National League (football)
The National League is the top football league system of the English National League system , the area below the Football League (the so-called " Non-League football ") in England , from the 5th grade downwards. The National League is divided into three divisions, with the National League at the top of the hierarchy. The National League North and National League South , as regionally organized leagues, are one level below and teams from these leagues can move up to the Conference National at the end of the season. The National League (then Football Conference ) consisted of only one division until 2004, but was expanded due to a major restructuring within the National League system at the beginning of the 2004/05 season.
structure
The National League forms the top of the National League System (NLS), an extensive structure that connects over 50 different leagues under the auspices of the Football Association (FA). The National League is on the 1st level of the NLS, and the National League North and the National League South represent the 2nd level . Above the League, the 92 English professional clubs play in the top levels of English football, in the Premier League and in the Football League ; below the league are the leagues of the 3rd level and the other lower-class leagues of the NLS.
Current regulation
The top division of the National League - the so-called National League - has consisted of 24 participating clubs since the beginning of the 2006/07 season. The other divisions - National League North and National League South - each consist of 22 clubs. In all three leagues, the clubs compete against each other in a simple round with a return leg in a total of 46 or 42 games. Every win is rewarded with three points and every draw with one point.
At the end of a season, the National League champion is promoted directly to Football League Two . In addition, a second promoted player is determined who has completed the playing time between the second and fifth position and wins two play-off rounds. The two promoted players are replaced by the two relegated teams from Football League Two, who have occupied the last two places in the final table in their league. Similarly, the last four teams in the National League are relegated to the National League North or the National League South below. The decision as to which league a club is relegated to is made by the NLS committee within the FA, with the regional location of the relegated being decisive.
The relegated members of the National League are replaced by clubs from the National League North and National League South. The respective winners of the two leagues rise directly and are accompanied by a third and fourth promoted player who emerged as playoff winners within their respective league.
Changes at the end of the 2005/06 season
The promotion and relegation regulation was changed in the 2005/06 season due to an increase in the National League from 22 to 24 clubs. Only the last two clubs from the National League were relegated this season. Four clubs from the National League North and National League South rose, made up of the champions and playoff winners. Before that, the two playoff winners had to compete against each other to determine the third promoted team, as only three teams from the Conference National were relegated to the lower leagues.
The three clubs of Conference North and Conference South placed at the bottom of the table form six relegated clubs in the NLS third tier , the Northern Premier League , the Southern League , and the Isthmian League . The champions of these leagues on the 3rd level move up to the Northern or Southern League and are accompanied by the clubs that finished between second and fifth position at the end of the season and won two play-off rounds. Here, too, the NLS committee determines which leagues the relegated members from Conference North and South will join and which leagues promoted from third level leagues will enter.
For all promotions achieved through sport, whether from the National League to the Football League, within the National League or the various NLS leagues, clubs must meet certain economic requirements. If this is not the case, a club can be denied access to the higher league.
history
The National League was founded in 1979 as a merger of clubs from the Northern Premier League and Southern League under the original name Alliance Premier League . Since 1984 it has been known by the names of changing sponsors . The official name Football Conference was introduced in 1986, which was changed to National League in 2015 . The following sponsors have given their names to the league over the years:
- 1984–1986: Gola (Gola League)
- 1986–1998: General Motors (GM Vauxhall Conference)
- 1998–2007: Nationwide Building Society (Nationwide Conference)
- 2007–2010: Blue Square (Blue Square Premier)
- 2010-2013: Blue Square Bet (Blue Square Bet Premier)
- 2013-2014: Skrill (Skrill Premier)
- 2014–2015: Vanarama (Vanarama Conference)
- Since 2015: Vanarama National League
An automatic promotion and relegation regulation between the National League and the Football League was established for a club in 1987. The expansion to two clubs took place in 2003.
Within the first 25 years, the National League consisted of only one division. With the beginning of the 2004/05 season it was expanded to three divisions. The original league was renamed Conference National . In addition, two new leagues were founded with the Conference North and Conference South . The new clubs for these leagues was taken from the Northern Premier League, Southern League, and Isthmian League according to certain guidelines of the NLS committee.
Clubs of the National League 2020/21
National League champion
| season | National League | National League North | National League South |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979/80 | Altrincham FC | ||
| 1980/81 | Altrincham FC | ||
| 1981/82 | FC Runcorn | ||
| 1982/83 | Enfield FC | ||
| 1983/84 | Maidstone United | ||
| 1984/85 | Wealdstone FC | ||
| 1985/86 | Enfield FC | ||
| 1986/87 | Scarborough FC * | ||
| 1987/88 | Lincoln City * | ||
| 1988/89 | Maidstone United * | ||
| 1989/90 | Darlington FC * | ||
| 1990/91 | FC Barnet * | ||
| 1991/92 | Colchester United * | ||
| 1992/93 | Wycombe Wanderers * | ||
| 1993/94 | Kidderminster Harriers | ||
| 1994/95 | Macclesfield Town | ||
| 1995/96 | Stevenage Borough | ||
| 1996/97 | Macclesfield Town * | ||
| 1997/98 | Halifax Town * | ||
| 1998/99 | Cheltenham Town * | ||
| 1999/2000 | Kidderminster Harriers * | ||
| 2000/01 | Rushden & Diamonds * | ||
| 2001/02 | Boston United * | ||
| 2002/03 | Yeovil Town * | ||
| 2003/04 | Chester City * | ||
| 2004/05 | FC Barnet * | Southport FC | Grays Athletic |
| 2005/06 | Accrington Stanley * | Northwich Victoria | Weymouth FC |
| 2006/07 | Dagenham & Redbridge * | FC Droylsden | FC Histon |
| 2007/08 | Aldershot Town * | Kettering Town | Lewes FC |
| 2008/09 | Burton Albion * | Tamworth FC | AFC Wimbledon |
| 2009/10 | Stevenage Borough * | Southport FC | AFC Newport County |
| 2010/11 | Crawley Town * | Alfreton Town | Braintree Town |
| 2011/12 | Fleetwood Town * | Hyde FC | Woking FC |
| 2012/13 | Mansfield Town * | Chester FC | Welling United |
| 2013/14 | Luton Town * | AFC Telford United | Eastleigh FC |
| 2014/15 | FC Barnet * | AFC Barrow | Bromley FC |
| 2015/16 | Cheltenham Town * | Solihull Moors | Sutton United |
| 2016/17 | Lincoln City * | AFC Fylde | Maidenhead United |
| 2017/18 | Macclesfield Town * | Salford City | Havant & Waterlooville |
| 2018/19 | Leyton Orient * | Stockport County | Torquay United |
| 2019/20 | AFC Barrow * | King's Lynn Town | Wealdstone FC |
| * Promotion to the Football League ( Fourth Division until 1991, Third Division between 1992 and 2003 and Football League Two from 2004) | |||
Former National League clubs now playing in the Football League
| society | Years in the National League | League membership in the 2019/20 season |
|---|---|---|
| Accrington Stanley | 2003-2006 | Football League One |
| Bristol Rovers | 2014-2015 | Football League One |
| Burton Albion | 2002-2009 | Football League One |
| Cambridge United | 2005-2014 | Football League Two |
| Carlisle United | 2004-2005 | Football League Two |
| Cheltenham Town | 1997-1999; 2015-2016 | Football League Two |
| Colchester United | 1990-1992 | Football League Two |
| Crawley Town | 2004-2011 | Football League Two |
| Doncaster Rovers | 1998-2003 | Football League One |
| Exeter City | 2003-2008 | Football League Two |
| Fleetwood Town | 2010–2012 | Football League One |
| Forest Green Rovers | 1998-2017 | Football League Two |
| Grimsby Town | 2010-2016 | Football League Two |
| Leyton Orient | 2017-2019 | Football League Two |
| Lincoln City | 1987-1988; 2011-2017 | Football League One |
| Luton Town | 2009-2014 | Football League Championship |
| Macclesfield Town | 1987-1997; 2013-2018 | Football League Two |
| Mansfield Town | 2008-2013 | Football League Two |
| Morecambe FC | 1995-2007 | Football League Two |
| AFC Newport County | 2010-2013 | Football League Two |
| Oxford United | 2006-2010 | Football League One |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2003-2004 | Football League One |
| Stevenage FC | 1994-2010 | Football League Two |
| Tranmere Rovers | 2015-2018 | Football League One |
| AFC Wimbledon | 2009-2011 | Football League One |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 1985-1986; 1987-1993 | Football League One |