The Football Association have today confirmed the league allocations for the 2023/24 season.

National League System allocations for step one to six, from the National League down to the Southern Counties East, are now in place and ready to be rubber-stamped by the FA Council.

Ebbsfleet United will be KentOnline’s top-ranked non-league side from next season as they join the 24-team National League, which will include Hartlepool United and Rochdale following their relegation from the Football League.

Among those joining Dennis Kutrieb’s side following promotion to the top-flight of the non-league game are Oxford City after their National South play-off win over St Albans. Among the scorers in a 4-0 victory was former Gillingham striker Josh Parker.

With Maidstone United, Torquay United and Yeovil Town dropping into National South, it’s meant a switch to National North for newly-promoted Hertfordshire side Bishop’s Stortford, who can count on some long treks this term to the likes of Blyth Spartans, South Shields and Darlington.

Maidstone’s relegation to National South means some big local games to come. Dartford missed out on promotion through the play-offs, while Dover Athletic narrowly avoided a second successive drop. Welling United and near-neighbours Tonbridge Angels will mean the Stones have plenty of local competition, although there are more south-west based teams in that division than ever before with Weston and Truro both coming up.

Chatham Town are among the newcomers in the Isthmian League Premier Division .

Dulwich Hamlet will provide big competition for those teams at step three, along with Hornchurch - who parted company with former Gills boss Mark Stimson - after losing the play-off final to Aveley. Chats will have big Kent friendlies against Folkestone Invicta and Margate to look forward to.

Isthmian South East sides have avoided having to fly to Guernsey for matches this season as the island side have remained in the South Central division.

New Herne Bay boss Steve Lovell will be hoping his side can battle for an immediate return to the Premier Division. With the likes of Ashford United, Cray Valley, Ramsgate - under new manager Ben Smith - and beaten play-off finalists Hythe Town for company, the competition should be fierce.

Sittingbourne made big strides under Ryan Maxwell in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign and Sheppey United also excelled in the latter months of the season, just missing out on the play-offs. Sevenoaks weren’t far off the top five either.

They’ll be joined by Southern Counties East Premier Division champions Erith & Belvedere and inter-step play-off winners Phoenix Sports.

VCD drop to the SCEFL Premier Division after the defeat to Phoenix and it’s a division that will compete with 21 clubs next season, up from 20. Corinthian and Faversham Town will be joining them following relegation from the Isthmian South East.

Lydd Town and Snodland Town make the step up to the Premier Division.

There will be just 16 teams in the SCEFL Division 1 next season. Canterbury City and K Sports dropped into step six of the pyramid this season. Leaving the SCEFL are Bermondsey Town, dropping out of Division 1 on points per game average.

National League (NLS Step 1): AFC Fylde, Aldershot Town, Altrincham, Barnet, Boreham Wood, Bromley, Chesterfield, Dagenham & Redbridge, Dorking Wanderers, Eastleigh, Ebbsfleet Utd, FC Halifax Town, Gateshead, Hartlepool Utd, Kidderminster Harriers, Maidenhead Utd, Oldham Athletic, Oxford City, Rochdale, Solihull Moors, Southend Utd, Wealdstone, Woking, York City.

National League South (Step 2): Aveley, Bath City, Braintree Town, Chelmsford City, Chippenham Town, Dartford, Dover Athletic, Eastbourne Borough, Farnborough, Hampton & Richmond Borough, Havant & Waterlooville, Hemel Hempstead Town, Maidstone Utd, Slough Town, St Albans City, Taunton Town, Tonbridge Angels, Torquay Utd, Truro City, Welling Utd, Weston-super-Mare, Weymouth, Worthing, Yeovil Town.

Isthmian League (Step 3): Billericay Town, Bognor Regis Town, Canvey Island, Carshalton Athletic, Chatham Town, Cheshunt, Concord Rangers, Cray Wanderers, Dulwich Hamlet, Enfield Town, Folkestone Invicta, Haringey Borough, Hashtag Utd, Hastings Utd, Hornchurch, Horsham, Kingstonian, Lewes, Margate, Potters Bar Town, Whitehawk, Wingate & Finchley.

Isthmian League South East (Step 4): Ashford United, Beckenham Town, Broadbridge Heath, Burgess Hill Town, Chichester City, Cray Valley, East Grinstead Town, Erith & Belvedere, Herne Bay, Horndean, Hythe Town, Lancing, Littlehampton Town, Merstham, Phoenix Sports, Ramsgate, Sevenoaks Town, Sheppey Utd, Sittingbourne, Three Bridges.

Southern Counties East Premier Division (Step 5): Bearsted, Corinthian, Deal Town, Erith Town, Faversham Town, Fisher, Glebe, Hollands & Blair, Holmesdale, Kennington, Lordswood, Lydd Town, Punjab United, Rusthall, Snodland Town, Stansfeld, Sutton Athletic, Tunbridge Wells, VCD Athletic, Welling Town, Whitstable Town.

Southern Counties East Division 1 (Step 6): AFC Whyteleafe, Bridon Ropes, Canterbury City, Croydon, Faversham Strike Force, FC Elmstead, Forest Hill Park, Greenways, K Sports, Larkfield & New Hythe Wanderers, Lewisham Borough, Meridian Valley Park, Rochester United, SC Thamesmead, Staplehurst Monarchs, Tooting Bec.