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NBA (24-25)

Yeah, the English (and Welsh, Channel Islands and Isle of Man) club system with promotion and relegation is an amazing thing. Literally any FA affiliated and registered club can theoretically end up at the top of the EPL, if they just win in their league's seasonal league competition a dozen or more times.

Equally, any club can be relegated all the way down to the bottom of the system.

So in principle, a club in the Manchester League Division Two (such as the mighty Eccles United FC) could be promoted to the EPL in just thirteen (incredibly successful) seasons. Though in practice they would need significant financial resources to meet the eligibility requirements for the top divisions (which have increasingly onerus minimum standards for home stadia, for example).

Certainly there is nothing whatsoever to stop Manchester United from falling to the Manchester League Division Two, some thirteen league divisions below the EPL, in just thirteen disastrous seasons*.

Few other sporting systems have such an open system; Mostly the "Top Teams" are selected not by on-field performance, but by their numbers of supporters and hence their ability to attract money - from advertising, TV broadcast fees, merchandise sales, and even match day ticket sales.




* I would pay good money to see that happen
 
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