National League: More promotion spots to EFL would be ‘fair’, says general manager Mark Ives

National League general manager Mark Ives says introducing ‘three up, three down’ promotion to the English Football League is the “fairest” way forward.

Notts County were three minutes away from failing to secure promotion to League Two despite reaching 107 points and scoring 117 goals this season.

“How can we not have three up?” Ives told BBC Sport.

“It’s simply the fairest thing to do. At the moment there is only two but there are four going up from League Two into League One.”

It took a late equaliser, another fightback in extra time and a penalty-shootout triumph in front of 38,138 at Wembley to ensure Notts returned to the EFL after a four-year absence.

However, Ives feels the play-off final underlined the flaw in the promotion system that can only be solved by the EFL – whose chief executive Trevor Birch was at Saturday’s thrilling game – agreeing to increase the number of promotion places.

“I think it will happen,” Ives said of a potential change to the number of promotion spots.

“There is an appetite for it across the game, including within the EFL.

“We want to make it happen. Everyone would think it is fair that the two teams with more than 100 points went up. We were at risk of that not happening. The issue for me is when and how it works.”

“This is a very competitive, good league, with a lot of good managers, coaches and teams in it,” he said.

“How it’s only been allowed to have one team go up automatically is just insane. It’s an absolute sporting disgrace.”

Over the past six seasons only Macclesfield, who suffered major financial problems and eventually went bust, and Hartlepool this term, have been relegated back to the National League from the 12 clubs promoted.

However, Ives feels instead of a three-up, three-down system being akin to turkeys voting for Christmas, an expanded promotion and relegation system would offer more opportunities for those dropping down from the EFL.

“If clubs fall out of the EFL, it is hard to get back because of the standard of football in the National League,” he said.

“To have three opportunities as opposed to two has to be a benefit.”

The compelling, star-studded Wrexham story, plus their promotion battle with Notts County, means there has been more attention on the National League than ever before.

Maintaining the same level of interest will be virtually impossible.

In addition, issues at other clubs such as Southend and Yeovil, the latter relegated to National League South nine years after being a Championship club, have highlighted the perilous financial state some have found themselves in.

“If you look back over the last 13 or 14 years, the clubs who have got themselves into financial difficulty haven’t been traditional National League clubs,” said Ives.

“We have our own financial regulations (FRI) which keeps an eye on the clubs. In terms of trying to identify problems as they arise rather than when it is too late and clubs have got themselves into trouble, I think they are sound and robust.

“You don’t always see the checks, nor should you necessarily. Occasionally, we end up having clubs under player embargoes and subject to other safeguards you are not aware of.

“It is not about playing out problems in the public eye, it is about protecting the sustainability of the clubs and the future of clubs who have been around for years. I absolutely support that.”

Following promptings by Wrexham, amongst others, the National League has now adopted a streaming service which has raised the thorny issue of whether the traditional 3pm TV blackout should be scrapped.

Saturday’s play-off final was shown on BT Sport despite being a 15:30 BST kick-off. As with Manchester City’s Premier League win against Leeds the week before, that was only possible because the EFL had no matches at that time and almost all non-league campaigns have been completed.

Ives accepts there is a delicate balance to be struck, although he says no substantive talks have taken place within the National League clubs about a united way forward.

“We have not debated it in great detail but my personal opinion is that we do need to protect clubs and those who turn up to watch games,” he said.

“But I wouldn’t link that too much to the streaming. Streaming is meant to give an opportunity for people to watch who wouldn’t normally go to grounds because they live too far away or for other reasons they can’t go to the match.

“You can never replace actually going to a game. Yes, you can see the goals going in and the times they were scored but to experience the atmosphere, you need to be in the ground.

“I don’t think streaming will replace people going to the ground and the statistics don’t show that is the case either.”