Every fan knows what makes football special. Ambition. Passion. Progress. And the belief that your club can climb higher. But for too long that dream has been unfairly limited for clubs in the National League. That is why I fully support the 3UP campaign. It calls for promotion from the National League to League Two to increase from two places to three. This is not a small rule change. It is a fair and overdue step that would strengthen the whole football pyramid.
At the moment, only one team goes up automatically from the National League. A second club follows through the play offs. That is out of step with the rest of English football. From the Premier League down to League Two, three teams are promoted and three are relegated at every level. The National League should be no different.
The 3UP campaign would fix this by allowing three clubs to move up to League Two each season. At a time when football is being reformed, with more focus on good governance and a new independent regulator on the way, this is a simple and sensible change that should bring the game together.
Support for 3UP does not just come from club directors. It comes from fans and players too. The Football Supporters Association asked nearly two thousand fans for their views. Ninety three percent backed the idea of three promotions. Even supporters of League Two clubs, who would face an extra relegation place, supported the change. Fans understand that this would make football fairer and more competitive for everyone.
Clubs agree as well. All seventy two National League clubs are united behind the campaign. They have written to the English Football League asking for the rules on promotion and relegation to be changed. Support is also growing below the National League. The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern leagues have all taken part in a Day of Action to show their backing.
This matters because football should reward merit. If a club performs well on the pitch and earns strong support off it, it should have a fair chance to go up. Too many clubs have finished far clear in the league, only to see their season end in a single play-off match. That is not a fair test over a long season. A third promotion place would reward consistency and hard work, not just one result on one day.
As a season ticket holder at Hartlepool United, I know this is not theory. Our fans live every match. Every tackle. Every goal. Every point matters. Supporting Hartlepool is about pride, identity and community. It is also about hope. Every season, fans believe their club can rise. Under the current system, even the best seasons can be cut short. That is not right. Hartlepool United deserves the same fair route to success as any other club.
Promotion is not just good for football clubs. It is good for towns. When a club succeeds, local businesses benefit. Matchdays bring spending, jobs and confidence. A successful club can lift a whole community. Allowing more promotion places is good for local economies and local pride.
The EFL has said it is open to the idea in principle. But it wants wider reform before putting it to a vote. That should not delay progress. Football needs fairness now. Waiting for every issue to be solved risks blocking a simple change that would clearly improve the game for fans, players and clubs.
So, I urge the EFL to put football first. Listen to the clubs. Listen to the fans. Vote for three promotions and three relegations between the National League and League Two. Reward achievement. Reward ambition. And give clubs like Hartlepool United, and the communities behind them, a fair chance to rise.
Football should be about merit. It is time for 3UP.
Put Football First: Three Up, Not Just Two
