Fa Knock Back Bid For New Northern Step Four

League’s ambitious plans for restructure scuppered

- Mark Carruthers

THE Ebac Northern League have described themselves as “bitterly disappointed” at the FA’s decision to reject their proposal to introduce a new Step 4 league within the region.

In a statement released earlier this week, the Northern League confirmed that the proposal was submitted to the Football Association that would allow the Northern League “to adjust its position within the system to include a Step 4 division covering the region”.

The Northern League would have controlled the new division, which would have sat along side the likes of the Evo-Stik North and EvoStik South at Step 4.

The new division would feed into the Evo-Stik Premier Division and would allow Northern League clubs to make a gradual progression into the third tier of the Non-League pyramid.

There has been widespread criticism of the Northern League clubs in recent years for a perceived lack of ambition, with only Darlington, Spennymoor Town and South Shields accepting promotion to Step 4 over the past nine seasons.

That period has coincided with the Northern League’s dominance of the FA Vase, with the league providing nine of the last ten winners of the competition.