatine what tin beryllium achieved," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"Non-league has wholly changed. The National League is simply a League Three. Most teams are professional.

"If you mixed League Two and nan National League, I'm judge location would beryllium seven, eight, nine, 10 clubs who could compete successful that, nary uncertainty astir it.

"There are immoderate immense shot clubs pinch immense fanbases and nan financial capacity of easy competing successful League Two."

The EFL has truthful acold resisted unit to make immoderate changes to nan strategy and its stance has antecedently been that it wants to reside nan "competitive balance" of nan pyramid arsenic a whole.

But nan National League argues location is nary competitory imbalance betwixt nan divisions.

"We don't judge this should beryllium nan logic preventing progression connected nan matter," said National League president Jack Pearce.

"Since 2 promotions were introduced to nan National League successful 2003, nary title-winning nine has ever been relegated from nan EFL nan pursuing season.

"And almost half nan clubs presently successful nan EFL's 3 leagues person competed successful nan National League astatine 1 clip aliases another."

It's not conscionable York who person succumbed astatine nan hands of nan ruthless precocious barroom required to triumph automatic promotion to League Two.

Since 2015-16, only 3 of nan 10 second-place finishers person gone connected to triumph what Uggla described arsenic nan "lottery" of nan play-offs.

Barnet, Wrexham, Torquay United, Solihull Moors, Tranmere Rovers and Forest Green person each suffered a akin destiny to nan Minstermen successful that time.

Second-placed teams person averaged 87.5 points per play crossed a 10-year period, while eventual play-off winners person averaged six points less astatine 81.3.

Last play marked by acold nan biggest spread successful points betwixt nan runners-up and play-off winners astatine 23, though location was an 11-point spread betwixt Wrexham and Grimsby successful 2022, 9 betwixt Tranmere and Forest Green successful 2017, and 9 betwixt Forest Green and Grimsby successful 2016.

Even Notts County, who racked up an astonishing 107 points only to decorativeness arsenic runners-up successful 2022-23, were still made to sweat pinch a punishment shootout triumph complete Chesterfield successful nan promotion final.

And it seems York surely won't beryllium nan past to miss retired pinch nan apical six teams successful nan array presently only separated by 3 points and each connected gait for anyplace betwixt a 92 and 106-point season.

One of which, ironically, is York again.

Uggla said successful an unfastened missive successful nan summertime that waiting for alteration "only deepens nan injustice" for clubs for illustration York, who person "already paid nan value for a strategy built connected outdated assumptions".

"For clubs, fans, and nan integrity of nan English shot pyramid, it is clip to reward merit and reconstruct credibility to nan system," she added.

Recently appointed Sutton United caput coach Chris Agutter has sympathy pinch York aft he missed retired connected promotion from National League South pinch Worthing by a azygous constituent to Truro City past play earlier being "left to nan mercy of nan play-offs".

"You look astatine what York did past twelvemonth and nan truth that Oldham were person to nan relegation area than York's points full but yet they spell up," Agutter told BBC Radio London.

"That's portion of nan beauty of nan play-off strategy but arsenic erstwhile you've been that bully and accordant complete nan season, it's only correct - particularly erstwhile higher up nan pyramid location is that aforesaid strategy - that it's mirrored correct nan measurement down nan pyramid."

Leaders Carlisle United were relegated from League Two past play but leader Mark Hughes says it's "really important" for different promotion spot to beryllium added to nan 5th tier.

"I've travel down into nan National League and I've been really, really impressed pinch nan value here," he said.

"There are 7 aliases 8 really bully teams that tin much than clasp their own."

Positive talks had reportedly been held betwixt nan 2 parties successful 2023 astir a 3rd promotion place, according to National League vice-chairman Steve Thompson, but advancement was analyzable by nan preamble of nan Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

The National League agreed a woody worthy £2.3m successful full pinch nan Premier League successful "solidarity money", but nan EFL is still yet to scope its ain statement pinch nan Premier League.

The EFL has antecedently said it intended to hold for nan business to beryllium resolved earlier immoderate changes to nan strategy could beryllium considered.

Thompson claims an "awful lot" of EFL clubs person privately said they support nan 3UP thought but "won't put their heads supra nan parapet".

"One of nan things we're asking is for nan EFL to inquire their clubs," Thompson told BBC Sport.

"Put it to a gathering and fto nan League One and Two clubs talk it. So far, nan EFL has refused to put it retired to statement pinch their clubs."

But nan EFL insists 3UP "has been debated by nan EFL committee and clubs astatine regular intervals, astir precocious successful nan past fewer months".

An EFL spokesperson said: "The convention has been accordant successful its committedness to looking downwards arsenic good arsenic upwards successful respect of projected changes to nan pyramid, which includes nan matter of promotion and relegation betwixt League Two and nan National League.

"It is important to accent that this should not beryllium treated arsenic an isolated determination and alternatively requires observant and elaborate information of nan different related issues and regulations astatine play, arsenic portion of a wider speech and package of changes crossed nan pyramid.

"It is an rumor that remains nether discussion."

Some elder figures astatine clubs wrong nan EFL person openly raised doubts astir changing nan format.

Lincoln City president Clive Nates said earlier this twelvemonth nan Imps person put concerns to nan National League that they "believe should beryllium addressed successful bid to person EFL clubs to ballot successful favour of an further promotion and relegation place".

"The business is much analyzable than galore wish to admit," said Nates.

"Not only do EFL clubs suffer their academy backing 2 years aft relegation, but they besides suffer each authorities to compensation for immoderate of their academy players.

"We consciousness this is nan astir superior interest that needs to beryllium resolved arsenic it has dire consequences for clubs that are not instantly promoted backmost to nan EFL and should besides beryllium a interest for English shot successful wide to person long-standing academies astatine consequence of being destroyed."

National League CEO Phil Alexander told BBC Sport: "We are perpetually talking to nan Premier League and nan EFL astir really we tin reside this issue.

"We person put this matter to nan FA and their Professional Game Board who work together this is an rumor for nan National League and nan women's game. It presently sits pinch nan FA."

Out of nan 20 clubs relegated from League Two since 2015, 8 person since won promotion backmost to nan 4th tier - Barnet, Oldham, Grimsby, Notts County, Chesterfield, Leyton Orient, Cheltenham and Tranmere.

Clubs who person paid a heavier value are Dagenham & Redbridge, who were relegated to National League South past play aft 9 years successful nan National League, and Macclesfield Town - though nan nine was dissolved owed to financial issues which began while still successful League Two.

The Silkmen person since worked their measurement backmost to National League North aft being re-established arsenic nan phoenix nine Macclesfield FC.

"The counter-argument for nan clubs coming down from nan EFL is that nan National League is simply a information net," Thompson said.

"If you look backmost astatine immoderate of nan clubs that person been relegated complete nan years, they've been successful existent trouble.

"But nan National League's been there, it's a well-run master convention and those clubs person been capable to regroup and bounce backmost up.

"So nan other promotion spot actually, I believe, will use EFL clubs because it'll beryllium easier for them to bounce backmost up."

Thompson besides fears that continuing to make it "so difficult" to get promoted to League Two will unit immoderate owners of National League clubs to locomotion away.

"That would beryllium to nan detriment of football," he said.

The existent strategy successful nan National League sees nan champions triumph automatic promotion to League Two, while nan teams who decorativeness betwixt 2nd and seventh compete successful play-offs culminating successful a last astatine Wembley to find who other goes up.

"If 3UP comes into play, it is wide expected that nan second-placed squad successful nan convention would beryllium automatically promoted, pinch nan 3rd abstraction achievable via play-offs," nan National League says.

"The nonstop system is thing nan National League would consult connected pinch its members."

It intends it is not yet known really galore teams would suffice for nan play-offs, whether it would stay arsenic six aliases beryllium reduced to four, arsenic is nan format successful nan Championship and League One.

Thompson added that he remains "fairly hopeful" 3UP will yet beryllium implemented.

Quite erstwhile it will beryllium introduced, however, still remains to beryllium seen.