Non-league football

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En Angleterre, le football semi-professionnel et amateur est dit non-league football, car il ne fait pas partie des quatre divisions professionnelles de la Premier League et de la Football League. Le terme "non-league" est entré en usage avant 1992 lorsque les plus grands clubs anglais de football étaient encore affiliés à la Football League. À cette époque tous les clubs qui n'appartenaient pas à la Football League étaient considérés comme des clubs non-league.

Les clubs non-league jouent dans des ligues semi-professionnelles ou amateur. Ces ligues sont pour la plupart des ligues régionales dépendant de la fédération d'Angleterre de football, qui gère le National League System (NLS). Le NLS possède 7 niveaux de divisions et compte plus de 50 ligues, certaines possédant plusieurs divisions.

Avant 1987, il n'existait aucun système automatique de montée et de descente entre les clubs professionnels et ceux du non-league football. Les clubs de bas de tableau de la dernière division de la Football League devaient simplement représenter leur candidature à la Football League en fin de saison, ce n'était dans la majorité des cas qu'une simple formalité. Le système était fait de telle sorte que les clubs de la Football League étaient assurés de demeurer en Football League, tandis que ceux de non-league n'avaient quasiment aucune chance de monter.

En 1987, la fédération anglaise mit en place un système automatique de promotion et de relégation entre les clubs de la Football League et ceux de la Conference National (championnat créé en 1979, et qui est encore aujourd'hui le niveau le plus élevé du non-league football). Scarborough fut le premier club non-league à être promu en Football League, Lincoln City fut le premier club de la Football League à être relégué dans le non-league football. Depuis 2003, 2 clubs de Conference National ont été promu à la fin de chaque saison.

Le non-league football n'a cessé d'évoluer au cours des années. Depuis 1979 se met en place sous le niveau de la Conference National, un système pyramidal de niveaux, englobant bon nombre de compétitions jadis totalement indépendantes les unes des autres. En 2004, la Conference s'est même dotée d'une antichambre avec deux groupes : Conference North et Conference South. Dans le tableau ci dessous figure toutes les subdivisions du non-league football, la pyramide commence au niveau 5, la Premier League étant au niveau 1 et la Football League occupant les niveaux 2, 3 et 4.

Niveau	Ligues et divisions du non-league football
5	Conference National
6	Conference North		Conference South
7	Northern Premier League Premier Division	Southern Football League Premier Division		Isthmian Football League Premier Division
8	Northern Premier League First Division	Southern Football League Division One Midlands	Southern Football League Division One South & West	Isthmian Football League Division One North	Isthmian Football League Division One South
9	North West Counties Football League Division One \| Northern Counties East Football League Premier Division\| Northern League Division One \| Western Football League Premier Division \| Wessex League Premier Division \| Sussex County Football League Division 1 \| Hellenic Football League Premier Division \| Midland Football Alliance \| United Counties Football League Premier Division \| Eastern Counties Football League Premier Division \| Kent League Premier Division \| Spartan South Midlands Football League Premier Division \| Combined Counties Football League Premier Division \| Essex Senior Football League
10	North West Counties Football League Division Two \| Northern Counties East Football League Division One \| Northern League Division Two \| Western Football League Division One \| Wessex League Division One \| Sussex County Football League Division 2 \| Hellenic Football League Division One West \| Hellenic Football League Division One East \| United Counties Football League Division One \| Eastern Counties Football League First Division \| Spartan South Midlands Football League Division One \| Combined Counties Football League Division One \| West Midlands Regional League Premier Division \| Midland Football Combination Premier Division
11	Anglian Combination Premier Division \| Bedford and District League Premier Division \| Brighton Hove and District Football League Premier Division \| Cambridgeshire Football League Premier Division \| Central Midlands League Supreme Division \| Crawley and District Football League Premier Division \| Devon County Football League \| Dorset Premier Football League \| East Berkshire Football League Premier Division \| East Sussex Football League Premier Division \| Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Premier Division \| Essex Olympian Football League Division One \| Gloucestershire County League \| Hertfordshire County League Premier Division \| Kent County League Premier Division \| Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division \| Liverpool County Premier League \| Manchester Football League Premier Division \| Mid Cheshire Football League Division One \| Mid-Sussex Football League Premier Division \| Midland Football Combination Division One \| Middlesex County Football League Premier Division \| North Berks Football League Division One \| Northamptonshire Combination Premier Division \| Northampton Town League Premier Division \| Northern Football Alliance Premier Division \| Oxfordshire Senior Football League Premier Division \| Peterborough and District League Premier Division \| Reading Football League Senior Division \| Somerset County Football League Premier Division \| South Western Football League \| Spartan South Midlands League Division Two \| Staffordshire County Senior League Premier Division \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Senior Division \| Sussex County League Division 3 \| Wearside Football League \| Wessex League Division Two \| West Cheshire Amateur League Division One \| West Lancashire Football League Premier Division \| West Sussex Football League Premier Division \| Wiltshire Football League Premier Division \| Worthing and District Football League Premier Division
12	Anglian Combination Division One \| Bedford and District Football League Division One \| Brighton Hove and District Football League Division One \| Bristol Premier Combination Premier Division \| Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Premier Division One \| Cambridgeshire Football League Senior A Division \| Central Midlands League Premier Division \| Cornwall Combination \| Crawley and District Football League Division One \| Devon and Exeter Football League Premier Division \| Dorset County League \| East Berkshire Football League Division One \| East Cornwall League \| East Sussex Football League Division One \| Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Division One \| Essex Olympian Football League Division Two \| Gloucester Northern Senior League Division One \| Hampshire League \| Kent County League Division One East \| Kent County League Division One West \| Leicester and District League Premier Division \| Leicester City League Premier Division \| Leicestershire Combination Division One \| Leicestershire Senior League Division One \| Manchester Football League Division One \| Mid Cheshire Football League Division Two \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division One \| Middlesex County Football League Division One \| North Berks Football League Division Two \| North Bucks and District League Premier Division \| North Devon League Premier Division \| North Leicestershire League \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division One \| Northampton Town Football League Division One \| Northern Football Alliance Division One \| Oxfordshire Senior Football League Division One \| Peterborough and District Football League Division One \| Plymouth and West Devon Combination Premier Division \| Reading Football League Premier Division \| Somerset County Football League Division One \| Staffordshire County Senior Football League Division One \| South Devon League \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division One \| West Cheshire Amateur Football League Division Two \| West Lancashire Football League Division One \| West Sussex Football League Division One \| Wiltshire Football League Division One \| Worthing and District Football League Division One
13	Anglian Combination Division Two \| Altrincham and District Amateur League Division One \| Banbury District and Lord Jersey FA \| Bedford and District Football League Division Two \| Brighton Hove and District Football League Division Two \| Bristol Premier Combination Division One \| Bristol and Suburban Association Football League Premier Division Two \| Cambridgeshire Football League Senior B Division \| Chesterfield and District Amateur League \| Crawley and District Football League Division Two \| Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division One \| Doncaster and District Senior League \| East Berkshire Football League Division Two \| East Sussex Football League Division Two \| Essex and Suffolk Border Football League Division Two \| Essex Olympian Football League Division Three \| Falmouth and Helston League Division One \| Gloucester Northern Senior League Division Two \| Hertfordshire Senior County League Division One \| Humber Premier League \| Ilford and District League \| Kent County League Division Two East \| Kent County League Division Two West \| Leicester and District League Division One \| Leicester City League Supplementary Premier Division \| Leicestershire Combination Division Two \| Manchester Football League Division Two \| Mid-Essex League \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Two \| Middlesex County Football League Division Two \| Midland Regional Alliance \| Mining League Division One \| North Berks Football League Division Three \| North Bucks and District League Intermediate Division \| North Devon League Senior Division \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Two \| Northern Football Alliance Division Two \|Nottinghamshire Alliance \| Northampton Town Football League Division Two \| Peterborough and District Football League Division Two \| Plymouth and West Devon Combination Division One \| Reading Football League Division One \| Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior League \| Somerset County Football League Division Two \| Staffordshire County Senior Football League Division Two \| Southend Borough Combination \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Two \| West Cheshire Amateur Football League Division Three \| West Lancashire Football League Division Two \| West Sussex Football League Division Two (North) \| West Sussex Football League Division Two (South) \| Wiltshire Football League Division Two \| Witney and District League \| Worthing and District Football League Division Two
14	Anglian Combination Division Three \| Altrincham and District Amateur League Division Two \| Bath and District League Division One \| Bradford League \| Brighton Hove and District Football League Division Three \| Bristol and District League Senior Division \| Cambridgeshire County League \| Cheltenham League \| Cirencester and District League \| Craven and District League \| Crawley and District Football League Division Three \| Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Two \| Driffield and District League \| Duchy League \| East Berkshire Football League Division Three \| East Riding Amateur League \| East Riding County League \| East Sussex Football League Division Three \| Falmouth and Helston League Division Two \| Furness Premier League \| Guildford and Woking Alliance League \| Halifax and District League \| Harrogate and District League \| Hertford and District League \| Huddersfield and District Association League \| Lancashire Amateur League Premier Division \| Leeds Red Triangle \| Leicester and District League Division Two \| Leicester City League Division One \| Mid-Hertfordshire League \| Mid Somerset League \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Three \| Middlesex County Football League Division Three \| Mining League Division Two \| North Berks Football League Division Four \| North Bucks and District League Division One \| North Devon League Intermediate Division One \| North Gloucestershire League \| North Hertfordshire League \| North Northumberland League \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Three \| Perry Street League \| Peterborough and District Football League Division Three \| Plymouth and West Devon Combination Division Two \| Reading Football League Division Two \| Somerset County Football League Division Three \| Spen Valley League \| Stroud and District League \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Three \| Taunton & District Saturday League \| Tyneside Amateur League \| Wakefield and District League \| Weston super Mare and District League \| West Sussex Football League Division Three (Central) \| West Sussex Football League Division Three (North) \| West Sussex Football League Division Three (South) \| Worthing and District Football League Division Three \| Yeovil and District League \| York and District League \| Yorkshire Old Boys League
15	Anglian Combination Division Four \| Aldershot Senior League \| Bath and District League Division Two \| Bournemouth League \| Brighton Hove and District Football League Division Four \| Bristol and District League Division One \| Colchester and East Essex Football League \| Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Three \| East Sussex Football League Division Four \| Falmouth and Helston League Division Three \| Isle of Wight League \| Lancashire Amateur League Division One \| Leicester City League Division Two \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Four \| Middlesex County Senior League \| Mining League Division Three \| North Berks Football League Division Five \| North Bucks and District League Division Two \| North Devon League Intermediate Division Two \| North Hants League \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Four \| Peterborough and District Football League Division Four \| Portsmouth League \| Plymouth and West Devon Combination Division Three \| Reading Football League Division Three \| Southampton League \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Four \| West Sussex Football League Division Four (Central) \| West Sussex Football League Division Four (North) \| West Sussex Football League Division Four (South)
16	Anglian Combination Division Five \| Andover and District League \| Barnsley League \| Basingstoke League \| Bath and District League Division Three \| Bristol and District League Division Two \| Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Four \| East Sussex Football League Division Five \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Two \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Five \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Five \| Peterborough and District Football League Division Five \| Reading Football League Division Four \| Sheffield Sports and Athletic League \| South Yorkshire Amateur league \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Five \| West Sussex Football League Division Five (North) \| West Sussex Football League Division Five (South) \| Winchester and District League
17	Anglian Combination Division Six \| Bristol and District League Division Three \| Devon and Exeter Football League Senior Division Five \| East Sussex Football League Division Six \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Three \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Six \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Six \| Suffolk and Ipswich Football League Division Six
18	Bristol and District League Division Four \| Bury and District League \| Central and South Norfolk League Division One \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Four \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Seven \| Northamptonshire Football Combination Division Seven
19	Bristol and District League Division Five \| Central and South Norfolk League Division Two \| Huddersfield and District Works and Combination League \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Five \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Eight
20	Bristol and District League Division Six \| Central and South Norfolk League Division Three \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Six \| Mid-Sussex Football League Division Nine
21	Bristol and Avon League \| Bristol Downs Football League \| Central and South Norfolk League Division Four \| Lancashire Amateur League Division Seven