The (Long and Winding) Road to Wembley

First of all, thanks for the feedback & comments on the first instalment of this thing. I may have let slip that I'm a Birmingham City fan. I think I mentioned it once because a few people fed back how surprised they were that Blues are still in the Cup at this stage of the competition.  Anyway, I've checked it out and can confirm that, yes, Blues are still in this year's Emirates FA Cup. Thanks for the concern and compassion shown. The English Football League Pyramid Some of you will know all this. My understanding was on the rusty side, so I thought it worth bringing myself up to date and writing down the bits & pieces that make up the EFL (English Football league) & NLS (National League System) pyramid .  Let's start with the National League (the one below League 2). That's Level 5 EFL/Step 1 NLS . For those of a certain age, that's the Vauxhall Conference. Current high flyers are Solihull Moors, Woking and Bromley. The 24 National L

I don't like football, I'm a Birmingham City fan. Birmingham City-Nil (credit for the self-depreciation to Jasper Carrott). Ah, Jasper. A comedian in the Boardroom to go with the 11 comedians on the pitch. The team that didn't score a goal during the reign of a Pope. I bought a scratchcard at the first game of the season for the time of the first goal. It said "October". And so it goes on...  Just to be clear, Birmingham City. The Blues. Not The Villa. That's very different. I think The Villa had a couple of good years in the eighties, but my recollection of that is rather hazy. No, I'm a Blues fan. BCFC. Winners of the Atari Soccer Six in its first 2 years. Winners of the League Cup in 1963 and in 2011 (in those relegation-filled, financially-ruinous glory days). Winners of the Associate Members Cup / Football League Trophy in 1991 and 1995 (in those relegation-filled, financially-ruinous glory days). But not winners of the FA Cup. You may ha