3 IS THE MAGIC NUMBER

Extra promotion spot vital for our clubs, say National League

- By Matt Badcock

NATIONAL League CEO Mark Ives insists adding a third promotion spot into the EFL needs to be addressed now - or risk being kicked down the road for years.

Backed by all 72 member clubs at Step 1 and 2, the National League have launched a national 3UP campaign officially calling for a change in regulations from the current two-up system.

With a 'Put Football First' tagline, the plea is for the change to be voted on by League clubs at the EFL's AGM this June so it can be implemented in time for the 2025-26 season.

A second promotion place decided through play-offs - was introduced back in 2002-03 but there have long been calls for Non-League's top tier to fall in line with the EFL divisions who have at least three teams promoted, with League Two boasting four, and unblock the bottleneck.

In a wide-ranging November interview with BBC Sport, EFL chairman Rick Parry admitted "we have to acknowledge the need to look downwards as well as upwards".

But the EFL also insist any change has to come as part of "a broader package of reforms which benefit all levels of the game".

That refers to their own funding disagreement with the Premier League that needs to be resolved by the incoming Independent Football Regulator with a potential backstop for the IFR to intervene in the dispute as a last resort.

Ives points out that could potentially put another four seasons on the introduction of a third promotion place out of Non-League - that, he and clubs say, is too long and why the 3UP campaign is up and running.

"Why now is a really important question," Ives told The NLP. "Everybody is aware we've been having conversations privately with the EFL.

They've been very construc tive, very amiable conversations.