Clive, reflecting on their experience with Lincoln City in the National League, supports the idea of an additional promotion place to League Two but urges addressing existing issues first.

Key concerns include academy funding and compensation, prejudicial treatment, lack of financial oversight: Unlike the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP), the National League lacks spending controls, leading to issues like unpaid loan fees, with no enforcement mechanisms, forcing clubs to pursue lengthy FA tribunals.

The speaker argues these issues must be resolved to persuade EFL clubs to support an extra promotion/relegation place.

Lincoln City Chairman Clive Nates responds to York City’s statement regarding 3 up 3 down. #ycfc #nationalleague @TheDeckNL #weareimps pic.twitter.com/zNdujh36nk

— DECK NEWS (@TheDeckNews) June 3, 2025

“Having been with Lincoln City when we were a National League club, I can fully understand the desire of NL clubs to push for a further promotion place into League 2. However, instead of the emotional and one-sided view presented, this time by York City, it would be far better for the NL and their clubs to rather push to address the issues that currently exist.

“It’s 22 years since the second promotion place from the NL was introduced and that only came through giving more money to EFL clubs to encourage them to vote in favour but nothing was done to address the issues facing EFL clubs relegated to the NL.

“There are concerns we have put to the NL that we believe should be addressed in order to convince EFL clubs to vote in favour of an additional promotion and relegation place between the NL and League 2.

“Firstly, not only do EFL clubs lose their academy funding 2 years after relegation, but they also lose all rights to compensation for any of their academy players. We feel this is the most serious concern that needs to be resolved as it has dire consequences for clubs that are not immediately promoted back to the EFL and should also be a concern for English football in general to have long-standing academies at risk of being destroyed. If 3 clubs had been relegated from League 2 in the 23/24 season, this would have included a club with a Category 2 academy.

“We believe that so-called “bigger” clubs face prejudicial treatment in the NL with the board dominated by representatives of clubs that have never been in the EFL. One only has to look at the irregular way Covid payments were distributed in the NL without the transparency and governance which took place in the EFL.

“To demonstrate this even further we were at the wrong end of a player compensation tribunal in our final year in the NL coming up against a club whose Chairman was also a director of the NL. There was a total lack of transparency, independence or fairness in the ruling unlike you would find in the EFL or EPL.

“Although SCMP, which governs clubs spending on players in League 1 and 2, has many drawbacks including having no ultimate cap on player spending, there are at least controls in place whereas the NL at present has none of these.

“On a couple of occasions we have had the misfortune of NL clubs refusing to pay loan fees for a player. Unlike the situation in the EFL where the offending club would immediately be threatened with a transfer embargo, the NL has refused to take any action forcing us to go through time-consuming FA tribunal processes to recover the funds.”

York City co-owner issues open letter making urgent plea to the National League and the EFL

: So, is this then another reason to create EFL L3 from the National League? Same rules apply to all including #3up. Not any clubs fault it’s been badly run. #ycfc.

: This is exactly the type of discussion clubs should be having. The improved professional standards of the football clubs in NL means they are, mostly, ready. But so much work needs to be done on regulation/support for those that drop. Has to work both ways.

: These are pretty reasonable points to make if we’re being completely fair. Nobody could argue that the decisions made by the #NationalLeague board haven’t raised eyebrows & questions at times, and the Academy funding point is also very valid. How much is this cost involved?

: Extremely interesting Jim. Knew some points obviously like a academies and no salary cap plus the Covid money 🙄 It’s always baffled me why the NL have none or very few without club aligencies on the board, opposite in Sussex bar one person.

: Not surprised the self-interested Directors of the NL are in the frame for lack of transparency 🙄

: @talkSPORT @Sjopinion10 some really relevant points re: why it is only 2 up/down

@maizemurph: Completely spot on, especially about the Academy. This is right and needs addressing before 3 up 3 down has any chance of succeeding. @TheVanaramaNL