A lot of clubs in England’s endless football pyramid kicked off last weekend’s fixtures at 15:03, making a conscious effort to show solidarity with the 3UP campaign, which has roared back into life in recent weeks. The 3UP campaign comes directly from the National League, whose 72 member clubs across three divisions are desperate to see change and a third promotion spot introduced to bridge the gap between them and the English Football League.
Twenty-three years ago, the National League—then the fifth tier of the pyramid—was granted its second promotion place. Since then, the league has developed significantly and become an almost fully professional division, yet the EFL continues to rebuff proposals to level the playing field. Granting a third promotion place to the National League would mean the EFL implementing a third relegation spot in League Two, which remains the key sticking point between the two organisations.
According to the National League’s own explanation of the 3UP campaign, they believe that “the EFL’s position is that any implementation of 3UP should be part of a wider, fundamental reform of the domestic football pyramid across multiple areas. This stalemate has been the case for several years – and could take several more to resolve.”
The National League’s argument for a second automatic promotion spot is compelling, with the league becoming a bottleneck for ambitious clubs. Last season offers a stark example: York City finished as runners-up behind Barnet, earning 96 points to Barnet’s 102. Despite coming within four points of a century, York failed to progress in the play-offs, losing at home to eventual promotion winners Oldham Athletic in the semi-finals.
Oldham, who finished fifth on 73 points, deserved their promotion through the play-offs, but many were left feeling sympathy for York, who narrowly missed out on returning to the Football League. Situations like these highlight the importance of the 3UP campaign. Barnet manager Dean Brennan supported the movement last weekend, stating in the Non-League Paper that “the 3UP campaign must happen,” expressing solidarity with York and others denied their EFL opportunity.
York are far from the only victims of the current system. Notts County were denied automatic promotion in 2023 despite finishing on 107 points, just four behind Wrexham. Although they eventually went up via the play-offs, the journey was fraught with difficulty: a stoppage-time equaliser against Boreham Wood, an extra-time comeback, and a dramatic penalty shootout win over Chesterfield at Wembley.
Similarly, Tranmere Rovers finished four points behind Lincoln City in 2016/17 with 95 points, only to remain in the National League after losing the play-off final to Forest Green Rovers. Other seasons tell the same story: Mansfield up while Kidderminster missed out; Fleetwood up while Wrexham missed out. These examples show the recurring nature of the issue.
In the last five years, the team finishing second in the National League has achieved promotion via the play-offs only once. While the play-offs add drama and excitement, they also reflect how strong the top end of the National League has become. Many observers argue that the league’s best clubs are on par with the lower end of League Two.
With clubs across both non-league and the EFL voicing support for the 3UP campaign, the football community waits with bated breath to see whether reform will finally come for promotion and relegation between tiers four and five. As the campaign itself declares, it is time to put football first and bring the National League in line with the upper levels of the football pyramid.
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