After York and Rochdale’s final-day drama, is the National League broken?
With the 2025-26 season coming to a close, the two-up, two-down agenda from the National League has reared its head once again.
Last week in a dramatic final day, York earned promotion to League Two, after a last-gasp equaliser against Rochdale, which snatched automatic promotion from them.
OH MY WORD 🤯🤯🤯🤯
YORK HAVE EQUALISED IN THE 102ND MINUTE TO WIN PROMOTION 😱
Watch LIVE NOW at https://t.co/17IGNhwWu5 📺 pic.twitter.com/GSexKSCwht
— National League on DAZN (@DAZN_NationalLg) April 25, 2026
Before the game, both sides produced a collaborative statement aimed towards the EFL, Football Regulators and the Premier League – arguing that the National League was no longer a non-league competition instead a so-called “League 3”.
The statement promoted the idea of 3UP, which would align it with how the rest of the Football League does it, two automatically promoted and one via the Play-Offs – and prevent what they have called “injustice” to the teams who are challenging for promotion.
In the last four seasons, teams have reached over 100 points in three of them, which shows that there is almost a bottle neck of getting promoted in the league.
Since 2003, the title winner has not been relegated the previous year, showcasing the teams are able to compete in the leagues above, with the likes of Lincoln City, Leyton Orient and Stockport County already in League One, as Wrexham are fighting for promotion to the Premier League.
York, last year, mustered 96 points but were condemned to the Play-Offs in which they would capitulate and lose 4-0 in the first leg.
In their joint statement with Rochdale, they argued that it is unfair to be forced to fight once again in the Play-Offs after being so far ahead of the teams below them.
Heartbreak.#rafc pic.twitter.com/WP3GJT8UJz
— Rochdale AFC (@officiallydale) April 25, 2026
This season, York and Rochdale were both nine points ahead of third-placed Carlisle, who also were five points ahead of fourth.
The combined statement also argued that clubs in the National League are now operating at a level that sometimes even surpasses the teams in leagues above – but they are unable to showcase this due to them being padlocked in the league and trapped in the “lottery” of the Play-Offs
So far, the EFL have resisted any ideas to change how the football pyramid works.
But, there is increasing pressure to change the situation with many former players and managers like Neil Warnock fighting for the 3UP campaign.
When talking to the BBC, Steve Thompson, the National League vice-chairman, revealed he “remains hopeful” that the 3UP campaign will be introduced at some point.
Yet, for now, teams will once again suffer from the system with Rochdale going into the Play-Offs, facing either Scunthorpe United or Southend United who finished 23 and 24 points behind them.
