NCRL Promotion/Relegation

[kev p]

anyone have any idea of how promotion & relegation will affect conference divisions in 2027? 2 teams from division 1 get relegated & via playoffs 2 teams go up from conference divisions. relegated teams are from yorkshire & promoted teams are from cumbria & southern (unlikely i know), do the relegated teams go to yorkshire divisions, increasing their size or do teams move accross to other conferences? i am sure this has been discussed at a higher level than me, but surely a plan must be in place for the senario of what relegation could affect conference divisions.

[Spidey]

I don’t think the completion administrators even know.

[bowes]

16 hours ago, kev p said:

anyone have any idea of how promotion & relegation will affect conference divisions in 2027? 2 teams from division 1 get relegated & via playoffs 2 teams go up from conference divisions. relegated teams are from yorkshire & promoted teams are from cumbria & southern (unlikely i know), do the relegated teams go to yorkshire divisions, increasing their size or do teams move accross to other conferences? i am sure this has been discussed at a higher level than me, but surely a plan must be in place for the senario of what relegation could affect conference divisions.

More teams would get relegated from the Yorkshire Conference/fewer teams promoted into it. And the opposite for Cumbria (and in theory South, but that division is already two teams short and so would depend who is able and willing to step up, if anyone). The champions of the Regional Leagues* are guaranteed promotion to the regional conferences of the National Leagues, but the runners-up only get promoted if there's enough league places available. 

Page 17 here explains this in more detail with examples: NCRL Open Age (Male) 2026 Structure.pdf

In the specific example given it would mean 3 teams relegated from the Yorkshire Conferences to the Yorkshire Men's League and 1 promoted from the Yorkshire Men's League. 2 teams promoted from the Cumbria Men's League to the Cumbria Conference and 1 relegated to it.

*I'm unsure whether this includes the Midlands Men's League and London and East Men's League.

Edited May 5 by bowes

[johnmatrix]

7 hours ago, bowes said:

More teams would get relegated from the Yorkshire Conference/fewer teams promoted into it. And the opposite for Cumbria (and in theory South, but that division is already two teams short and so would depend who is able and willing to step up, if anyone). The champions of the Regional Leagues* are guaranteed promotion to the regional conferences of the National Leagues, but the runners-up only get promoted if there's enough league places available. 

Page 17 here explains this in more detail with examples: NCRL Open Age (Male) 2026 Structure.pdf

In the specific example given it would mean 3 teams relegated from the Yorkshire Conferences to the Yorkshire Men's League and 1 promoted from the Yorkshire Men's League. 2 teams promoted from the Cumbria Men's League to the Cumbria Conference and 1 relegated to it.

*I'm unsure whether this includes the Midlands Men's League and London and East Men's League.

Well that's a name I've not seen post for awhile on these pages. 

[johnmatrix]

Good to see you are still posting bowes

[bowes]

Thank you. I reset my login recently as I'd forgotten my password. I don't post much but saw an interesting thread recently on southern amateur clubs from the past that I wanted to contribute to.

Edited May 6 by bowes

[Grimmy]

On 05/05/2026 at 14:48, bowes said:

More teams would get relegated from the Yorkshire Conference/fewer teams promoted into it. And the opposite for Cumbria (and in theory South, but that division is already two teams short and so would depend who is able and willing to step up, if anyone). The champions of the Regional Leagues* are guaranteed promotion to the regional conferences of the National Leagues, but the runners-up only get promoted if there's enough league places available. 

Page 17 here explains this in more detail with examples: NCRL Open Age (Male) 2026 Structure.pdf

In the specific example given it would mean 3 teams relegated from the Yorkshire Conferences to the Yorkshire Men's League and 1 promoted from the Yorkshire Men's League. 2 teams promoted from the Cumbria Men's League to the Cumbria Conference and 1 relegated to it.

*I'm unsure whether this includes the Midlands Men's League and London and East Men's League.

Have you worked out how promotion from NCRL Div 1 to Prem works? It says 3 up 3 down but not sure whether that's the top 3 going up or some other method. If it is the top 3 then you could potentially win the whole thing from 4th place and not be promoted. Maybe the finalist and the next highest finishing team?

Edited May 13 by Grimmy

[Styx]

2 hours ago, Grimmy said:

Have you worked out how promotion from NCRL Div 1 to Prem works? It says 3 up 3 down but not sure whether that's the top 3 going up or some other method. If it is the top 3 then you could potentially win the whole thing from 4th place and not be promoted. Maybe the finalist and the next highest finishing team?

Things must have changed. Your link goes to the discussion paper that was sent out in advance of things being finalised. The league rules which I have open in front of me says 2 up and 2 down between premier and division 1. The two going up would be league champions, and the play off winner. If that is the same club, the second promotion spot goes to whoever comes second in the league.

[Grimmy]

1 minute ago, Styx said:

Things must have changed. Your link goes to the discussion paper that was sent out in advance of things being finalised. The league rules which I have open in front of me says 2 up and 2 down between premier and division 1. The two going up would be league champions, and the play off winner. If that is the same club, the second promotion spot goes to whoever comes second in the league.

That makes more sense ta. Is the other stuff still the same in terms of promotion/relegation between the regional leagues and NCL Div 1? Bit of a financial hit for the NCL south teams if so.

[Styx]

12 minutes ago, Grimmy said:

That makes more sense ta. Is the other stuff still the same in terms of promotion/relegation between the regional leagues and NCL Div 1? Bit of a financial hit for the NCL south teams if so.

There's a cross conference play off involving 16 teams. Four groups of four with top two in each going into quarter finals. Then semis and a final. Two finalists going up. Potentially a lot of travelling, and associated costs, for any team to be fair, but obviously more so to those from the south.

[Archie Gordon]

On 04/05/2026 at 22:24, kev p said:

... relegated teams are from yorkshire & promoted teams are from cumbria & southern (unlikely i know), ...

Yes. Despite Hammersmith and Wests playing at NCL Premier standard, I really can't see them wanting to travel so far.

[The Duke]

Has P and R now been confirmed for the NCL ? 

[Cumbria1]

2 hours ago, The Duke said:

Has P and R now been confirmed for the NCL ? 

From what I have been told the cross league playoffs will see the teams that get to the final promoted to Division 1 and the bottom two in Division 1 relegated.

Division 1 promotion league leaders auto promoted but as they also will take part in the end season play off if they win that then the team who finish 2nd in the league are promoted, but if the league winners are beating the playoff then it will be the play off winners promoted.