Supporting the Pyramid: Does England's Elite Football Need its Base?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the coronavirus continues to roil its way across the world, causing devastation in its wake, there is no area that is not affected.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Football is no different.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But to talk about an amorphous entity “Football” is one thing. The reality is quite different.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In English football, we like to talk about the football pyramid - a metaphor which conjures up the idea of a communal egalitarianism, a base springing from the grassroots and lofting its way all the way up to the Premier League.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With lower league football rocking on its heels, we ask: is there really such a thing as the football pyramid? And what does the top have to do with the bottom?</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Guests:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Michael Calvin (<a href= "https://twitter.com/CalvinBook">@CalvinBook</a>) is a best-selling author whose books include The Nowhere Men, Living On The Volcano, No Hunger In Paradise and State of Play. He also hosts BT Sports Football Writers Podcast.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ollie Bayliss (<a href= "https://twitter.com/Ollie_Bayliss">@Ollie_Bayliss</a>) is a Journalist, Football Commentator and Presenter of The Non-League Show on BBC Three Counties Radio.</span></p> <p>Support Us:</p> <p><a href="https://www.patreon.com/FootballToday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.patreon.com/FootballToday</a></p> <p>Follow Us:</p> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/FT_Podcast_" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">@FT_Podcast_</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footballtodaypodcast.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.FootballTodayPodcast.com</a></p> <p>Music:</p> <p>The music for this episode was provided under the Creative Commons license by <a href="http://www.sessions.blue/" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Blue Dot Sessions</a>.</p> <p><span style="font