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1986/87 - Scarborough (91 points)
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 The Seadogs were the first to get automatic promotion and ended their first season in twelfth place. The following season they got into the play-offs, having finished fifth. Unfortunately they lost the semi-final first leg 0-2 at Orient and although they gave everything in the return, they lost 1-2 on aggregate.
In 1992, the Football League was restructured and the of Fourth Division became the new Third Division. The next eight seasons saw them
finish in the lower half of the league with 1991 being the only exemption where ninth place was achieved.
They reached the play-offs again in 1998 but were again defeated in the semi-final. They lost 1-3 at home to Torquay United in the first leg then 1-4 in the second leg. A year later they were relegated back to the Conference courtesy of goalkeeper, Jimmy
Glass' injury time goal for Carlisle United.
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1987/88 - Lincoln City (82 points)
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 The Imps were relegated two years running but returned to the Football League after just one season in the Conference. Their first season back in the League saw them finish a creditable tenth, matching this position in 1990 as well.
With the introduction of the Premiership in 1992, Lincoln City found themselves in the third Division due to the renaming of the leagues.
At the end of that season, the Imps missed out on a play-off space on goal difference. Mid-table positions followed for the next few years but in 1998 they won promotion to the Second Division, finishing third in the table behind Notts County and Macclesfield Town.
The difference between the third and second divisions showed and they promptly returned to the third division a year
finishing 23rd out of 24. The last three seasons have seen them battle against a return to the Conference and the Club have ended this season in the hands of the administrators.
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1988/89 - Maidstone United (84 points)
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 Having previously won the Conference title in 1984 but lost out at the re-election vote, the Stones finally made it into the football league in 1989. Ground sharing at Dartford FC, money was always going to play a factor in the subsequent years.
A great first season in the league saw them finish fifth and qualify for the play-offs. After drawing the away semi-final first leg at Cambridge United 1-1, they were expected to reach the final but lost the return leg 0-2. The next two seasons saw them finish 19th and 18th. On
the 2nd May 1992, Maidstone United played their last ever Football League fixture away to Doncaster Rovers where they lost 0-2.
During the following summer the club were wound up due to financial problems and failed to play their proposed opening game of the 1992/3 season at Scunthorpe United. They were reformed later that season as Maidstone Invicta and have since worked their way up from the Kent County League to the Kent Senior League.
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1989/90 - Darlington (87 points)
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 Another one season visitors to the Conference, Darlington won the Conference title by two points from Barnet. Their first season back in the football league ended in triumph for the North East side when they went on to record back-to-back championships, the only Conference side ever to do this.
The third division proved too difficult and they were relegated in bottom spot back to the fourth division, which was renamed to the third. Two seasons later they almost
returned to the Conference, finishing only three points ahead of bottom placed Northampton Town. Fifth place in 1996 meant the Club reached the play-offs and they defeated Hereford United 4-3 over two legs to set up a final at Wembley against Plymouth.
Just over 43,000 saw them condemned to another season in the third Division as they were defeated 0-1. They reached the play-offs again in 2000, finishing the season in fourth spot but despite a semi-final victory over
Hartlepool United, they lost 0-1 at Wembley to Barry Fry's Peterborough United.
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1990/91 - Barnet ( 87 points)
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 Always the bridesmaids, Barnet finally achieved their aim of the Football
League claiming the title on the last day of the season with a 4-1 victory at relegated Surrey side Fisher Athletic. They ended their first season in seventh spot and qualified for a play-off semi-final game with Blackpool.
The Bees won the first leg 1-0 but a place in the final disappeared with a 0-2 defeat in the second leg. The league was renamed the Third division during the summer and the disappointment of the play-off defeat was rectified the next season as they won automatic promotion in third spot to the second Division. Their stay lasted only one season though as they returned in bottom place.
Seventh place in 1998 saw them qualify for the play-offs again but they found Colchester United too strong and lost 2-3 in the semi-final stage. Two seasons past and they reached the play-offs for a
third time curtesy of fourth place in the third Division. Unfortunately for the third time they were defeated in the semi-finals this time by
Peterborough 5-1 on aggregate.
The 2000/01 season started so brightly for the Club and the possibility of promotion at Christmas was not ruled out. A disastrous slump in the second half of the season saw them return to the Conference, losing at home to Torquay United on the last day of the season.
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1991/92 - Colchester United (94 points)
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Roy McDonough's Colchester United returned to the football league after two years in the Conference but only on goal difference from Wycombe Wanderers. Positions of tenth, seventeenth and tenth were achieved in their first three
seasons before making the play-offs in 1996.
Defeat in the semi-final by
Plymouth Argyle, 0-2, meant the side missed out on a place at Wembley. Two
seasons later they reached the play-offs again ending the season in fourth
position. A 3-2 victory over Barnet in the semi-finals gave them a place at
Wembley where they defeated Torquay United 1-0 to win promotion to the second
Division. Their survival in the Second Division has hung by a thread since then
but they are still there at the end of this season.
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1992/93 - Wycombe Wanderers (83 points)
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The Chairboys are the most successful side out of all those promoted into
the Football League from the Conference. Their first season in the Football
League saw them finish in sixth place and qualify for the play-offs where
they met Carlisle United in the Semi-Final.
A 4-1 aggregate victory gave
them a final place against Preston where they won 4-2 to gain promotion in
their first season. It almost got better in 1995 but they missed out on a
play-off spot by one place. Since then they have remained in the Second
Division finishing mid-table most of the time.
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1993/94 - Kidderminster Harriers (75 points)
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 Failed to meet the football league criteria for promotion
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1994/95 - Macclesfield Town( 80 points)
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Failed to meet the football league criteria for promotion
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1995/96 - Stevenage Borough (91 points)
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Failed to meet the football league criteria for promotion
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1996/97 - Macclesfield Town (90 points)
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After the heartbreak of two years earlier, Macclesfield Town took their deserved place in the Football League. Their first season with the big boys proved the gap between the football league and Conference was definitely closing as they ended the season as runners-up, thus gaining promotion at the first attempt. The Second Division proved a bigger hurdle for the Cheshire side and they finished the following season in bottom place. Since then they have finished in 13th, 14th and 12th positions.
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1997/98 - Halifax Town (87 points)
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After five seasons in the Conference, Halifax returned to the football
league. Their first season back saw them finish a creditable tenth but
financial problems started to creep up on them. They ended last season in
23rd position with only Barnet stopping their return to the Conference.
Unfortunately they ended this season in bottom position and so return to
Conference football, the first Club to be relegated out of the league twice.
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1998/99 - Cheltenham Town (80 Points)
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Steve Cotterill's side won promotion to the Football League just two season
after playing in the Doc Martens. They just missed out on a play-off spot in
their first season, finishing eighth in the third Division.
Last seasons
ninth place was improved upon this season with fourth place which qualifies
them for the play-offs.
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1999/00 - Kidderminster Harriers (85 points)
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Kidderminster's second title in six seasons saw them promoted to the
Football League. Out of all those promoted from the Conference, the Harriers had
the lowest placing in their first season, finishing in sixteenth place. This
season, their second, they have finished in tenth position.
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2000/01 - Rushden & Diamonds (86 points)
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Brian Talbot's side were never expected to struggle once they finally won
promotion to the Football League. With Millionaire owner, Max Griggs, behind
them they have taken the third Division by storm and a push in the second half
of the season has seen them finish in sixth position and qualify for
the play-offs.
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