5 former league clubs struggling to return

The introduction of automatic promotion and relegation between the Football Conference and the Football League in 1987/88 changed the landscape in English football.

Non-league clubs in football today are no longer prevented from progressing up the pyramid and many of them have gone on to establish themselves at a higher level.

However, the move has also seen many league teams slip out of the fourth tier – some of whom have returned, while others have failed to make it back.

We take a closer look at five clubs who have lost their league status and are struggling to climb into League Two.

York City

York City first lost their league status in 2004, but regained it eight years later during a season that also saw them win the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium (which features on this list of largest stadiums in the world).

They last just four years in the Football League and suffered another blow the following season as they were relegated to National League North.

City were going reasonably well in the league prior to the early curtailment of the season and will be amongst the favourites to win promotion next time around.

The recent opening of their new LNER Community Stadium highlights the club’s ambition and it would be no surprise to see them climb back into the league over the next few years.

Dagenham & Redbridge

After a few near misses, Dagenham & Redbridge finally won promotion to the Football League after winning the Conference title in the 2006–07 season.

They climbed into League One in 2010, but lasted just a season and were eventually relegated back into non-league at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

The Daggers were denied an immediate return to League Two after being beaten by Forest Green Rovers in the play-off semi-finals and have failed to challenge for promotion since then.

They haven’t finished higher than 11th in the past three seasons and are on course for another mid-table finish this term.

Yeovil Town

Yeovil won the FA Trophy in 2002, before romping to the Conference title by a massive 17-point margin the following season.

They narrowly missed out on the play-offs the following year, but made amends by winning the League Two title in 2004/05.

Town were subsequently promoted to the Championship in 2012/13, but quickly slipped down the ladder and back into non-league in 2019.

Yeovil were beaten in the play-off quarter-finals by Barnet last season and are currently languishing in the bottom half of the table this term.

Barnet

Barnet were first promoted to the Football League in 1991, but they have endured a roller-coaster existence since then.

They climbed into the Second Division in 1994, but lasted just one season before being relegated. Barnet then dropped back into the Conference seven years later.

The Bees returned to the Football League in 2005 and lasted eight seasons before suffering another relegation. The won promotion for a third time in 2015, but survived for just three seasons.

They missed out on promotion last year after losing in the play-off semi-finals to Notts County and are now rock bottom of the National League.

Kidderminster Harriers

Kidderminster were famously made to wait to join the Football League, with the club denied promotion in 1994 due to the state of their stadium.

The Harriers made the necessary improvements and were subsequently admitted after winning the Conference under Jan Molby in 2000.

After lasting five seasons in the league, Kidderminster were relegated back to the Conference and have since dropped into National League North.

They have twice missed out in the play-offs since then and remain marooned in the sixth tier of the English football pyramid.