"The details have been announced about how clubs will become eligible for membership of the new Conference North and Conference South divisions that will be starting in August 2004. I have gone through the document issued by the Alliance Committee and hopefully have summarised the main points. This is by no means definitive and should not be considered as such. I hope that I have understood everything correctly and I have intended to make it as clear as possible.

To be eligble clubs must be a member of the Premier Division of either Isthmian League, Southern Premier League or the Northern Premier League in season 2003/04. Clubs that finish top of the Division One(s) in each league will also be eligible for membership by way of play off system that will be explained below. The new set up will also include the three relegated clubs from the Football Conference. The Conference North and Conference South will each consist of 22 clubs.

The play off system for the Isthmian League will work on the following basis.
Game 1 - Champions of Div1N v Champions of Div1S - Home club determined by drawing of lots.
Game 2 - Club finishing 14th v Winner of Game 1
Game 3 - Club finishing 15th v Club finishing 20th
Game 4 - Club finishing 16th v Club finishing 19th
Game 5 - Club finishing 17th v Club finishing 18th
Game 6 - Winner Game 2 v Winner Game 5
Game 7 - Winner Game 3 v Winner Game 4
The winners of Games 6 and 7 will qualify for membership in the new competitions.

Clubs finishing top of their respective Premier Divisions will be promoted to the Nationwide Conference as normal as long as they satisfy the current ground grading requirements set out by the Football Conference.

Clubs finishing 2nd to 13th in their respective Premier Divisions will qualify for the new set up as long as they submit the previous two years audited accounts as approved by either an AGM or constituted meeting of the club by 1st April 2004. Clubs must also supply a budget and cash flow plan for the 2004/05 season based on membership of Conference North or Conference South.

Any club that is in administration or receivership, are facing a winding up order or have entered into a Creditors Voluntary Agreement as at the end of the 2003/04 season will not be eligible for membership of the new competitions.

Club are expected to make their intention to be eligible for membership made known to the administrators of the new set up before the 2003/04 season starts. This excludes clubs in the respective Division One competitions who will be set a deadline of 1st February 2004 to make their intentions known.

Should any of the top 13 clubs in each Premier Division fail to meet the criteria then the 14th placed club in that league will be eligible and then so forth on a sliding scale, excluding clubs finishing in relegation positions (21st-24th in the Isthmian League).

Ground gradings for the 2004/05 season will be the same as those currently in place for the Premier Divisions of the three feeder leagues. Clubs who become part of the new competitions will be required to meet a new Category B grading by 1st April 2005 in order to continue membership of the competition in the following season. Full details of the Category B grading will be made known in the next few weeks. All clubs applying to the new competitions will have their grounds graded during September and October. Ground gradings must be secured by 1st April 2004.

The FA will have final jurisdiction on the movement and placement of clubs in conjuction with discussions with the Alliance Committee. Clubs that receive an invitation to be included in the constitution of the new competition will be invited to attend the first Annual General Meeting on Saturday 5th June 2004.

The new competition will be managed by 2 representatives from each of the Nationwide Conference, Isthmian League, Southern Premier League and Northern Premier League, 4 club representatives (2 from Conference North and 2 from Conference South). The chairman of the competition will be the chairman of the Football Conference (currently John Moules).

Below the Conference North and Conference South will be the three feeder leagues. The Northern Premier League and Isthmian League will have a Premier Division (22 clubs) and a Division One (22 clubs) while the Southern Premier League will have a Premier Division (22 clubs) a Division One East (22 clubs) and a Division One West (22 clubs).

As I said at the beginning, I hope that this summary makes sense. Basically any club finishing between 2nd and 20th in the Isthmian League Premier Division this season will have a chance of being part of the new set up. Finishing 13th or above will guarantee you a place as long as you satisfy the financial and ground criteria. Finishing between 14th and 20th will give you a place in the play offs with the Champions of Division One North and Division One South. Only the Premier Division clubs finishing between 21st and 24th will have no chance of qualifying"

Many thanks to Steve Rogers of www.nonleaguefans.co.uk for the above article.