Not quite true. Sunderland have been in the Prem a few times, and there are many teams in the Championship and even League One who have also spent time there. But it's becoming harder for the smaller teams to move up, as ridiculous money is spent to keep the bigger teams in the Prem, and owners with deep pockets buy up all the best clubs. Often what will happen is that someone playing for a small team may get noticed and then signed to a larger one, as in the case of Jamie Vardy, who started off playing for Forest Green Rangers, who play in I think Division 3 or 4, low anyway. He got signed to Leicester and then became their star striker, helping them pull off an impossible feat in 2015/16 and win the Premiership title for the first - and probably only - time in their history.
The FA Cup is great for smaller teams too, as every team is allowed play and the smaller ones have a reasonably good chance of being matched up with a bigger one, which means if they can get through the first leg and not be beaten they can guarantee big gate receipts at their home ground when the big team come to play them in the second leg. That's why it can be so heartbreaking for these teams to lose in the last minute or so while playing away; that means they don't get the return big pay day they hope for.
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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018
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