STEP 5 AND 6 LEAGUES ARE WEIGHING UP WHAT NEXT...

Step 5 and 6 leagues are planning optional summer competitions for their clubs as the focus changes to whether The FA will carry out their pyramid restructure.

The 2020-21 season is set to be curtailed following the decision made by the FA Alliance and Leagues Committees this week in response to the roadmap laid out by Boris Johnson.

But leagues are planning to give clubs the opportunity to play matches during April and May in a competitive format.

The South West Peninsula League were the first to publicly reveal their detailed draft plans for their league cup and a new regionalised ‘Covid Cup’ which would feature groups of five to allow all clubs to play at least four matches, two home and away, before quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final.

“If clubs don’t want to play then that’s fine,” league secretary Phil Hiscox told The NLP. “It’s about giving clubs the opportunity to play if they want to.

“One of the County FAs has said to me that referees who apply for promotion this season have to have had ten marking games. If they’re on seven or eight there’s a possibility there, if this competition is sanctioned, we can help them get their ten games.”

The Northern League and the West Midlands Regional League are also looking at organising endof-season competitions, but attention is also turning to The FA’s planned restructure at Steps 4-6.

The second phase of The FA’s plan to create a ‘pure pyramid’ was due to be implemented from the 2020-21 season, but was postponed, although could be in place for 202122.

The plan is to introduce an eighth Step 4 league in the North and, had the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons ended as normal, to make up the additional numbers, the 14 Step 5 league champions would have been promoted along with the second and third place clubs in the Northern League, North West Counties and Northern Counties East.

A further four, based on PPG, of the other 11 leagues’ second-placed clubs would have gone up before the remaining seven runners-up had a playoff against the bottom clubs in the seven Step 4 divisions for promotion and relegation.

As part of the restructure, Step 5 is due to increase from 14 leagues to 16 with the two new divisions run by the Combined Counties and United Counties League.

It’s planned for Step 6 to reduce from 20 divisions to 17 with the West Midlands Regional and East Midlands Counties Leagues losing their status, and the Hellenic Division One East and West merging into one.

But without promotion and relegation being decided on the pitch, The FA won’t be forcibly relegating teams and don’t want to push a club into taking promotion.

“I think the restructure opens up more questions at the moment,” added Hiscox. “If there’s not relegation then there’s less spaces for promotion. I’ve got ten applications from the Step 7 feeder leagues to join me.”

Combined Counties secretary Alan Constable told The NLP: “We’d like to think the restructure will go ahead but if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I think we just want some football really and we’re going to offer clubs the chance to play in competitions.

“There’s a chance it will go ahead, The FA have said they’re going to hold a feasibility study into it.

“The problem with not having the restructure is clubs playing almost all the same opponents for three seasons.

“By having the restructure it will give us all huge impetus for the new season.”

Paul Lawler, chairman of the North West Counties League, has been pushing for the restructure to go ahead.

He told The NLP: “I’ve made a proposal to The FA to invite applications from National League System clubs who want to gain promotion.

“Lots of clubs won’t be in a position to be promoted but some clubs would be. At the same time some won’t be in the financial position to carry on where they are.

“What I’ve suggested is to offer clubs the option to be relegated a level if they need to which would allow to fill some of the vacancies higher up and it would also allow feeder league clubs who have been waiting now for two seasons to join the NLS to move up as well.

“There’s no reason why we can’t promote three clubs still.

“We know which are the most successful clubs, we know which are in the best financial situation to move up. If they were to apply, some criteria could be set.”

United Counties League chairman Alan Poulain added: “We’re all for the restructure, I personally don’t see the reason why we should delay it.”