What Step Is the Isthmian League Premier Division?

The Isthmian League Premier Division is at Level 7 (step 3) of the English football pyramid and is one of the highest levels of non-league football in England.

The division sits below the National League North and National League South and above Step 4 divisions.

Non-league football has also become increasingly accessible to bettors, with all UK betting sites covering different levels of the football pyramid, although the availability of markets varies between competitions.

What step is the Isthmian Premier League?

The Isthmian League Premier Division is Step 3 of the National League System and level 7 overall in the English football pyramid.

It is one of four divisions at Step 3, alongside:

– Northern Premier League Premier Division

– Southern League Premier Central

– Southern League Premier South

The Isthmian Premier Division is therefore at the same level of the football pyramid as the Premier Divisions of the Northern Premier League and Southern League.

The division is below the National League North and National League South, which are both Step 2 competitions.

What league is above the Isthmian Premier?

The leagues directly above the Isthmian League Premier Division are the National League North and National League South.

Both competitions are at Step 2 of the National League System.

Promotion from the Isthmian League Premier Division can therefore lead to Step 2 football. The division winner and a team that wins the relevant play-offs can be promoted, subject to the applicable promotion regulations and eligibility requirements.

The National League North and National League South sit directly below the National League, which is Step 1 of the National League System.

How far is the Isthmian League from the Premier League?

The Isthmian League Premier Division is three steps below the National League, which is the highest level of the National League System.

However, the Premier League and the National League System are not organised using the same Step structure.

The top of the English football pyramid is the Premier League, followed by the English Football League. The National League is the highest level of the National League System below the EFL.

A club in the Isthmian League Premier Division would therefore need to win promotion through several levels of the football pyramid to reach the Premier League.

But an Isthmian Premier League club is only three promotions away from playing in the English Football League.

Which former Isthmian League clubs have reached the Premier League?

The most famous club to have progressed from the Isthmian League to the top of English football is Wimbledon.

Wimbledon spent decades in the Isthmian League before eventually reaching the Football League in 1977. The club then continued its rise through the divisions, reaching the First Division in 1986 before becoming a founding member of the Premier League in 1992.

The club’s rise reached its peak in 1988, when Wimbledon defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley.

Wimbledon are not the only former Isthmian League club to have reached the Football League. The list also includes Wycombe Wanderers, Yeovil Town, Dagenham & Redbridge, Aldershot Town, Stevenage, AFC Wimbledon, Sutton United and Bromley.

That history demonstrates the potential route available to clubs competing in the Isthmian League Premier Division. While reaching the Premier League remains an extremely rare achievement, the English football pyramid has provided a pathway for clubs to progress from non-league football into the professional game.