NATIONAL LEAGUE SYSTEM – STEP 7 STATUS
Roughly 18 months of consideration and consultation
following an F.A. Conference in Daventry
in 2010 ended in June 2011 with the F.A.
Leagues Committee accepting the recommendations
of the Review Group regarding Step 7 status
within the National League System. The recommendations were based on
the degree of compliance by leagues (and
clubs within those leagues) with the criteria
which had been devised, relating to a range
of matters regarding Ground, Spectator Facilities,
Dressing Room Facilities and Medical issues.
As a result of the above only two leagues
were granted Step 7 status, having achieved 100% compliance:
the Northern Football Alliance and the Staffordshire
County Senior League.
A further 15 leagues were granted provisional Step 7 status, 75% or more of their clubs having met the
criteria. The remaining clubs in these leagues
have until March 31st, 2012 to meet the criteria or their league
will lose its Step 7 status:
Central Midlands League
Cheshire League
Dorset Premier League
Essex Olympian League
Herts Senior County League
Humber Premier League
Leicestershire Senior League
Midland Combination
Sheffield/Hallamshire County Senior League
Somerset County League
South West Peninsula League – Division
One East + Division One West
Wearside League
West Lancashire League
West Midlands (Regional) League
West Yorkshire League.
A total of 16 leagues have had their Step 7 status suspended because fewer than 75% of their clubs have
met the criteria. If, by March 31st, 2012, 75% or more of the clubs in these
leagues have achieved the grading requirements,
then those leagues will be awarded provisional
Step 7 status, with a further 12 months allowed
for all clubs within the leagues to comply
with the criteria for the award to become
permanent.
The leagues in question are the:
Anglian Combination
Cambridgeshire County League
Essex & Suffolk Border League
Gloucestershire County League
Hampshire Premier League
Kent County League
Liverpool County Premier League
Manchester Football League
Middlesex County League
Northants Combination
Peterborough & District League
Spartan South Midlands League Division Two
Suffolk & Ipswich League
Sussex County League Division Three
West Cheshire League
Wiltshire League.
At June 14th, 2011, a further 11 leagues had their Step 7 status suspended pending further developments:
Bedfordshire County League
Brighton, Hove & Albion League
East Berkshire League
East Sussex League
Mid Sussex League
North Berkshire League
Northampton Town League
Oxfordshire SeniorLeague
Reading Football League
West Sussex League
Worthing & District League
Eight further leagues had hoped to achieve Step 7 status, but
had fewer than 75% of their clubs achieving
the grading requirements by the F.A. Leagues
Committee’s deadline. These leagues may apply for provisional
Step 7 status again by March 31st in any year, provided that they have 75%
of their clubs having met the criteria:
Devon & Exeter League
Lincolnshire League
Nottinghamshire Senior league
Shropshire County League
Surrey Elite Intermediate League
Teesside League
West Riding County Amateur League
York League
