Former England manager Roy Hodgson backs National League's 3UP campaign

Roy Hodgson and Steve Coppell have become the latest names to back our 3UP campaign ahead of Saturday's Day of Action.

The former England and Liverpool and boss pledged his support for the campaign this week - but he's not the only high-profile name to do so...

Former Crystal Palace and Reading boss Steve Coppell has also joined the list of high-profile advocates for a third promotion spot.

Here's what they, and others, have been saying...

Roy Hodgson CBE
"There is clearly a compelling case for parity of promotions across the professional football pyramid. 

"I was part of the original panel that was part of the Fan-Led Review of Football Governance in 2021.  The aim was always to protect the game that serves so many fans, clubs and their communities.

"The National League argues that securing an extra promotion place into EFL League Two would help the financial security of its own leagues and protect the heritage of the 72 clubs within it.  It says that this would tie in with the objectives of the recent football governance bill new independent football regulator.

"I agree that it is for the football leagues themselves to come to an agreement on this particular issue.  It's clear that a significant section of the football community would now like to debate the 3UP issue sooner rather than later."

Steve Coppell
"I played for Manchester United and England and I was fortunate to experience promotion three times as a manager. But throughout our football pyramid, you see the hunger, the hard work, the community spirit. Those clubs deserve a fair chance. 3UP would reward that ambition and make the system truly fair."

Neil Warnock
"I'm a big believer that they've got to follow suit soon with 3UP. Clubs in the bottom division of the EFL, they don’t have a divine to stay there when there's non-League teams that are absolutely superb and run really well.

"These are clubs that have got good teams, got good facilities. I think it's criminal that it’s only the ones that come up that go up automatically.

"I think what makes our football great in England is that everybody's got the same incentive in the Football League… and non-League has grown so much. When you look at our non-League, we should be really proud of it and the number of people that we attract.

"All that's needed now is common sense, and that right to do it."

Robbie Savage - Manager, Forest Green Rovers
"Hopefully [3UP] will come to fruition. If you combined League Two and the National League, half the teams from the National League would compete in League Two. If you can get 3UP it gives more opportunity before a ball is kicked then I'm a huge advocate of it. Hopefully kicking off at 3.03pm on Saturday will bring it to even more light."

Neal Ardley - Manager, Woking
"I just think it's madness, it's distorted. You know, you look at the teams that have come up and how well they've done, you know, Wrexham have gone again and so on, and there's some big clubs down here.

"So I just think, you know, why would you go three, three, three, then four, then two, and only the champions get up?"

Daryl McMahon - Manager, Hornchurch
"I think it definitely has to happen. I think if you look at the quality of the teams, there are probably 10, 12 teams in the National League that could easily compete in League Two.

"But to have only two spaces available,  I think it's harsh. I think it will strengthen the Football League as well. There's some huge clubs in the National League and I think just to make them more open and more competitive is good for the game.

"We've got a really strong pyramid. The structure is incredible, really, down to our level in the National League South and North. There's no other country like it. So, I think it would be fair to have three up for sure from the National League."

Luke Garrard - Manager, Boreham Wood
"The fact of the matter is that the National League was called an elite league when we were using COVID. So why are we not running alongside the League Two, League One sort of platform in terms of three up, three down?

"For me, yeah, it has to happen. It has to happen. And my chairman has said I'll be consistent if we were to ever get to the promised land of the EFL, he'd be voting for three up, three down because he's an advocate for it now.

"He'll be an advocate if we were to be fortunate enough to get there. So, yeah, I'm a strong believer."

Kenton Richardson - Player, Gateshead
"I think three-quarters of our league, top end of our league, could easily go into League Two and not look out of place. I don't think that's really naive to say because (you look at the teams that have gone up, they went and kicked on and cemented places in the league.

"Any team that's gone up, they haven't come straight back down. I think anyone from this league could compete in League Two. It's very close and the margins are slim from the difference from the two leagues."

Chris Millington - Manager, Solihull Moors
"It's an absolutely brutal division. You've got four relegated and one automatic promotion place, with the one play-off as well. You look at the division above, it's a complete about-face, where you've got two who get relegated and you've got the potential for four promotions.

"It's crazy, really, that we have to deal with those kinds of odds. And then you look at the quality of the teams and the standard of the teams going up. It's very, very rare that a team goes up and struggles or has any level of difficulty in the division above.

"In fact, more often than not, they compete quite comfortably in the top half, and in many cases, they get promoted within a couple of seasons in League Two. So, the stats bear out the fact that it should be more equitable and there should be more promotion places for the National League teams."