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Well chums would you want this?

Probably makes sense financially, especially in terms of travel costs.

It just doesn't feel right though. Part of the charm of football is going on a long away trip, right?

It's a shame it has taken a disastrous pandemic to awaken the football world to is woes. The league sat by as Macclesfield, Bolton, Bury, Southend, Aldershot and even County went to the wall, the PFA continually chucked in money to pay unpaid wages.

Yes, I think regionalizing Lge2 with the NL is the way to go, but clubs in Lge1 should be financially stable enough to play in a national division to prepare them for The Championship and PL. Continue with the FA Cup and have a second cup which is a hybrid of the League Cup and Checkatrade but which allows Scottish, Welsh and Irish league sides to enter and if the PL want to field a youth side let them do it. I think there should be a stiffer wages to income cap.

It's as short as its long. It would halve promotion opportunities and some clubs might find themselves switching sideways regularly. Maybe Walsall? Shrewsbury?

The way around that would be to offer guarantees that once a club has moved once it won't have to move again within a certain time span. I believe the Conference does that between North and South. But it risks blurring the edges.

The sooner it happens the better...yes there will be glitches but financially it has to be a better idea for all

Good Morning

I think it’s not a bad thing, however I wasn’t good at Geography at school. Mistakenly thinking because of its name..NORTH-amp tom, it was in the north. Clearly it’s south and must be in the same league as County!

Phil in the South

One very reasonable point which always gets made is that north-south regionalisation ignores the reality of our public transport system. With an East Coast Main Line and a West Coast Main Line but very patchy and overcrowded cross-country services, it's far easier to get from Newport to Manchester (direct train, three hours) than it is to get to, say, Gillingham, Crawley or Colchester!

In truth, we're not too badly affected either way, but for fans of Plymouth or Carlisle, the trips to the east of the country are often far harder than the ones to the far north / south.

phil_in_npton wrote:Good Morning

I think it’s not a bad thing, however I wasn’t good at Geography at school. Mistakenly thinking because of its name..NORTH-amp tom, it was in the north. Clearly it’s south and must be in the same league as County!

Phil in the South

It's Littlehampton that worries me

Norm, if you have a problem with your Little Hampton try asking the pharmacist....

Regionalised tiers at 3 and 4 with a National League at tier 5? We spent years trying to get back to into the Football League and one of the things I most looked forward to was playing, and visiting, northern Football League clubs.

I’ve never been a follower of top flight football and I’ve always backed the underdog. My first really significant football memory, beyond anything associated with the County, was Barrow being voted out of the League in 1972. It looks like they may be on their way back and my footballing life will have come full circle. I want to see County play Barrow in the EFL.

I can see the economic argument for regionalisation but I would be very disappointed if it was to go this way.

Not for me. Part of the fun is spending 3+ hours in the car getting to some town that I wouldn't think of travelling to if it wasn't for the football.

Interesting that the man who bankrolled a club from the North West Counties League to the third tier, outspending every rival they have come up against for 15 years, now wants to talk salary caps.

Not that I disagree.

Good Afternoon

Quote..

I’ve never been a follower of top flight football and I’ve always backed the underdog. My first really significant football memory, beyond anything associated with the County, was Barrow being voted out of the League in 1972. It looks like they may be on their way back and my footballing life will have come full circle. I want to see County play Barrow in the EFL.

Funny you mention Barrow! Only fate 50 years ago, saw Newport County beat Barrow in my Subbuteo cup final. My County supporting fortunes ignited that very day... it could have been so different!
I would also love to see Barrow back in the league!

Phil in Northampton

How about:

Premier League (3 relegation slots)
Championship (3 promotion slots / 4 relegation slots)
League One (4 promotion slots / 5 relegation slots)
League Two North (2 automatic promotion slots with 1 possible playoff and 2 relegation slots to National League North)
League Two South (2 automatic promotion slots with 1 possible playoff and 2 relegation slots to National League South)

League Two divided between the current League Two and the current National League. (All leagues below this are regional anyway.)

Top two from the two regional League Twos will go up automatically whilst the next four (in each) will continue with the play-offs and the winners of each regional league (final played at a neutral venue) meet each other for the grand final (at Wembley)?

Might throw up issues for the FA and League Cups but nothing that can't be sorted. I think the Football League Trophy tournament could bin the Academy too?

With the National League having ended their season, promotion is somewhat in the balance for Barrow. After 48 years out of it (and having to give up their place in the League for Hereford) it would be cruel if they’re not one of the 92 next season.

They've been trying to find a way to regionalise L2 and non league for a few years, and would you believe it an outside influence has forced the issue.
As much as I don't want to see a L2 North and L2 South perhaps for sustainability it will have to be and quite possibly part time also, or else more clubs are going to go bust each year