3UP in 2025: Reviewing a defining year for the National League

In 2025, we called out the long-standing imbalance in the structure of English football – and proved that it is a situation that can’t be ignored.

The 3UP campaign – calling for three promotion places from the National League to the EFL – was launched in February and became a defining focus for the League, our clubs, and our supporters. What began as a clear case for reform has grown into a shared assertion of the National League’s status, strength, and contribution to the English football pyramid.

This status has been underlined by the fact that the Independent Football Regulator has embraced the National League and is very much included in all aspects of its work, with financial sustainability being at its core.

This year was not about disruption for its own sake. It was about action and alignment – ensuring that the structure of the game properly reflects the reality on the ground.

The launch of 3UP

At the start of the year, the rationale for a third promotion place was already well established. The National League sits directly below League Two and operates on a nationwide basis, but the remains the only rung on the ladder which is restricted to just two promotion places. The decision was taken to stop quietly grumbling, and instead to speak more clearly and more publicly about that inconsistency.

The spring marked a significant step forward. We launched the campaign with the name ‘3UP’ in February, with the backing of each and every one of our 72 member clubs. The campaign gained visibility across football media and supporter networks, supported by a growing number of clubs and high-profile figures articulating the same position independently. That alignment mattered. It demonstrated that this was not a narrow or sectional concern, but a league-wide issue grounded in sporting merit and competitive balance.

A case in point in 2024-25

If we needed a contemporary case-study as to why 3UP was needed, that came organically at the end of the 2024-25 season.

York City finished 6 points off the summit, and 28 points clear of Southend United, who occupied the final play-off spot. Yet they became the latest to add to the statistic that the runner-up of the National League fails to win promotion via the play-offs almost 70% of the time.

An open letter by the club called backed the need for reform. And it wasn’t all about self-interest – it was considered critique of a system that needed to change.

Backing from the Football Supporters’ Association

Consensus is a scarce commodity in football. And that’s one of the reasons why 3UP is such a compelling case.

The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) decided to give their official backing to the 3UP case in June, following their AGM. A survey of almost 2,000 football supporters found a common ground: 93% of respondents backed the call for change. And that included 83% of supporters of EFL clubs.

A rare, sustained unity from across the football pyramid. Supporters of clubs competing for promotion, clubs stabilising, and clubs fighting to retain their place all recognised that the existing structure constrained ambition and distorted competition. That collective understanding was one of the most important developments of the year.

Discussions in Parliament

In 2025, the 3UP campaign progressed beyond football and into Parliament, marking a major step in its development.

Over the summer and autumn, more than 50 MPs from across all major parties expressed active support, reflecting a growing understanding that 3UP is about fairness, sustainability, and the health of the football pyramid.

That support was highlighted during Prime Minister’s Questions in October, when Jonathan Brash MP for Hartlepool raised the campaign directly with the Prime Minister. Mr Brash pointed to the structural unfairness facing National League clubs and noted the campaign’s unanimous backing from all 72 member clubs.

In response, Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the campaign, stating that while league structures are a matter for football authorities, he ‘commends’ the 3UP campaign and its aims. The statement, made in the House of Commons, represented a significant moment of national recognition.

Parliamentary engagement had been building in the weeks prior, with the National League presenting its case at a Westminster meeting of the Football All-Party Parliamentary Group. MPs and Peers from across both Houses heard how 3UP aligns with wider objectives around financial resilience, league stability, and protecting club heritage.

High-profile backing

The support for 3UP has been much broader too – and importantly, has come from some influential names in the world of football.

Jeff Stelling, a long-standing supporter of Hartlepool United and five-time SJA Sports Broadcaster of the Year, became an ambassador for the campaign in November.

And Neil Warnock, whose promotion credentials all began with his title win at Scarborough in 1987, lent his support to 3UP and called on ‘common sense’ to prevail.

That’s not to mention former England manager Roy Hodgson, several widely respected national journalists, and representatives of clubs in both the National League and the EFL who have gone on record to voice their backing for 3UP and what it stands for.

The strength of 3UP lays in the fact that clubs and supporters spoke in their own voices. That organic support gave the campaign authenticity and resilience.

Day of Action

We drew attention to the campaign with our Day of Action on Saturday 15 November. A small detail – the rescheduling of our games to 3.03pm – created a talking point and claimed plenty of column inches for 3UP. Key National League representatives were given airtime to put forward a case.

It created a fresh chance to bring the campaign into the spotlight. Clubs also coordinated to amplify the message – both on the day itself, and in the lead-up – and there was another opportunity to tell some stories to give 3UP its historic context, as well as dispelling myths about the campaign. We welcomed and encouraged all scrutiny.

Those stories have been rooted in evidence and proportionality – the argument for 3UP doesn’t come from emotion alone. We set out a straightforward comparison with other divisions and allowed the logic of the pyramid to speak for itself.

Each of the Northern Premier League, Southern League and Isthmian League also linked arms for the campaign – they too adjusted their kick-off times to 3.03pm in a show of solidarity for 3UP. Evidence enough that this is a matter of principle about the structure of our game.

Public petitioning

Throughout the campaign, and in particular during the lead-up to the Day of Action, we invited football supporters to be active in this process. Small gestures can make big difference.

Our petition on change.org has registered almost 16,000 signatures at time of writing – a number that would fill all but one of the 72 National League stadia. Only Carlisle United’s Brunton Park has a larger capacity.

And as things stand, the Cumbrians have their work cut out if they want to bounce back to the EFL at the first attempt. Three points separate five sides at the top of the table at the halfway point of a scintillating season… yet only two can go up. That’s what we’re looking to fix.

A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who has taken the time to commit their name to the drive by signing the petition. It’s one thing to agree with the principle – but taking action by committing a signature shows a degree of investment in our campaign. We know the change.org petition will have a further part to play in our campaign.

Looking ahead: priorities for 2026

If 2025 was the year the National League asserted its case, then 2026 must be the year that case is resolved.

Our priority moving forward is to translate consensus into action. The objective remains clear: the introduction of a third promotion place that brings the National League into line with the rest of the pyramid. This is not a radical change, but the correction of a structural anomaly.

The decision whether 3UP is granted ultimately lies within the remit of the EFL – so the first step is to get it on their agenda for clubs to vote on, and the second step is to make a case to work with the EFL and their member clubs to ensure that it passes a vote.

In 2026, we will continue to engage constructively with governing bodies, ensuring that reform is treated with appropriate urgency rather than deferred indefinitely. We will also work with clubs to maintain coherence and momentum, recognising that sustained advocacy requires discipline as well as conviction.

Thanks to everyone that has supported 3UP in any manner throughout 2025, and let’s do what we can to ensure that 2026 is the year when the change is made.