Everton have a crucial set of fixtures ahead of them, but optimism is anew on the blue half of Merseyside, welcoming Bournemouth in the FA Cup before hosting the Merseyside derby next week.

David Moyes’ galvanising return has been followed by an excellent run of form, Everton winning three on the trot in the Premier League, thrashing both Tottenham and Leicester City and winning away at Brighton.

Goals conceded? None. The Toffees have breathing room at the bottom end of the Premier League table, and can focus on the forthcoming tie against Bournemouth with a bit less anxiety.

It’s all down to Moyes.

How David Moyes has revived Everton

Moyes has won as many top-flight fixtures this season, three from four games, as his predecessor, Sean Dyche, who was dismissed after 19 games in 2024/25.

Already, the Scottish tactician has restored the belief on the field and ignited Goodison Park, raising the decibels to its roaring max.

Attacking inspiration is back, with Everton averaging only 1.9 big chances per game across the whole of the Premier League season, as per Sofascore, but averaging 3.3 across the four Moyes-led matches so far.

Premier League 24/25 – Clean Sheets

Rank

Club

Goalkeeper(s)

Clean Sheets

1.

Liverpool

Alisson/Caoimhin Kelleher

10

1=

Nott’m Forest

Matz Sels

10

3.

Everton

Jordan Pickford

9

4.

Arsenal

David Raya

8

4=

Newcastle

Nick Pope/Martin Dubravka

8

Stats via Transfermarkt

Of course, Moyes has inherited one of the division’s most resilient and disciplined defensive units, but he’s got the skills to elevate the rearguard to the next level.

His arrival will lift and help to develop many Toffees players, with Jarrad Branthwaite surely at the top of that group.

Moyes has hit the jackpot on Jarrad Branthwaite

Hailed as a “physical beast” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Branthwaite emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest young defenders last season, keeping 13 clean sheets from 35 games as Dyche’s durable side avoided relegation comfortably despite being hit with an eight-point deduction for financial breaches.

An academy graduate, after initially joining as a 17-year-old from Carlisle for £1m, he’s already proving himself to be one of the finest Finch Farm talents since one Wayne Rooney waltzed onto the scene.

He’d missed the opening phase of the current campaign – absent for seven of the opening eight matches – after injuring his back in the summer, and is it any surprise that Everton lacked their defensive solidity without the young titan in the line-up?

The 22-year-old ridiculously won 78% of his ground duels this season and will hope to see an uptick in possession now that Moyes is at the helm, maintaining Everton’s counter-attacking roots but looking to be a bit more controlled in the build-up.

Manchester United are believed to have retained their interest in the £75m-rated centre-back after failing to sign him last summer, with Manchester City and Liverpool also lurking.

Seeing him leave for the despised Merseyside neighbours would be a deplorable outcome, but with Virgil van Dijk, 33, out of contract at the end of the season, FSG’s interest is understandable.

It bears testament to Branthwaite’s potential, already worth more than three times more than the £23m-rated Van Dijk – as per Transfermarkt – and is still yet to reach his prime years.

So athletic and imposing at the back, the England international is proving to be a force for Everton, integral in keeping Moyes’ system airtight, and even if he is to be sold in the coming years, the Toffees would bank a pretty and then some.

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Suryakumar Yadav continued his good form as the Indian team beat the Western Australia Cricket Association XI by 13 runs in its first practice game ahead of the T20 World Cup, in Perth on Monday.The Indian team, which has been training at the WACA for the past three days, wanted to get used to the pace and bounce of the track. They made 158 for 6 in their stipulated 20 overs and in reply, the WACA XI managed only 145 for 8 in their 20 overs.Instead of captain Rohit Sharma’s regular partner KL Rahul, it was Rishabh Pant, who opened the innings for the visitors. But it was Suryakumar, whose 35-ball 52 was the highlight of the innings as a few hundred fans enjoyed his free-flowing strokeplay. He hit three fours and as many sixes during his knock and not for once did the pace and bounce of the track looked like troubling the world No. 2 ranked T20I batter.The other man, who made a significant contribution, was allrounder Hardik Pandya who scored 27 off 20 balls. Deepak Hooda, having recently recovered from injury, also chipped in with 22 off 14 balls at No. 3.India were 28 for 2 in the powerplay before Suryakumar’s intervention. His wicket, in the 18th over, left India at 129 for 5 but the last 16 balls yielded 29 runs and got them closer to the 160-run mark.Defending the total against a WACA XI wasn’t a big ask as Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh basically blew away the home team’s top-order inside the powerplay. WACA XI were reduced to 12 for 4 in the third over and they could never recover from the setback.Arshdeep was the best Indian bowler on view with impressive figures of 3 for 6 from three overs, while Bhuvneshwar (2 for 26) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2 for 15) also chipped in.India’s next practice game against the same opposition is on October 13 before the team travels to Brisbane for two official T20 World Cup warm-up games against Australia and New Zealand.

Arsenal have held talks with the representatives of a potential bargain striker, and it is believed his club are willing to sell before January transfer deadline day on February 3.

Arsenal targeting new centre-forward for Mikel Arteta

Gabriel Jesus is set to be out for an extended period after rupturing his ACL against Man United in the FA Cup, which has pushed forward the club’s plans to bring in a prolific new centre-forward.

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1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 21, 2025

Jesus, who was seriously hitting his stride with six goals in seven games, will be a sore miss for manager Mikel Arteta – who is now working with interim sporting director Jason Ayto on a possible solution to Arsenal’s striker shortage.

Arsenal made a very public attempt to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig last summer, so their pursuit of a forward isn’t anything new. However, Jesus’ injury has now left Arteta with just Kai Havertz as his sole striking option – making the need for another body all the more urgent.

Arsenal could make another move for Sesko this month, according to various reports, while it is rumoured the likes of Juventus star Dušan Vlahović, Sporting Lisbon sensation Viktor Gyokeres and Wolves sensation Matheus Cunha are all being targeted by the Premier League title hopefuls.

Given the sheer quality of these names, it comes as no surprise they’re all likely to command a premium transfer fee. Reliable journalist Ben Jacobs even reported earlier this week that Cunha is valued at around £80 million by Wolves, so Arsenal would need to make him their second-most expensive signing behind Declan Rice.

That being said, Arsenal do have their eyes on another Brazilian striker who could prove far cheaper – Botafogo ace Igor Jesus.

Arsenal approach Igor Jesus with Botafogo open to January sale

As per Jacobs again, in a piece for TEAMtalk, Arsenal have approached Jesus’ agents for initial talks, and it is believed Botafogo are prepared to sell him this month during the Brasileiro off-season.

The 23-year-old, who earned his first caps for the Brazil national team late last year, was prolific in the UAE with Shabab Al-Ahli – having scored 34 goals and bagging an extra 16 assists in all competitions.

He’s impressed since joining Botafogo from the Middle Eastern side, and his performances have attracted attention from Arsenal as they seek to bolster their forward options.

What’s more, Botafogo could sell for as little as £25 million, making him a far more astute potential signing than the vast majority of Arteta’s reported targets. Diario As reporter Eduardo Burgos also shared news that Arsenal have joined the race for Jesus, so this is a story gaining traction and one to certainly keep an eye on.

MatériaMais Notícias

A Central do Apito, da TV Globo, definiu o lance do gol anulado do Santos contra o Internacional, marcado por Eduardo Bauermann, como inconclusivo. Segundo Sálvio Spínola, quando o lance não tem uma imagem clara para ser analisada pelo VAR, a decisão do campo deve prevalecer. O gol do Peixe foi validado pela equipe de arbitragem no campo.

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– Para mim é um lance inconclusivo. Se é inconclusivo, permanece a decisão do campo. É o protocolo do VAR – disse o ex-árbitro.

Pelo Brasileirão, o Peixe acredita que vem sendo prejudicado pela arbitragem sucessivamente. O clube inclusive já enviou diversas reclamações para a CBF.

Relembre abaixo alguns lances:

– Primeiro foi o pênalti não marcado contra o Fluminense, na primeira rodada da competição.

– Contra o Coxa, na segunda rodada, um pênalti foi marcado contra o time e o lance também gerou insatisfação no clube.

– O time santista também reclamou no clássico contra o São Paulo, em um lance que antecedeu o pênalti para o rival. O Peixe afirma ter acontecido um erro de Leandro Vuaden. Marcos Leonardo e Alisson disputavam a bola e antes dela sair, o jogador do São Paulo tentou segurar a bola. A arbitragem marcou lateral contra o Peixe, na sequência, ocorreu a penalidade.

– Contra o Ceará, mais reclamações. Em um gol do Santos, no início da jogada, Jhojan Julio e Rodrigo Fernández disputavam a bola com o volante Richard, do Ceará, ainda no meio-campo. A bola ficou com o volante santista, que passou para Julio. Na sequência, ele tocou para Lucas Pires cruzar e Léo Baptistão apareceu na área para finalizar e fazer o gol. Mas o lance foi anulado.

One Rangers man is now closing in on an Ibrox exit this summer in a fresh blow to Philippe Clement, according to a fresh report.

Rangers transfer updates

After a tricky season to date, Rangers could also be facing a difficult summer transfer window ahead too. Philippe Clement’s side sit second in the Scottish Premiership, a massive 13 points behind runaway leaders Celtic despite beating them 3-0 in the most recent Old Firm Derby.

They remain in the Scottish Cup, facing a clash with Queen’s Park in their next outing, and will be hoping to lift at least some silverware come the end of the campaign. That could also come in Europe, with Rangers having impressed and having automatically qualified for the knockout phase of the Europa League after missing out on the Champions League at the beginning of the season.

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Whatever the end of the campaign brings, however, change this summer appears inevitable. Cyriel Dessers has long been linked with a Gers exit and could finally depart, while there has also been significant speculation over the future of captain James Tavernier.

Elsewhere, Vaclav Cerny’s loan is set to expire, and though it appears that he wants to remain at Ibrox, there is no option to buy inserted into his deal meaning that Wolfsburg will hold much of the power in any negotiations over the Czech forward.

Additionally, both Hamza Igamane and Jefte have attracted Premier League interest over the course of the campaign to date, something that could see Rangers facing a fight to keep their impressive duo beyond the current campaign. Now, an update has emerged on another member of Clement’s squad, and it is bad news for the Ibrox outfit.

Rangers ace close to summer exit

That comes courtesy of Romanian outlet Pescurt, who claim that compatriot Ianis Hagi is now “one step away” from departing Ibrox this summer.

Frozen out of the squad at the beginning of the season, Hagi has become a key figure for Clement’s side in recent weeks, and scored twice in a man-of-the-match performance in their most recent outing against Ross County.

Appearances

18

Starts

14

Goals

4

Assists

5

Minutes per goal/assist

142

At the turn of the year, Romanian hero Ilie Dumitrescu hailed him as a “sensational” player, but now his future could appear to lie away from Scotland. That is because of his contract situation, whereby his current £26,000 a week deal comes to an end this summer, leaving him free to negotiate with other sides.

In turn, Serie A side Genoa, who are owned by Romanian Dan Țucu, are looking to snap him up on a free transfer, with the report adding that any deal could cost them in excess of £5m when his wages and bonuses are factored in.

As a result, it is claimed that Hagi is “one step away from leaving Rangers for Genoa”, which would come as a massive blow to the Gers given his recent form at Ibrox.

It feels like everything that could have gone wrong for Tottenham Hotspur this season has gone wrong.

Ange Postecoglou’s side have been utterly devastated by injuries this year, with practically the entire backline missing much of the campaign and several key attackers also having to spend some time on the sidelines.

However, while these injuries have undoubtedly played a large part in the team’s dire form, it cannot be entirely put down to that, as some of the team’s supposed leaders, such as Son Heung-min, have been undeniably poor.

Fortunately, recent reports have touted a Premier League winger for a move to N17 this month, a winger who could be just the player to replace Son.

Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League star

According to a recent report from the Daily Mail, Tottenham are one of several teams interested in signing Marcus Rashford this month.

Transfer Focus

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that West Ham United, Juventus, Napoli and Galatasaray are keen to land the Englishman on loan for the remainder of the season.

However, there remain two potential issues: the first is that he’d prefer a move to Barcelona, and the second is his enormous £375k-per-week wage.

With that said, if Spurs can secure the 27-year-old’s services on a short-term loan this month, it would surely add another dimension to their flagging attack, and he’d be an ideal replacement Son to boot.

Why Rashford would be an ideal replacement for Son

So, the first thing to say is that Son is undoubtedly a Spurs and Premier League great – he has scored 172 goals and provided 91 assists for them after all – but he’s set to turn 33 this summer, and as most fans will likely attest, he’s no longer the player he once was.

It is not a failing on his part, though, as research carried out by The Athletic shows wide players in the Premier League tend to hit their peak at age 26 and see their take-on numbers dramatically come down once they hit 31, so the South Korean superstar is simply a victim of time.

So, while he has been able to produce a reasonably impressive tally of ten goals and seven assists this season, it would be fair to say the club need to sign another dynamic left-winger to come in for him this season, which is where Rashford could come in.

Now, before the pitchforks come out, there is no denying that the last season and a half has been incredibly underwhelming for the Englishman, but he’s still only 27, and while Ruben Amorim doesn’t rate him, prior campaigns tell us there is still a player in there.

For example, in the 22/23 season, he was simply unplayable, racking up a sensational haul of 30 goals and providing nine assists in 56 appearances, totalling 4304 minutes.

Appearances

35

9

6

6

Starts

32

5

5

4

Minutes

2891′

560′

483′

370′

Goals

17

6

1

6

Assists

5

1

1

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.62

0.77

0.33

1.33

Minutes per Goal Involvement

131.4′

80′

241.5′

46.25′

That means the “unstoppable” winger, as dubbed by Erik ten Hag, averaged a goal involvement every 1.43 games, or every 110.35 minutes, and if he was able to do that under the management of the recently fired Dutchman, then just think how effective he could be under the incredibly attacking Postecoglou.

Moreover, while he hasn’t been brilliant in the last season and a half, he’s still managed to rack up seven goals and three assists in 24 games this season, only 19 of which have been starts, so he’s not been quite as poor as some may believe.

Ultimately, this season has made it abundantly clear that Son’s time as a starter for Tottenham is rapidly coming to an end, and while there are questions over his commitment, Rashford has shown he has the raw ability to be the “difference-maker” analyst Ben Mattinson purports him to be.

Therefore, Daniel Levy and Co should do what they can to bring him to N17 this month, as even if things don’t work out, they can just send him back to Old Trafford in the summer.

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Sri Lanka batter was arrested and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent

Andrew Fidel Fernando07-Nov-2022Sri Lanka batter Danushka Gunathilaka has been denied bail by a Sydney court on Monday, after being arrested and charged with four counts of sexual intercourse without consent. He was arrested early morning on November 6 at the team’s hotel in Sydney’s central business district. The rest of the team has since flown back to Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) president Shammi Silva told ESPNcricinfo that “we are supporting [Gunathilaka], definitely”, but declined to elaborate further. Soon after, however, the board issued a fresh statement on Monday suspending Gunathilaka “from all forms of cricket with immediate effect… after being informed that Mr. Gunathilaka was arrested and charged with sexual assault of a woman in Australia.”With Gunathilaka unable to leave Australia for the foreseeable future, thereby precluding him from playing for or training with the national team, the suspension is moot for now. SLC has handed out at least three suspensions to Gunathilaka for past disciplinary breaches. On at least two of those occasions, the suspensions were substantially reduced after some time had passed.Related

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Gunathilaka charged for alleged sexual assault, arrested in Sydney

The SLC statement also said it will “will take the necessary steps to promptly carry out an inquiry into the alleged offense and, upon conclusion of the court case in Australia, steps will be taken to penalise the said player if found guilty”. SLC said further that it “adopts a “zero tolerance” policy for any such conduct by a player and will provide all the required support to the Australian law enforcement authorities to carry out an impartial inquiry into the incident”.In Sydney, magistrate Robert Williams noted Gunathilaka had no criminal history, but the bail bid was refused.Gunathilaka’s lawyer Anand Amaranath called the decision “disappointing” and confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that his client would be appealing to the Supreme Court. Although Gunathilaka would be released from custody – he is currently in a correctional facility – if granted bail, he will have to remain in Australia “until the case is finalised”, Amaranath said. As the charges are serious, the process could take longer than a year.Amaranath also said SLC would be footing Gunathilaka’s legal expenses, at least for now. “I’ve been communicating with people from all levels at the board,” Amaranath said. While the board was paying for Gunathilaka’s defense for now, he expected those funds to be “recovered from him later – it’s a loan essentially”.On Sunday, Sydney police revealed that Gunathilaka and the woman he allegedly assaulted had begun contact via a dating app, and that the 29-year-old woman had “taken all precautions” regarding her safety.”The pair met on a dating app,” Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty told media. “Between [their meeting on the app] and the 5th of November, they communicated via various platform, including text, voice, and video chat. On Wednesday, the pair met up in Sydney at a pre-arranged meeting. They had drinks and went for something to eat, before going back to the young lady’s home.”Police will allege that while they were in the home, the male assaulted the female a number of times, whilst performing sexual crimes upon her. It was just unfortunate. It has nothing to do with meeting on a dating app.”The male is being supported by the Sri Lankan Consulate, as any international person would be if they were facing police charges.”The state of New South Wales had recently put in place fresh affirmative consent laws, which had come into operation in June this year.Gunathilaka had been ruled out of the T20 World Cup on October 19 with a hamstring injury but had remained with the squad in Australia as “a stand-by player”. “The decision was taken by the team management in consultation with the doctors and selectors, as Gunathilaka was fast recovering from the injury he suffered,” SLC said in a statement. “Hence, it was decided to keep the player with the team, as he had already acclimatised to the climatic conditions in Australia, and can continue to train with the squad with a view to immediately drafting him back into the 15-member squad should the need arise.”

The last few years have seen seismic changes take place at Tottenham Hotspur.

The club have churned through managers who employ dramatically different tactics, signed a plethora of players with varying levels of success, and perhaps most notably, sold Harry Kane.

The former captain was the club’s all-time top goalscorer and, at the very least, the second-best striker in the Premier League, but after over a decade of service, he wanted to move on to pastures new.

Unsurprisingly, Ange Postecoglou and Co haven’t been able to replace the iconic goalscorer yet, but there is a player out on loan who could potentially be their next Kane.

How Spurs' players are doing on loan

So, while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg is out on loan this season, the deal that took him to Marseille in July included an obligation to buy at £17m, so for all intents and purposes, he is out of the picture.

Of those Spurs players in and around the first team who are still out on loan and set to return this summer, the player who’s had the most success has been Manor Solomon, who joined Leeds United in August.

Since moving to Elland Road, the 25-year-old winger has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in just 28 games, which comes out to a stellar average of a goal involvement every 1.86 games.

Bryan Gil, while not quite as prolific, is still having a decent campaign of his own away from N17, racking up a haul of four goals and three assists in 29 appearances for Girona, while Alejo Veliz and Alfie Devine have both scored four goals this season, for Espanyol and KVC Westerlo respectively.

Lastly, Ashley Phillips has become an integral player for Stoke City, starting 70% of their league games and making 25 appearances overall.

Solomon

Leeds

22

7

8

Gil

Girona

29

4

3

Veliz

Espanyol

22

4

0

Devine

Westerlo

21

4

0

Yang

QPR

4

0

1

Phillips

Stoke

25

1

0

At the same time, it’s too early to make a judgement on Min-hyeok Yang’s time with Queens Park Rangers, as he’s only made four appearances thus far.

In all, the Lilywhites’ loanees are looking quite impressive this season, although there is one more player who might be the most exciting of the lot, a player who’s mirroring a part of Kane’s early career.

Loan Watch

The Spurs loanee who's emulating Kane

Before he got the chance to show his stuff on a regular basis for the first team, Kane went out on several loan moves to varying levels of success.

He played for the likes of Leicester City, Norwich City, Millwall and Leyton Orient, where he did reasonably well, scoring five goals in 902 minutes, and it’s the League One side who currently have the Spurs player who could emulate the great number nine: Jamie Donley.

Now, we appreciate the fact that a comparison such as this is quite extreme, but like the England captain, the young Englishman is starting to show his quality with the O’s.

For example, while he’s primarily played as an attacking midfielder this season, he has played as a central and second striker in the past, and more importantly than that, he has shown himself to be a real threat this year.

In 34 games for the East London outfit, totalling just 2305 minutes, the “perfect” prospect, as dubbed by Alasdair Gold, has scored six goals and provided six assists as well as forcing Stefan Ortega into an own goal in the FA Cup thanks to a brilliant shot from the halfway line.

Appearances

34

Minutes

2305′

Goals

6

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

192′

That means the 20-year-old is currently averaging a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 192 minutes, which is seriously impressive for a youngster playing in the middle of the park.

Ultimately, there is an awful long way to go if Donley is to get anywhere near the level Kane did during his time with the North Londoners.

Still, if the Hotspur Way talent continues to progress the way he has this season, then there is no telling how good he may be in four or five years.

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Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka has backed his young team to again show their fighting qualities and push for a semi-final place at the T20 World Cup despite the heavy defeat against New Zealand at the SCG.Shanaka admitted that their fielding effort had been a deciding factor – Glenn Phillips was dropped twice, including once by the captain himself – although added that the top order had not adjusted to the moving ball against Tim Southee and Trent Boult as they crashed to 8 for 4.Related

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With matches against Afghanistan and England to come, it is not impossible for them to progress although they may need help from other results.”The dropped catches, I think that’s a game changer,” Shanaka said. “I think we could have kept them to a score like 130, 140 if we got that wicket. Yet again, we didn’t bat well upfront. We know that on these wickets, it’s tough. The first two overs are going to be the toughest two overs.”We were three down after two. So it’s never going to help us when we’re chasing 160. It was always about playing straight against a moving ball. We were not good in this game. I think it was the worst we’ve played with the bat. So what is important is to regroup as a batting unit and win the next two games.”Poor fielding was costly against Australia too in their previous game and also in the last year’s T20 World Cup, where they put down eight chances.”In the Asia Cup our fielding was top class, but here we dropped some sitters,” Maheesh Theekshana said. “It can happen, you can drop a catch, but I don’t think we had [the] luck because Pathum [Nissanka] is our best fielder down the ground, it can happen to anyone.”Shanaka knew there would not be time for Sri Lanka to dwell on their misfortunes before a must-win game against Afghanistan in Brisbane on Tuesday when there is also the threat of more rain.”No one wants to drop catches when we play international cricket,” Shanaka said. “So we don’t need to point out anyone, and we don’t want to blame anyone. What we need to do is to regroup in the next game. We have bounced back in the past, especially this young team. They have gone through a lot of hard times. So I think we still can bounce back from this situation and manage to get to the semis.”A lengthy injury list has compounded Sri Lanka’s problems in this tournament with the knock-on effect seen in this game where Theekshana, who had been a major threat early on, then held back for the death overs rather than being able to attack during the middle period.”First we have to check and see the reason behind the players getting injured,” Shanaka said. “I don’t have the control [over that], the only controllable thing is when the players come to the field so I can get the maximum out of them.”

Everything you need to know about the English football pyramid

The Premier League. The FA Cup. Wembley Stadium. These are the iconic images that often spring to mind when we think of English football.

But beneath the glittering surface of the professional game lies a vast and intricate structure, a footballing ecosystem known as the pyramid. A system of promotion and relegation that is the envy of the world. The allure of the pyramid is simple: the dream that any club, no matter how small or remote, can theoretically rise through the ranks to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Conversely, the fear of plummeting down the leagues serves as a constant motivator for those higher up the chain.

But how many rungs are there on this ladder? How deep does the English football pyramid actually go? The answer, it turns out, is far more complex – and fascinating – than many realise.

The familiar heights and murky depths

At its apex, the pyramid is easily understood. The Premier League reigns supreme, followed by the three divisions of the English Football League (EFL): the Championship, League One, and League Two. These four divisions house the 92 professional clubs that dominate the headlines and command the largest fan bases.

Beyond this, the landscape shifts. We move into Non-League football, or the National League system. Step One of the pyramid is the National League, a division that has recently gained even greater prominence thanks to the success of clubs like Wrexham, whose Hollywood-backed rise has captivated audiences worldwide. Promotion from the National League to League Two is a dream for many clubs at this level.

Step Two splits into two regional divisions: the National League North and the National League South. These leagues represent the point where geography starts to play a crucial role, with teams divided based on their location. Clubs like Gloucester City, long-term residents of the National League North, battle it out at grounds like Meadow Park, while teams in the South aspire to replicate the attendances seen at games like Torquay United vs. Hungerford Town, a National League South record.

AdvertisementA tangled web of regional leagues

Below Step Two, the pyramid becomes a complex network of regional leagues, each with its own unique character and history. At Step Three, four divisions – the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the Southern League Premier Division Central, the Southern League Premier Division South, and the Isthmian League Premier Division – feed into the National League North and South. With 88 teams battling it out, the competition is fierce.

The system continues at Steps Four and Five, with an increasing number of divisions designed to accommodate the sheer volume of clubs. Here's where things get interesting, and navigation of the pyramid relies on Geography.

Consider a team in the Midland League Premier Division (Step Five, or the ninth tier overall). Winning promotion doesn't guarantee a straightforward path upwards. Depending on their location, they might be promoted to either the Northern Premier League Division One West or the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands. Relegation can be equally unpredictable, with teams potentially dropping into one of five different divisions, depending on their location and the overall balance of teams within the system. Currently, 319 teams are competing at Step Five.

Step Six features 17 divisions and 339 clubs, with regionalisation becoming even more pronounced. The Hellenic League Division One, for example, feeds into the Hellenic League Premier Division, which in turn is part of the Southern League system. The underlying principle remains the same: mobility, the chance to climb (or fall) through the ranks.

The bottom of the barrel…almost

Technically, Step Seven (or Level 11) is considered the "base" of the recognised pyramid. This is home to a staggering 787 clubs, all vying for promotion to the divisions above. This is grassroots football at its purest, where passion and community spirit often outweigh financial resources.

Teams like Route One Rovers from Bradford, who won the Yorkshire Amateur League Supreme Division, exemplify the ambition and dedication found at this level. Their promotion to the North West Counties League Division North is just the first step on a potentially long and arduous journey.

However, even Level 11 isn't truly the bottom.

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The uncharted territories

While Level 11 marks the official end of the recognised pyramid, the transcript's description of the Yorkshire Amateur League reveals that the pyramid continues downwards, into a sort of unofficial footballing underworld. The Yorkshire Amateur League itself extends to eight further divisions, taking us all the way down to Level 18 of the English football system.

These lower divisions often consist of reserve teams, preventing them from competing directly with their parent clubs. But for standalone sides like West End Park, playing on King George V Playing Fields, the dream of climbing through the divisions, even if it seems distant, remains a powerful motivator.