Does the pyramid system change much?

[Kevin Hogg]

The pyramid system certainly makes football more exciting and gives non-league clubs hope of the Football League dream.
HOWEVER, it changes very little. Non league clubs remain non league style clubs playing in the Football League..in general.
Look at the lowest attendances in League 2 last season.

Newport County AFC	3.213	23	-7,0%	5.020
19	Stevenage FC	3.191	23	7,7%	5.236
20	Mansfield Town FC	3.064	23	-9,5%	4.614
21	Cheltenham Town	2.864	23	-4,2%	5.117
22	Dagenham & Redbridge FC	2.077	23	8,2%	3.393
23	Morecambe FC	1.998	23	3,0%	4.165
24	Accrington Stanley FC	1.611	23	0,3%	4.607

Stanley, Morecambe, Daggers, Cheltenham Town, Stevenage- all non league clubs that achieved FL status.
Newport County are a traditional FL club that had to rise back up the pyramid. Mansfield Town a FL club that dropped into non league.
Two of the three lowest attendances in League 1 last season? You guessed it - non leagers Crawley Town and Fleetwood Town.
There are some clubs such as Wycombe Wanderers and Yeovil Town who are non league clubs that have achieved FL status through the pyramid and become FL clubs. It can happen.
However, most non league clubs remain non league style once in the FL - see Scarborough, Boston United, Maidstone Utd etc.
The fact is that very few non league clubs have the support base to ever truly be Football League clubs.