Why Only 2 Clubs Escape Non-League Every Year

Why Only 2 Clubs Escape Non-League Every Year York City scored 108 points last season. Rochdale scored 106. Two of the best seasons in English football — and only one of them went up automatically. The other had to fight through the play-offs. That isn't bad luck; it's the rule. Every division in the top four tiers sends at least two clubs up automatically. The National League sends one plus a single play-off place. It's the narrowest door in the entire pyramid at the most important gap of all: the one between non-league and the EFL. This is the story of why it won't move now: the financial cliff, the 3UP campaign and the reason the only people who can open the door are the people it protects. TIMELAPSE 00:00 Intro 01:14 A Door That Has Opened Twice in 138 Years 03:08 The Cliff 05:32 A Vote That Never Happens 08:36 The Queue 10:07 Open in Theory Sealed in Practice 🔔 Subscribe and hit the bell — new videos every week #NationalLeague #EFL #Championship #FootballLeague