3UP | Our runners-up and the case for another promotion place

For most of the National League’s history (or the Football Conference, as it was then), there was only one golden ticket to the EFL. Finish top… or stay put.

From 1987 to 2002, champions celebrated. Everyone else boarded the rollercoaster again.

Change came for 2002-03. The case had been made by the Conference, the FA, fans and clubs for a competitive pyramid – and the forward step was achieved by finally offering a second place in the Football League for the winners of a play-off. Doncaster Rovers became the first club promoted from the Conference as play-off winners.

It looked like a victory for meritocracy. Finishing in the mix meant a real chance remained for promotion, rather than hitting a dead-end.

But 23 years later, evidence mounts that it was only ever half a solution. The pioneering reform has aged poorly. While the play-offs have brought excitement, they have also brought cruelty.

Teams that finish runners-up by a mile have to endure the play-off gauntlet. Notts County had a 23-point gap over third and managed to navigate their way up in 2023… but in 2004, after finishing one point off the summit, Hereford United’s 17-point gap over third counted for nothing when they lost their semi-final on penalties.

On average, our runners-up get 86.7 points per season – and 5.5 points clear of third place. By any measure a team well worthy of the jump. And yet by being forced to endure the play-offs, where nine-month test of quality becomes a two-week lottery, just 30.4% of runners-up end up getting promoted.

And a mention too for York City, who finished with 96 points in 2024-25 - a points total that would have been enough to go up as champions on a majority of the past 23 seasons. And yet their hopes were dashed in a flash in the play-off semi-final by Oldham, who would go on to win promotion.

And all the while, League Two’s struggling clubs get rewarded. Clubs that finish 22nd don’t have to fight for their place. In our play-off era, the EFL club which has finished third-bottom each year averages barely 1 point per game, while National League teams averaging 1.9 points per game have to go again.

Automatic promotion for second place isn’t a radical idea. It’s a fair one – and the EFL surely agrees… the runners-up in all three of their divisions earn automatic promotion (as does League Two’s third placed club).

This is just one of the points we are making with our call for 3UP. On Saturday 15 November, our Day of Action will see all National division fixtures kicking off at 3.03pm – three minutes later than usual.

People are asking us: why are you waiting three more minutes to kick off? And by reply we would ask: why are we still waiting, after 23 years, for a third promotion place?