Whitstable boss Marcel Nimani believes the lack of promotion potential at step five is killing the competition. While all other levels of football from the EFL Championship down to step six of the non-league pyramid operate a promotion play-off system, the 16 step five leagues, including the Southern Counties East Premier Division, are more of a closed shop.
Nimani is leading the call for the FA to give step five football an equal opportunity to the rest, in a bid to keep the competition alive for as long as possible.
All other divisions above theirs - and even the one below - operate with automatic promotion places followed by at least a four-team promotion play-off.
In the SCEFL Premier Division the top spot is held by runaway leaders Erith & Belvedere and a gaggle of others are chasing second, which would earn them an away play-off against a side from the level above who finish either third or fourth bottom.