As far as we are aware this is the criteria for promotion from The Hellenic Premier League this season.
The Hellenic Premier League, a Step 5 league in the National League System (NLS), offers two potential avenues for promotion at the end of this season:
- Automatic Promotion: The champion of the Hellenic Premier League secures direct promotion to the Southern League Division One South (Step 4), provided their ground facilities meet the standards set by The Football Association.
- Play-offs: Teams finishing second to fifth in the Hellenic Premier League engage in a four-team play-off tournament. The semi-finals are single-leg matches, while the final is a two-legged tie (TBC). The play-off winner earns promotion to the Southern League Division One South (Step 4), subject to FA ground grading approval.
We are assuming that 2nd and 3rd place will have home advantage in the semi-finals.
Changes for the 2024-25 Season
The FA has introduced a significant modification to the Step 5 promotion system for the 2024-25 season, aiming to increase promotion opportunities and enhance the competitiveness of the Hellenic Premier League:
- Increased Relegation from Step 4: The number of teams automatically relegated from Step 4 to Step 5 will double from two to four, creating more promotion spots at Step 5.
- Revised Relegation from Step 5: The number of teams automatically relegated from Step 5 will revert to two from the current three, further expanding promotion opportunities.
These changes are expected to intensify competition within the Hellenic Premier League, as more teams vie for promotion to the higher tier. The increased number of relegation spots from Step 4 also suggests a greater emphasis on maintaining a strong foundation in the lower leagues, ensuring a solid pyramid structure within the NLS.
We hope this clarifies some of the discussions that we have heard around the club, but as we all know, nothing seems to be “written in stone”.
