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Why National League teams are kicking off at 3:03pm

3UP is a campaign aimed at adding a third promotion spot from National League to League Two
(Image credit: 3UP)

The National League will continue its 3UP campaign this weekend with its most eye-catching protest idea yet.

The campaign, which was launched in February, by all 72 clubs in the National League and National League North and South, aims to have a third place made available for promotion to the Football League.

Currently, only the champions of the National League and the winner of the play-offs go up to League Two, but the campaign’s goal is to ensure the top two go up automatically with a third via the play-offs.

The 3UP Day of Action takes place this Saturday

A general view of a match ball during the Enterprise National League match between Hartlepool United and Brackley Town at Victoria Park in Hartlepool, United Kingdom, on September 13, 2025.

All 12 National League fixtures will kick off at 3:03 pm this weekend (Image credit: Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The next stage of the campaign sees the 3UP Day of Action take place on Saturday, 15 November. To support the campaign, all 12 of the National League fixtures will kick off at 3:03 pm instead of their traditional 3pm.

The National League have taken this creative idea in response to the EFL Board’s unchanged stance and refusal to formally discuss the matter of 3UP.

Only last season, second-placed York City missed out on promotion despite earning 96 points, with fifth-placed Oldham Athletic, 23 points worse off, instead taking the second spot in League Two via the play-offs.

Saturday 15 November:

  • Altrincham v Brackley Town - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Boreham Wood v Tamworth - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Braintree Town v Truro City - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Carlisle United v Eastleigh - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Forest Green Rovers v Gateshead - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Hartlepool United v Wealdstone - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Rochdale v Aldershot Town - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Solihull Moors v Scunthorpe United - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Sutton United v FC Halifax Town - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Woking v Boston United - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • Yeovil Town v Southend United - kick-off now 3.03 pm
  • York City v Morecambe - kick-off now 3.03 pm

Peter writes freelance for FourFourTwo and has previous experience at Evening Standard and Football365 among several others. He now works for us alongside OneFootball, the Sporting News and Stats Perform. One of the very few Irish people living in London and even fewer to support Manchester United, he spends time away from football rewatching TV shows and attempting to play tennis.

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