Talk:History of the English football league system

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[edit] Comments

Fed up of seeing this article in my userspace, so I've finally stuck it in the mainspace for anyone to chip at :)

These are comments moved from the article, things still to check and add:

Help correct and expand this! This is intended to be a summary of how the pyramid has evolved from the ad-hoc arrangements of the late 1970s-ish? to the FA-proscribed structures of today. Should also include the top level of feeder leagues into the SL/NPL/IL.

Need to check some of the feeder numbers – may not yet be accounting for all merged/renamed clubs

Explain pyramid, feeders; ad-hoc nature of movements between leagues in early years; v. brief Football League history particulary Football Alliance and Southern League grabs

Existing active feeder leagues: Athenian > IL/SL, Western/West Mids > SL, Cheshire/Midland > NPL...

were there any HL > SL promotions?

1 club from each of NW and NCE to NP each year after 1987 – Northern League 5 clubs 1988-97 and none since.

Football League Fourth Division renamed Third Division from 1992

Southern League Midland and Southern Divisions renamed Western and Eastern divisions from 1999? Midland & West and South & East for one season?

League of Wales formed in 1992

Spartan South Midlands League formed 1997 : 2 clubs fed to IL in 2000 and 2003.

IL restructure - very steep - CC/Spt/SM/SS lower down the pyramid - KL/Sx/ExS etc. still feeding to SL

Other leagues promoting teams directly to Isthmian League First Divisions

20 clubs promoted to new step 4 in 2004 to make up losses caused by creation of CN/CS

Playoffs introduced at Steps 1-5? FA allocating clubs at steps 2-4

IL1 rationalisation means pyramid is SE-heavy?

Possible future reorganisation, pending further discussions

Extra step 4 league in north; reduction of 2 more step 5 leagues in south

Re-structure of lower levels (steps 6 and 7)

Introduction of official step 8.

[edit] Page title

Should this really be at history of the English football league system, rather than history of the National League System, as most of the article's content isn't actually about the NLS? - Green Tentacle 13:46, 28 July 2006 (UTC)