THE NEW NATIONWIDE CONFERENCE

In addition to the existing Nationwide Conference there are now two sub-divisions: Nationwide North and Nationwide South.

Nationwide Conference chief executive John Moules has been a key figure in bringing about the extension of the competition.

He explained: "It's a project weíve been working on since 2000, when we felt that the Conference needed to expand to a second division.

"That proposal was rejected, but over the last four years we've worked with the FA and the feeder leagues to devise an attractive format, and that has resulted in the Conference having two semi-national divisions now feeding into the national division."

What are the Nationwide North and Nationwide South divisions?

- two semi-national divisions, each comprising 22 teams

- the two divisions are an amalgamation of the top 14 or 15 clubs in the Isthmian League, the Southern League and the Northern Premier League and are on an equal footing directly beneath the Nationwide Conference

The essential features of the new structure are:

- a reduction from 69 to 44 clubs challenging for promotion to the Nationwide Conference

- three promotion places: one for each Champion (North and South) and one for the winner of the play-offs

- six promotions from the feeder leagues - three into Nationwide North and three into Nationwide South

John Moules added: "The objective is to make the number of promotion steps into the Conference - and then maybe the Football League - more equal across the country, and by doing that it now gives a team the opportunity whether they're in Newcastle or Land's End to actually progress through the system properly.

"Also, the second objective was to increase promotion and relegation: with three places available and 69 clubs challenging for it, the odds were quite high; we now have 44 clubs challenging for three places."

Who will be promoted to the Nationwide Conference?

- A total of three clubs will be promoted from Nationwide North and Nationwide South: the champions of each division, and the play-off winners

How will the play-offs work?

- the second, third, fourth and fifth teams in both Nationwide North and Nationwide South will contest the promotion play-offs

- the winners of the Nationwide North play-offs will play the winners of the Nationwide South play-offs in a one-off final at a neutral venue

- the team that wins the play-off final will then join the two champions in promotion to the Nationwide Conference

The Nationwide Conference's chief executive is excited about the prospects for the new league and the 2004/05 season, which begins on August 14th. He said: "Obviously the first season is going to be an interesting one, because it's new; there are 44 clubs coming from three different competitions; and hopefully it's going to stimulate some real interest. "At the end of the season there are going to be ten teams who will have a chance of going up, and that will keep the season alive."

Who will be promoted to the Nationwide North and Nationwide South?

- six clubs from the reorganised Premier divisions in the Isthmian League, Southern League and Northern Premier League, which also each have 22 teams

- each of these regional Leagues will promote two teams into the Nationwide North and South divisions: the respective champions plus either the respective runners-up or play-off winners

- three teams from each of the Nationwide North and Nationwide South divisions will be relegated

John Moules added: "We will still be promoting to Nationwide North and South from the Isthmian League, Southern League and Northern Premier League's reformed Premier divisions, so there will be six clubs promoted from those three competitions, as opposed to three at present. So we've doubled the number of clubs promoted there. And those competitions may also want to introduce play-offs for the runners-up spot, as opposed to just the Champions going up."