Nationwide Conference
The Nationwide Conference is the highest level of non-league football (i.e. outside of the FA Premier League and The Football League) in England. The Conference was formed from teams in the Northern Premier and Southern leagues in 1979 and was originally known as the 'Alliance Premier League'.Now formally the "Conference League",it has been publicly known by the names of a succession of official title sponsors. During the 1984/85 and 1985/86 seasons the league was sponsored by the sportswear manufacturer Gola and was known as the 'Gola League'. From the 1986/87 season through to the 1997/98 season the Conference was sponsored by the motor manufacturer GM Vauxhall and was known as the 'GM Vauxhall Conference'. Since the 1998/99 season it has been sponsored by the Nationwide Building Society and is known as the 'Nationwide Conference'.At the end of the season one team each from the Ryman Isthmian League, the Dr Martens Southern League, and the UniBond Northern Premier League are promoted to the Conference and three teams are relegated from the Conference,one to each of the aforementioned lower leagues. Two teams are promoted from the Conference to the third division of the Football League and two teams from the third division are relegated to the Conference.
From the 2004/05 season. The three feeder leagues, will be condensed into two leagues, each of 24 teams. Below that there shall be three regional leagues, and below that shall be another four regional leagues.
