Beyond the Premier League: Just how deep does the English football pyramid go and how does it work?

Below Step Two, the pyramid becomes a complex network of regional leagues, each with its own unique character and history. At Step Three, four divisions – the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the Southern League Premier Division Central, the Southern League Premier Division South, and the Isthmian League Premier Division – feed into the National League North and South. With 88 teams battling it out, the competition is fierce.

The system continues at Steps Four and Five, with an increasing number of divisions designed to accommodate the sheer volume of clubs. Here’s where things get interesting, and navigation of the pyramid relies on Geography.

Consider a team in the Midland League Premier Division (Step Five, or the ninth tier overall). Winning promotion doesn’t guarantee a straightforward path upwards. Depending on their location, they might be promoted to either the Northern Premier League Division One West or the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands. Relegation can be equally unpredictable, with teams potentially dropping into one of five different divisions, depending on their location and the overall balance of teams within the system. Currently, 319 teams are competing at Step Five.

Step Six features 17 divisions and 339 clubs, with regionalisation becoming even more pronounced. The Hellenic League Division One, for example, feeds into the Hellenic League Premier Division, which in turn is part of the Southern League system. The underlying principle remains the same: mobility, the chance to climb (or fall) through the ranks.