Mark Ives: 3UP Is About More Than Just Sporting Merit

The National League CEO joined Jim White and Simon Jordan on TalkSPORT earlier today, hours after the big announcement that all 72 clubs took the unprecedented step of supporting a letter to the English Football League board.

More than 20 years on from a second promotion place being awarded, the ambition is to request a vote to create a third.

He discussed why it is critical to allow more clubs to progress with the likes of Luton Town, Wrexham and Stockport County just a few of those who have flourished in recent seasons.

“We think the time is now right to put football first and give the National League the ability to have three up, and align with the rest of the game,” he said.

“We have asked ourselves for a long time now if it is fair that League Two has four teams going up, and we have two. Is it right for the game? Is it right for our clubs? My position is that it is simply wrong.

“We currently have 15 clubs who are former EFL sides. We do not feel they have as much of an opportunity as they should to find that exit door. It’s a matter of sporting merit, but it's so much more than that. It's about the game.

“If I were one of the owners down the bottom of League Two, I would argue that I want a fair chance - if my club were to be relegated - of returning to the EFL. As things stand, it’s a very big challenge.

“This is why we are asking them to please look at the wider picture and consider the good this could do.”

Speaking to BBC Sport, Mr Ives says that it is not good enough that it could be up to four years before an additional promotion place gets discussed, as is currently planned.

"By the time the football regulator is set up, started, staff trained and all the elements are in place and then, potentially, the dispute between the Premier League and EFL has been aired with a backstop, that could be three years.

"Then we have the discussion on the three-up campaign, which will delay it by another year. That could be four seasons.

"We have a Pyramid that is the envy of countries worldwide because you can go from the very bottom to the top, purely on merit. But there is a blockage in the jump between National League and EFL. Two-up, two-down is simply unfair.”

To find out more about the 3UP campaign, click here.