It's all change in the non-league for the 2004/05 season, as the pyramid enjoys its biggest shake up for years. The new structure will hopefully raise the standard of football below the conference and iron out some of the geographical distortions created by the current system. To recap, the current pyramid is a 1-3-5-15 system:

Step 1 (Level 5): Conference

Step 2 (Level 6): Northern Premier League Premier Division, Southern Premier League, Isthmian Premier League.

Step 3 (Level 7): NPL Div 1, SPL East/West, IPL Div 1 North/South 

Step 4 (Level 8): Fifteen leagues, eg. Combined Counties, Hellenic etc.

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With the changes, this is how it will look from next season:

Step 1: Conference (As now) 

Step 2: Conference North, Conference South (This is the most significant change, as these are new leagues)

Step 3:  Northern Premier League, Southern Premier League, Isthmian Premier League (This, and all subsequent tiers, will shift down a level. Some of the geographical distortions in the present system will also be ironed out)

Step 4: NPL Div 1, Southern League East/West, Isthmian Division 1 (Notice that the two Isthmian Division 1's (North and South) will contract such that there will only be one IPL 1 league)

Step 5: As you were, although the fifteen leagues may in time be reduced to twelve, with geographical boundaries re-examined.

In a nutshell then, we will move from a 1-3-5-15 system to a 1-2-3-4-15 system. There will also be changes to the promotion system. For example, since the number of leagues feeding the (national) conference will shrink from three to  two, there will be an extra space after admitting the champions of the regional conferences. This will enable the introduction of play-offs.

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For fuller details, including colour maps, have a look at http://www.tonykempster.co.uk

Personal thoughts on how it will work

The radical shake-up of the pyramid offers tremendous opportunities for the non-league game.

The introduction of a conference north and south at step two is the most obvious change. Critics worry that this will increase travel expenses for a lot of clubs. Yet for many it will reduce them. At present we have a Northern League and a Southern League. The existence of the Isthmian 'M25' League distorts the principle of regionalisation. By creaming off the clubs around London, the travelling required by Southern League clubs is much increased. Consider Dover Athletic: Virtually every trip involves going up to London, around, and out the other side, often to faraway places like Newport. With the creation of a conference south, they will have a lot more games within the south-east. More manageable trips means more away support to boost the coffers. 

At present two of the three feeders are southern based, so the south extends a long way north to include the Midlands. Thus teams like Stafford have regular trips to the south coast, when it would be far easier for them to play teams in and around the Pennines. With restructuring, a number of Midlands based clubs will go north. This will shrink the area of the Southern League. Although Dover will still go to Tiverton, they wont need to trek to Worcester. The converse of this is that the Northern League region will expand. However, since the northern cities are fairly close together, trips from Manchester or Sheffield down to Birmingham need not clubs too many problems. As for the Isthmian clubs, critics are right to note that they will occasionally have to travel west of Basingstoke. But if they are ambitious and have dreams of progressing to the National Conference, why fear the odd long trip? Southern League clubs have made them for years.

The reduction from three leagues to two promises to increase the competitiveness of regional football. In the south, the big guns of the Isthmian like Bedford, Basingstoke and Sutton can compete against Dover and Eastbourne. In the north, the competition should improve with the likes of Kettering and Worcester coming on board. A higher standard of football will create greater excitement. 

A further feature needs noting, the introduction of play-offs in the regional leagues. When introduced to the (national) conference) gates increased overnight as the number of meaningless games declined. The idea that a team can finish second or third in the regional conference and still go up will hearten many. At present, Canvey Island lead the Isthmian League by twenty points. With a play-off offering a chance for others, a whole host of teams would still have something to play for. As it is they do not.

Below the conference, little will change except that more regional leagues will feed in a more logical manner. It is only really at the top of the pyramid that radical change was needed and radical change is what we will get. These are exciting times.

It's all change in the non-league for the 2004/05 season, as the pyramid enjoys it's biggest shake up for years. The new structure should hopefully raise the standard of football below the conference and iron out some of the geographical distortions created by the old system. To recap, the pyramid that existed in season 03/04 had a 1-3-5-15 structure:

Step 1 (Level 5): Conference

Step 2 (Level 6): Northern Premier League PD, Southern Premier League, Isthmian Premier League.

Step 3 (Level 7): NPL Div 1, SL East/West, IL Div 1 N/S

Step 4 (Level 8): Fifteen leagues, eg. Combined Counties, Hellenic etc.

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With the changes of Summer 2004, the new pyramid has a 1-2-3-4-15 structure:

Step 1 (Level 5): Conference National (as was)

Step 2 (Level 6): Conference N/S (this is the most significant change as these are entirely new leagues)

Step 3 (Level 7): Northern Premier League PD, Southern Premier League, Isthmian Premier League (this and all subsequent tiers have shifted down a level to make way for the regional conferences. Some of the geographical distortions of the current system have also been ironed out.

Step 4 (Level 8): NPL Division 1, Southern League East/West, Isthmian Division 1 (notice that the two regional Isthmian Division 1 leagues have contracted into a single league)

Step 5 (Level 9): As you were, although it appears that within time the fifteen leagues may contract to twelve, with leagues restructured along transport arteries (my source: Tony Kempster) 

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For fuller details and colour maps of how it has all worked out, have a look at http://www.tonykempster.co.uk

Personal thoughts on the restructure

The pyramid has evolved in a rather haphazard way, so these changes are not before time. I believe that by in large they will prove a force for the good by improving the standard and competition of the national game.

The creation of two regional conferences is the most obvious change. Critics claim that this will increase travel expenses for clubs. Yet for many it will reduce them. At present we have a northern league and a southern league. The Isthmian ‘M25’ league merely distorts the whole process. By creaming off all the clubs around London, the area encompassed by the Southern League was made to stretch from Devon to Kent and up beyond Birmingham. A club like Cambridge City would have travel to places like Newport, whereas the clubs in the middle played in their own mini-league. With the restructure, Cambridge will have many more manageable games in the south-east. More derbies means more support to boost the coffers.

Under the old system, two of the three main feeders were southern based, so the Southern League actually went rather far north. A team like Stafford had regular treks to the south coast, when it would have been far easier for them to get to teams in and around the Pennines. With restructuring, a number of midlands based sides will ‘go north’. This will shrink the area of the Southern section. While Eastbourne still have to go to Weston-super-Mare, they needn’t visit Worcester. Of course the converse of this is that the Northern area has expanded. Yet since northern cities like Manchester and Sheffield are fairly close together, trips down to the Birmingham area should cause few problems. As for the Isthmian clubs, critics are right to note that they will occasionally have to go west of Basingstoke. But if they are ambitious and have aspirations to reach the national conference, why fear the occasional long trip? Southern League clubs have made them for years.

The reduction from three leagues to two should improve the standard of the football.

In the south, big guns like Basingstoke and Sutton can rub shoulders with Weymouth and Eastbourne. In the north, Kettering and Worcester should raise the profile of a traditionally weak league. When one considers that a number of big sides like Dover and Gloucester have failed to make the cut, it is clear competition to get into the conference will be fierce.

The move from three feeders to two has a further benefit, in that it facilitates the introduction of play-offs below the conference. Previously, there was just one up from each of the Northern, Southern and Isthmian Leagues. Often a club would run away with it and leave the rest playing for pride. Now a team can finish second or third and still go up. Play-offs have their detractors, but it’s hard to argue that they reduce the numbers of meaningless matches, increase excitement and put more people on the gate.

Restructuring is not just about the creation of two new leagues. Below the conference, some geographical quirks will be ironed out, notably the Isthmian/Southern split. The former will become a genuine south-east league, including teams from Sussex and Kent. There is work still to do further down – the fifteen step five feeders have just eight promotion places between them. However, the process towards creating a fairer and more logical pyramid has well and truly begun, and that can only be a good thing.