NL trio set for promotion after FA Council approve restructure

Three Ebac Northern League Division One clubs have moved a step closer to promotion into a new step four league after an FA Council approved a proposed restructure of the non-league system.

Hebburn Town, Shildon and Stockton Town will now be offered the opportunity to apply for promotion into a new league at step four of the non-league pyramid.

The trio came out with the highest points per game average based on completed fixtures during the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.

If all three carry out the application process as expected, they will take their place in a new Northern Premier League division alongside North East neighbours Dunston UTS and Marske United.

The proposal will see 110 clubs across the country made eligible for promotion to a higher level and that means good news for West Allotment Celtic, Crook Town and Redcar Athletic as they look set for promotion into the Northern League’s top tier.

A number of clubs across the Northern League’s feeder leagues (Wearside League, Northern Alliance and North Riding Football League) have applied for promotion into Division Two over the last two seasons.

An FA statement released on Friday evening read: “Following the curtailment of the 2020/21 league season for Steps 3-6 of the National League System (NLS), our Alliance and Leagues Committees announced that they would consider the feasibility of undertaking the restructure at Steps 4-6 (which was intended to take effect from the 20/21 season but has been delayed due to the impact of

Covid-19).

“The Committees met to consider this matter and recommend to FA Council that the structural changes to the number of divisions in the NLS be completed in order to address the imbalance that currently exists and achieve the ‘pure pyramid’ at Steps 1-6. FA Council has now approved this recommendation.

“The planned and delayed restructure comprises of one additional division at Step 4, two additional divisions at Step 5 and a reduction of divisions, from 20 to 17, at Step 6.

“As part of the proposals, 110 clubs would be upwardly moved within the pyramid at Steps 4-6 in order to facilitate the new divisions, protecting the integrity of the NLS whilst supporting clubs with a desire and ambition to progress, without undermining the stability of the system.”