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PAGE-Todaypage-1808SRW055 (Page weekend TODAY • August 18 - 19, 2007 55 A BEAUTIFUL GAME IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN While the Premiership league, as well as the second oldest league takes all the plaudits, there in any sport, in the world, after baseball in THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE SYSTEMS PYRAMID America. is so much more football The rapid expansion of the Football competition in England THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND FOOTBALL LEAGUE League in its early years reflected the pop- RAJIV NAIR ularity of its structure. Tier Current Historical / Periods Average weekly [email protected] attendance (06-07) In 1892, the Second Division was formed, with promotion and relegation THESE days the stars are armed with mil- 1 Premiership 1888-1992: First Division 343,780 between the two leagues. 20 clubs 1992-present: Premiership lion-pound contracts, more and more players Outside of the Football League, are shod in exotic coloured boots, and the cars 2 Championship 1892-1992: Second Division 218,904 many semi-professional and amateur 24 clubs 1992-2004: First Division of choice are Maseratis and Bentleys. 2004-present: Championship leagues were being formed and re- Off the pitch there are more groupies formed. than ever, each weekend millions tune in 3 League One 1920-1921: Third Division 89,808 As professional football grew in 24 clubs 1921-1958: Third Division (North) from all over the world full of anticipa- & Third Division (South) southern England, the Southern tion, eager for some world-class action. 1958-1992: Third Division League was formed in 1894. The English Premiership is surely 1992-2004: Second Division In 1920, the Southern League the most stylish football league com- 2004-present: League One became the Third Division of the petition in the world right now. 4 League Two 1958-1992: Fourth Division 49,536 Football League. Savvy marketing, by some the 24 clubs 1992-2004: Third Division By 1921, the Football biggest football brands like Man- 2004-present: League Two League comprised of four divi- chester United and Liverpool and sions with a total of 86 clubs. THE NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM stars like Didier Drogba, Steven The English league sys- Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo, 5 Conference National, 24 clubs 22,884 tem has grown and been re- has contributed to its pedigree. structured from time to But more crucially, it is the 6 Conference North, 22 clubs Conference South, 22 clubs 11,649 time, without changing its Premiership’s support struc- 7 Northern Premier League Southern Football League Isthmian League Premier 13,332 basic format and structure ture that has played a vital role Premier Division, 21 clubs Premier Division, 22 clubs Division, 22 clubs — divisions of 12 to 24 in the league’s growth. 8 36 clubs in the 2 divisions of the 43 clubs in the 2 divisions of the 2nd 44 clubs in the 2 divisions of the 10,450 clubs, playing each other In the top six tiers of 2nd tier of the Northern Premier League tier of the Southern Football League 2nd tier of the Isthmian League home and away over the English football there are season, with promotion currently seven divisions 9 Top tier of 14 regionally based feeder leagues comprising of 291 clubs in total 14,524 and relegation be- made up of 160 clubs. 10 15 divisions in second tier of regionally based feeder leagues comprising of 285 clubs in total 7,934 tween the divisions at Last weekend, all of the end of the sea- them, in the Premier 11 Total of 327 clubs in the top tier of 46 largely county-based feeder leagues NA son. League, the Football For historical reasons, the major Welsh clubs — Cardiff City, Swansea City, Wrexham and Methyr Tydfil — play in the English league system, not the Welsh league. This basic League and the Foot- structure has been ball Conference, replicated in kicked off their 2007- leagues through- 2008 season. out the world. Approximately 857,000 fans and spec- The depth of the system provides a tators attended 80 matches at grounds across WHERE IT ALL BEGAN high degree of competitiveness across the the country. Less than half of them were at “Every year it is becoming more and more difficult for football divisions in all 11 tiers. Premiership matches. clubs of any standing to meet their friendly engagements and even Clubs can rise, like Fulham, who 10 Tens of thousands flocked to watch their arrange friendly matches. The consequence is that at the last mo- years ago were in the fourth tier of English favourites in action in the Championship, ment, through cup-tie interference, clubs are compelled to take on football but now are among the big boys in many more attended League One and League teams who will not attract the public. the Premiership. I beg to tender the following suggestion as a means of getting Two matches. They can fall, from the top flight to the over the difficulty: that 10 or 12 of the most prominent clubs in Eng- In the Conference National, 24 clubs third, fourth or fifth level, as Bradford City, land combine to arrange home-and-away fixtures each season … I kicked off their respective campaigns, while am only writing to the following — Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wan- Leeds United, Swindon Town and Wim- in the sixth tier, made up of 22 clubs each derers, Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion, and Aston bledon (now known as Milton Keynes Dons) from the Conference North and Conference Villa, and would like to hear what other clubs you would suggest. have all experienced over the last 20 years. South, loyal locals turned up in droves to The continuity of the league structure support their favourites. I am, yours very truly, and of clubs participating within it provide This weekend, a host of semi-profes- William McGregor (Aston Villa FC) …” the platform on which fan loyalty is devel- sional and amateur leagues from the 7th to oped. 11th tiers will kick off in England. Clubs build up a history and profile The numbers are quite staggering — English football has come a long way. Although clubs arranged several friend- which enable them to sell themselves, both they comprise more than 1,000 clubs or- The formation of leagues and the growth ly games during the season, fixtures were to followers and potential investors. ganised in almost 90 divisions. of the structure in England have been ongoing not guaranteed and public interest and at- The football league system in England Together with the fifth and sixth tiers of for almost 120 years. tendances were low. remains without equal anywhere in the the Football Conference, they make up the Prior to 1888, the only major competi- In early 1888, William McGregor, then world for its depth, intensity and history. National League System in England. tion available to football clubs was the FA Cup, secretary of Aston Villa, wrote to 12 of the While the Premiership attracts global With promotion and relegation a feature which kicked off in 1872. most prominent clubs of the time and asked attention, its lifeblood are the 10 tiers of foot- at every level of English football, in theory With the legitimisation of professional for a home-and-away competition to be ball below it, of equal if not greater im- it is possible for a club to rise from the 11th football in 1885, the major clubs of the time formed. portance to English fans. tier all the way up to the Premiership. needed a more consistent source of revenue. After two meetings in March and Last season, an average of 343,780 fans If a club were knocked out of the FA April 1888, plans for the formation of the Rajiv Nair has longstanding interests attended Premiership matches each week, Cup in an early round, they would be re- Football League were announced. in football, history, geography, while the average figure for the 10 other duced to one or two competitive matches The Football League, which kicked of law and business. He is writing tiers combined was close to half a million. for the season. in September 1888, is the oldest football in his personal capacity..
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