Football Question About Tiers

What is the most difficult leap in the football ladder for a team to make? In other words, is it harder for a team to make the leap from the Nationwide to League Two or from the Championship to the Premiership? Or maybe something in between? By making the leap, I mean at the very least avoiding relegation for more than a year.

On a related note, where is the biggest difference in the overall quality of play?

Being in the States, I rarely get to see any teams outside the Premiership (save for the odd cup tie that FSC might show), so even though I follow the tables pretty closely I don't have a real good feel for these things.

Originally posted by Fleabitten
What is the most difficult leap in the football ladder for a team to make? In other words, is it harder for a team to make the leap from the Nationwide to League Two or from the Championship to the Premiership? Or maybe something in between? By making the leap, I mean at the very least avoiding relegation for more than a year.

On a related note, whe ...[text shortened]... even though I follow the tables pretty closely I don't have a real good feel for these things.

IMO it's increasingly difficult to stay in the Premiership. There are a few exceptions of course - Wigan and Reading have done well recently. But if you look at the likes of Watford, West Ham, Sheffield Utd, they're constantly yo-yo'ing between the two top divisions.

I think the overall difference in the quality between the two top divisions is the very reason. If you want to visualise what I'm saying then take the best player in his position from the Prem and compare him with the Championship, then do the same with the Championship player and his counterpart in the 1st Division. Rarely, would you believe the difference in quality was less between the first 2 compared to the second. The reason being, that the very best in the Premiership are some of the very best in the World - Cech, Terry, Gerrard, Scholes, Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney and Henry to name but a few.

Thanks very much for the reply, Angry Boy. I suspected this was the case. However, I thought it might be just as difficult for a team to make the leap from the Conference to the League. I'm under the impression that teams outside the League are by and large only semi-professional.

I hadn't really given that one much thought tbh. But it does seem that the days of Swansea and Wimbledon - acheiving 3 promotions in 4 seasons - have passed us by.

The conference certainly was very difficult to get out of in the days of re-election. Even after the one up one down it was tricky but these days it is a bit easier - although the subjective decisions of the FA about the quality of your ground cannot always be taken for granted.

Nowadays getting promoted to the Premeirship and staying more than 2 seasons is very difficult.

Originally posted by invigorate
The conference certainly was very difficult to get out of in the days of re-election. Even after the one up one down it was tricky but these days it is a bit easier - although the subjective decisions of the FA about the quality of your ground cannot always be taken for granted.

Nowadays getting promoted to the Premeirship and staying more than 2 seasons is very difficult.

On the basis that it's one up one down, the conference is certainly difficult to get out of.

Originally posted by Angry Boy
I hadn't really given that one much thought tbh. But it does seem that the days of Swansea and Wimbledon - acheiving 3 promotions in 4 seasons - have passed us by.

Don't count out Swansea just yet! If we get promoted this season, obviously saturday has to go in our favour and then win the playoffs, and get promoted the next season, that will be 3 in 4 seasons 😉

Originally posted by Angry Boy
On the basis that it's one up one down, the conference is certainly difficult to get out of.

It's now two up, two down.