Colney Heath in line for promotion after FA decide to restructure non-league pyramid
Going up? Colney Heath on the verge of promotion to step four of the non-league pyramid. - Credit: DANNY LOO
Colney Heath are just one of the teams on the verge of promotion after the FA announced that a planned restructure of the non-league pyramid would go ahead.
The Magpies are the top-ranked club in the Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division based on the FA's qualifying criteria, which involves combining last year's voided results with those gained in the curtailed season this year and using an unweighted points-per-game formula, and will be invited to apply for promotion to step four.
In total there will be 110 promotions between steps four and six, 20 clubs moving up from step five and 60 from step six to five.
Another 30 will move from step seven divisions, the equivalent of the county leagues in Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.
The spaces required for these promotions are being catered for by the creation of three new divisions, one at step four and two at step five.
That will mean lateral movement between divisions which at step four, because the new division will head up towards Sheffield, could be of significance to some clubs in Cambridgeshire.
There is also no mention of relegation.
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The FA said: "Following the curtailment of the 2020-21 league season for steps three to six of the National League System, our alliance and leagues committees announced that they would consider the feasibility of undertaking the restructure, which was intended to take effect from the 2020-21 season but has been delayed due to the impact of COVID-19.
"The committees have now met to consider this matter and will be recommending to the FA Council that the structural changes to the number of divisions be completed in order to address the imbalance that currently exists.
"The restructure will have a positive impact on a significant number of clubs, supporting them with reduced travel and costs and providing greater opportunities for generating income via localised fixtures."
The final decisions will continue to be discussed with "clubs and leagues kept updated on this process".
