The National League may be non-league football, the league is by no means amateur. Made up of professional and semi-professional clubs, England’s fifth tier has grown in reach, popularity and professionalism is recent years. A development driven by digital opportunities, rising ticket prices in higher tiers, and inspiring success stories like Luton Town and Wrexham AFC.
Aiming for more growth, the league and 72 clubs (including North and South division clubs) now want a third promotion spot. Which would give more opportunities to ascend the English football pyramid.
So, how professional is the National League really? And how does the league score on metrics such as revenue, broadcasting and spectators?
Increasingly more professional
National League clubs are often the heart of towns and cities across multiple generations. In 2024/25, 14 out of the 24 clubs were over a century old. Add to that phoenix clubs like Aldershot Town (1992), Halifax Town (2008) and Gateshead (1977). Founded relatively recently after the dissolution of former EFL clubs, but having a rich history through its predecessors.
In recent years, the league had become more professional. In 2024/25, the league consists of 20 professional and four semi-professional clubs. In 2017/18, a third of the teams (eight) were still semi-professional. Becoming a professional club has become more appealing or even a must. In May 2022, Altrincham announced they would become a full-time professional club. While Solihull Moors, Halifax Town, Woking and Sutton have also turned professional since 2018.
There are currently 15 National League teams who previously played league football. With Oldham Athletic even playing 84 matches (win percentage of 26 percent) in the Premier League during the 1992/93 and 1993/94 seasons.
Going up against the best
The gap with League Two in both quality and professionalism seems to decrease. With several promoted sides doing well or even winning promotion in England’s fourth tier.
The FA Cup gives some insight in how well clubs do against higher tier clubs. During the last three seasons, National League clubs faced higher tier clubs 50 times. 30 percent (15) of those matches were won. With Wrexham eliminating Championship team Coventry City (highest) in the 2022/23 third round.
44 percent of the 18 matches a National League team faced a League Two side, they won (eight times). While they were eliminated by a lower tier team on 23 occasions (32 percent) during the last three seasons.
Across Europe, it is uncommon for lower tier teams to advance to the final stages of domestic cups. In 2023/24, only three percent of the quarterfinalists were from the third tier or lower (19 percent were non-top tier teams).1
Lincoln City reached the quarterfinals as a fifth-tier side in 2016/17. The first non-league side to do so since 1914. They eventually lost to Arsenal, but not before beating four higher tier clubs.
National League clubs in the FA Cup
| What | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminated by lower tier club | 7 | 10 | 6 |
| Matches vs higher tier club | 14 | 16 | 20 |
| Won vs higher tier club | 4 (29%) | 5 (31%) | 6 (30%) |
| Best result | Round 4
Wrexham |
Round 3
Aldershot Town Chesterfield Eastleigh |
Round 3
Dagenham & Redbridge Tamworth |
Revenue
Across the league turnover varies. In 2022/23, Wrexham generated £10.48 million in revenue.2 A significant increase compared to the £5.97 million they generated the season prior before the takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The club’s unique situation and smart commercial initiatives (like a documentary) contributed to this increase.
Southend United generated £2.93 million in 2022/23.3 Which was 13 percent less than the club generated the season prior. While Chesterfield generated £4.58 million, a 17 percent increase compared to 2021/22.4
The average revenue per club in the League Two was £5.4 million in 2022/23.6 While the Women’s Super League clubs generated £4.0 million on average. Compared to £1.7 million in 2020/21.
Unlike EFL clubs, the National League clubs generally receive no solidarity payments from the Premier League (between £1.4 or £1.5 million per year for League Two clubs5). They do receive money from up the pyramid. In October 2022, the Premier League announced an increased investment package of £12.6 million across three years. Including £9 million to support the 72 National League clubs with running costs and sustainability. And £3.6 million to support the National League Trust and the network of club community organisations.
Another way money enters the National League from above is through parachute payments to clubs relegated from the EFL. Which are said to be around £470,000 in the first year and £235,000 in the second year. It skews income in a league that is already made up of professional and semi-professional clubs.
Wage costs
National League clubs can generally spend in relation to their income but must confer a playing budget and commit to cover any losses through non-returnable means (e.g. extra sponsorship income) or through the owners.
This ‘legal’ way to overspend can result in major differences in wage costs. Which is further influenced by not all clubs being fully professional. Tamworth, for example, pay their parttime players on average around £400 to £600 per week. Other clubs spend far more and beyond the league’s standard in a bid for promotion. Like Wrexham, who paid a reported salary of £4,000 per week for Paul Mullin and £3,000 per week for central defenders Aaron Hayden and Ben Tozer in 2022/23. Overall wage cost reached £6.91 million (2021/22: £4.05 million).2
Chesterfield and Southend respectively spent £3.90 million4 and £2.92 million on wages.3 For Southend it was too much as they could not pay wages on time. Resulting in various financial restrictions and penalties.
It is estimated that National League players earn on average around £1,000 to £1,500 a week. Implying that the average wage cost for a National League club (25 players) is roughly between £1.3 and 1.95 million. Which is less than the £4.0 million League Two clubs spent on average during 2022/23 (2021/22: 2.8 million).6 Women’s Super League clubs’ average wage cost was £3 million. With West Ham (£1.502 million) and Liverpool (£2.070 million) having lower wage costs than some National League clubs.
Great matchday support in England’s lower tiers
England’s lower tiers, including the National League, have great matchday support. During the 2023/24 season, a total of 2.9 million fans attended National League matches.1 In addition to the National League division, this includes the North and South divisions. The EFL’s League Two had 3.5 million spectators, which was 21 percent more. Combined the three divisions in tier five and six, were ahead of top tiers in Russia (2.7 million), Switzerland (2.6 million), Sweden (2.4 million), and Denmark (1.9 million). Furthermore, it was more than the Dutch second tier (2.4 million), France’s third tier (1.0 million), and Germany’s fourth tier (2.7 million).
A season prior, the three divisions combined had over three million spectators. Which was an 18.2 percent increase compared to 2021/22. In 2022/23, a league record attendance was set when 16,511 spectators, including 452 away fans, saw a goalless draw between Notts County and Yeovil Town.
Attendance increased over the last decade
Between 2021/22 and 2023/24, the National League division (excluding the North and South divisions) had on average 1.64 million aggregate spectators per season.7 During the 2022/23 season, this was almost 1.85 million. Which meant average attendance per match reached 3,349.
Compared to 2012/13 (1.04 million), total attendance was 80 percent higher in 2022/23. With average attendance as a percentage of stadium capacity increasing by 18 percent points to 43 percent in 2022/23.
National League attendance [7]
| What | 2012/13 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total attendance | 1.04 million | 1.55 million | 1.85 million | 1.53 million |
| Av. attendance per match | 1,885 | 3,084 | 3,349 | 2,770 |
| Av. attendance/av. stadium capacity | 25% | 38% | 43% | 41% |
During the record 2022/23 season, Wrexham and Notts County had the highest average attendance with 9,973 and 8,024 respectively. Wrexham’s average attendance was 8.4 times the average attendance of Boreham Wood (league’s lowest with 1,185).
With the promotion of Wrexham and Notts County the average attendance decreased in 2023/24. The four other clubs that left the league through promotion or relegation also ranked amongst the top 14 clubs with highest average attendance. While only three of the six clubs entering the league were in the top 14. However, the average match attendance (2,770) was still higher than three League Two clubs in 2023/24.
Some seasonal fluctuations can be attributed to the clubs in the league at that time. However, overall, there is a rising trend. Which is the result of the league’s quality increasing. Furthermore, as ticket prices of Premier League and Championship clubs are high, more people look to attend local clubs and matches. Which is also stimulated with initiatives like an annual Non-League Day (held on 22 March in 2025).
Broadcasting deal with DAZN
Digitally the National League is growing as well. In July 2024, the league announced a seven-year agreement with broadcaster DAZN. With matches accessible across multiple platforms in over 200 countries, a seasonal pass cost £189.99 at the start of the 2024/25 season.
The ability to stream National League matches is not new and was spurred on by Wrexham requesting the league in August 2022 to stream their games domestically and internationally. In addition to being financially beneficial for clubs, it would provide the league with the opportunity to grow and increase revenue. In September, the league declined the request before announcing their desire to deliver a centralised streaming solution for the second half of the 2022/23 season.
If you pay to stream a game on the National League’s new platform, this is how the profits will be divided:
🔸15% retained by the league for reinvestment
🔸25% distributed across the 72 clubs
🔸60% to the club you support (or across all clubs if you have no affiliation) pic.twitter.com/20GkKpNP53
— Ollie Bayliss (@Ollie_Bayliss) December 4, 2022
Launched on Boxing Day, the league retained 15 percent of the revenue generated for reinvestments. 25 percent was distributed across the 72 National League clubs, of which 70 percent to clubs in the fifth tier. The other 60 percent went to the club streamers supported (neutral fans’ subscription income divided across all clubs).
Climbing the pyramid
What makes England’s football pyramid unique is that it is possible to rise the ranks and eventually even end up in the Premier League. There are currently two promotion spots to the League Two for National League clubs. The first was introduced in 1987 replacing a voting system and a second spot was added in 2003. In February 2025, the National League’s 72 clubs started campaigning for a third promotion spot. With four spots up for grabs between League Two and One, a third place would make league football more accessible. Currently, it is not easy to win promotion after being relegated from League Two. With eight out of 19 teams relegated having won promotion during the last decade.5
Promotion to the fourth tier and thus league football can result in challenges for some clubs though. Especially for those still operating as semi-professional. Apart from differences in training schedule and players employed, this status difference is often reflected in the club’s infrastructure.
The EFL has several requirements clubs must adhere to, including having a ‘10-year security of tenure’ at the home ground. In 2023/24, the lack of such a security meant Gateshead could not compete in the promotion play-offs. Since then, they have met this requirement.
The opportunity to ascend the pyramid, makes National League clubs an interesting, reasonably affordable, investment opportunity. Luton Town ascended from the fifth tier to the Premier League across a decade. While Stockport County and Wrexham are currently playing in League One. Even though they were still competing in the National League in 2021/22 and 2022/23 respectively.
These inspiring stories could well lead to more interest and investment in the National League in the future, further driving the league’s growth.