Sounds like clubs are starting to discuss League One and League Two potentially merging into two regionalised divisions, which would both technically be the ‘third tier’. Exactly like the Conference North and South. Groundswell of support beginning to gather momentum behind the scenes, apparently. Would make promotion more difficult for ‘the little clubs’ like us as each division would have less promotion spots. If the Championship agreed to a fourth relegation spot (hugely doubt that) then it would likely be the top team from each regional division, plus the playoff winner. Second would no longer get you promoted and sixth would no longer grab you a playoff spot. If they kept it at three down, you could see only the top side in each league promoted, and then one-legged playoffs in the regionals to create a ‘national playoff final’ for the third seat.
This would also mean that the regional divisions would always be shuffling around as the Championship sides coming down would frequently tip the scales in opposing directions geographically, so one or two ‘border clubs’ would be flip flopping between north and south season after season based on who came down. Perhaps people should ask Brackley Town how that works out for them, when they’re not even 10 miles north of Bicester and are constantly playing clubs that are several hours away. They’ll try to pass it off as ‘more economical for fans’ even though it won’t make a blind bit of difference, and will actually work out worse financially in some cases. “Thank God I don’t have to drive two hours to Doncaster anymore - this three hour drive to Exeter is much better! And hey, who needs games at Sunderland and Bolton when we’ve got AFC Wimbledon and Crawley to visit instead? Every year!” No weekend jollies in Blackpool, no nights on the Toon... it would be an absolute travesty. But they’re talking.
Just imagine the conversations when trying to explain this to kids:
“Are we going to Walsall this season, Dad?”
“No, son. It’s regionalised now. Walsall is in the north. Oxford are in the south.”
“But Dad, it only takes an hour to get there.”
“I know, son.”
“Well... where are we going that’s closer?”
“Plymouth, Ipswich, Colchester, Southend and Gillingham.”
“How long does it take to get to those places?”
“At least two hours. Nearer three in some cases. Longer if you stop.”
“.....but why, Dad?”
“Nobody knows, son. Nobody knows...”
EDIT: Having said that, didn’t Oxford City end up in the conference north at one point? So if it went that way you could find that it’s a club like us that ends up only getting northern outposts for fixtures, which would also harm our home attendances due to lower average numbers of visiting fans.
