Title Fights, Play-Off Chaos & Survival Battles: NL 2025/26 Preview
The newly sponsored Enterprise National League is back, promising another season of glorious chaos on plastic pitches, last-minute equalisers, and clubs you’d swear were in League One just five minutes ago.
Last season served up 1,488 goals across 552 fixtures, an average of 2.70 goals per game. Home wins accounted for 42%, away wins 29%, and draws 29%, while York City’s Ollie Pearce took the golden boot with 31 goals.
And this year?
We’re looking at a two-horse title shootout, a brutal scrap for the play-offs, and a proper relegation dogfight at the bottom.
Countdown to kick-off
Just 39 days after the final whistle at Wembley, the fixtures are out for the Enterprise Rent-A-Car National League—the first under the new title sponsor. In just 31 days, on 9 August, the new campaign kicks off, and those matchday balls will be flying again.
The close season has brought its share of drama: five managerial changes, boardroom battles, big-name departures, and clubs quietly strengthening under the radar. One thing is clear: this could be the most competitive National League season in years. The title race looks narrowed to two, but beyond that, it’s wide open. At least ten sides will back themselves for a play-off charge, while most of the remaining dozen will expect a comfortable mid-table finish. As for the relegation fight? Good luck picking the fallers this year.
Title contenders
York City and Carlisle United look set to lock horns at the summit of the National League this season, each armed with serious firepower and a relentless drive for promotion.
York arrive with the scars and motivation of a brutal near-miss, racking up 96 points last season only to fall in the play-offs, while retaining a deep, balanced squad under Adam Hinshelwood and the league’s top marksman in Ollie Pearce. Their settled core, tactical flexibility, and clear mission to right last season’s wrongs give them the look of a side ready to dominate again, with the added fuel of a fanbase and ownership eager for success.
Read the full @StonesGoals preview of York City – includes all the ins, outs, full squad list and off pitch stories.
Carlisle, meanwhile, have the profile and infrastructure of a club determined to bounce back immediately, under the guidance of Mark Hughes and with a strike force many League Two clubs would envy.
Successive relegations have left them desperate to stop the rot, and despite weaknesses in defence and midfield, their size, resources, and the quality of Wyke, Kelly, and Armstrong up front make them marginal favourites with the bookmakers. It’s genuinely difficult to call who comes out on top: York have the cohesion and calm hunger of a team seeking redemption, but Carlisle’s sheer weight of expectation, big-club aura, and EFL firepower could give them the edge in a title race that could prove pivotal.
Read the full @StonesGoals preview of Carlisle United.
Southend United arrive with quiet confidence and unfinished business after last season’s play-off final heartbreak, backed by the second-biggest crowds in the division and a settled squad under Kevin Maher. The Blues’ deliberate recruitment of Sam Austin and Harry Boyes adds quality and versatility to an already balanced side, while Gus Scott-Morriss and Charley Kendall remain central to their attacking output.
If Southend can convert draws into wins and get out of the blocks quickly, they have the quality to spoil the York-Carlisle party and potentially sneak into the title conversation themselves.
Read the full @StonesGoals preview of Southend United.
Play-off chasers
If there’s one certainty in the National League, it’s that the play-off race will be chaos. Behind the title contenders, a pack of well-built, upwardly mobile clubs are ready to scrap it out for promotion, with six play-off spots up for grabs and only one offering the golden ticket back to the EFL. Each brings ambition, stability, and the hunger that last season’s heartbreak or momentum has fuelled.
Forest Green Rovers are the division’s wildcard under Robbie Savage, who promises “fast, exciting, aggressive football” to replace Cotterill’s caution. Retaining a strong spine with Doidge, McAllister, and Inniss, and a handful of new signings so far, they will lean heavily on Savage’s energy and attacking ethos to convert last season’s near miss into a proper promotion push. It is a gamble that could ignite a serious run, but if it backfires, The New Lawn could slip into mid-table purgatory—a season that promises entertainment if nothing else.
Rochdale come in with the “nearly men” tag after a strong but frustrating season under Jimmy McNulty, who now has Jason Taylor as his assistant to instil extra steel and belief. Their continuity, combined with the sharp addition of Dan Moss and the goals of Devante Rodney, makes them dangerous if they can overcome their fear of the big occasion. Fans sense this is a squad on the brink, with one or two targeted signings—like the rumoured Nick Haughton deal—potentially turning them from play-off hopefuls into promotion contenders; the recent capture of Hartlepool’s star man Mani Dieseruvwe only strengthens these claims.
Having last finished in the play-off places in the 2022/23 season, Woking look primed for a push under Neal Ardley, who has methodically rebuilt a squad blending experience with youthful energy while stabilising off the pitch. A strong finish last season and a settled core led by Harry Beautyman and Inih Effiong give them a platform to kick on, while the return of Dale Gorman from injury later in the campaign could provide a timely boost in creativity. The Cards’ recruitment has been shrewd, and if they find consistency, they could sneak into the top seven; this is, after all, a side that drew 19 times last season, more than any other, and if those draws tick to wins, there is every reason they can challenge the play-off places.
Boston United are the dark horses many will overlook, but their momentum from last season’s great escape, the shift to full-time football, and a proactive summer recruitment drive should not be underestimated. Defensive reinforcements like Jordan Cropper and Michael Kelly have raised the squad’s level, while the injury to top scorer Jacob Hazel is a blow that needs covering. If the Pilgrims can start the season as they ended the last, a surprise play-off charge is absolutely on the cards.
Just missing out…
Sutton United are a possible joker in the pack, with a layered, data-led rebuild under Steve Morison offsetting the loss of Will Davies. Defensive solidity should see them harder to beat, and if Ashley Nadesan and the influx of dynamic wingers click quickly, the U’s could surprise a few and hang around the play-off spots deep into spring – even if @StonesGoals predicts the U’s will ultimately fall short.
Yeovil Town step into the 2025/26 season with something they’ve sorely lacked in recent years: stability. Under the Srinivasan family’s calm ownership and Mark Cooper’s steady hand, the Glovers have moved training to Bristol, cleaned up the chaos of previous regimes, and built a smaller, smarter squad with a clearer identity. Yet while off-pitch calm is welcome, on-pitch concerns linger—last season’s reliance on seven-goal top scorers highlights the need for a reliable goal threat if Yeovil are to move beyond lower mid-table. The arrival of Tahvon Campbell should help, and if Cooper can add two or three proven National League operators before August, Yeovil could quietly become this season’s slow-burn surprise package, flirting with the top ten while re-establishing themselves as a stable, forward-looking club in the division.
The mid-table messrs
The mid-table in the National League is never quiet, and this year’s pack looks set to scrap, stutter, and occasionally sparkle as they jostle for position between safety and surprise. Clubs like Solihull Moors and Eastleigh embody this middle tier perfectly—too organised to flirt with the drop, but lacking the firepower to seriously chase the top seven unless everything clicks. Solihull, under Matt Taylor, have refreshed wisely with Dan Creaney’s goals and Cameron Green’s energy adding bite, but they remain a team in search of a clear identity, while Eastleigh’s cautious approach under Kelvin Davis risks another season of “play not to lose,” but has lost the attacking prowess of Tyrese Shade who has joined Burton in the EFL.
Scunthorpe United and Brackley Town arrive from below with energy but different pressures. Scunthorpe, buoyed by big crowds and a sense of revival under Andy Butler, have a squad with goals in it and a style that could see them flirt with the play-offs if momentum builds, though most expect a stable top-half return. Brackley, meanwhile, finally get their crack at this level after years of near misses and arrive well-run, calm, and united under Gavin Cowan. They’ll hope to prove they’re here to compete, not just survive, but even mid-table stability would mark a successful first year in the fifth tier.
Boreham Wood are back too, but face a battle to replace Kwesi Appiah’s goals in a squad with experience but limited depth. Luke Garrard’s side should have enough to avoid the drop, especially with Meadow Park’s improvements and a clear tactical structure, but survival will be the first goal before dreams of anything higher can be entertained.
Aldershot Town, meanwhile, will hope the feel-good factor of their FA Trophy triumph at Wembley can carry into league form, but defensive frailties and an inconsistent record under Tommy Widdrington point to another season spent looking over their shoulders while hoping to sneak into the top half.
Then there’s Altrincham and Halifax, two sides who finished inside last season’s top-9 and will hope to do more than just tread water. Alty have rebuilt well despite losing Regan Linney, with Jimmy Knowles and Keaton Ward bringing hope that the goals won’t dry up, while Halifax enter a new era under Adam Lakeland with cautious optimism. The Shaymen have a youthful, hard-working core but lack a proven goal-getter, meaning their ceiling depends heavily on how quickly the new setup clicks.
All told, these mid-table messrs are likely to be the teams who shape the season’s chaos—capable of taking points off the big hitters, dropping them against strugglers, and adding a dash of unpredictability to every weekend.
Survival fighters
If there’s one certainty in the National League, it’s that the bottom end of the table will be every bit as chaotic as the top. For these clubs, survival is the prize, and the margins are painfully thin. Bookmakers may have priced some generously, but deeper issues off the pitch—particularly at Morecambe and Hartlepool—threaten to drag these teams into a relegation scrap regardless of their squads on paper.
Morecambe’s situation is arguably the bleakest. The Shrimps are a club in limbo, weighed down by ownership chaos, the threat of administration, and the uncertainty surrounding Derek Adams’ future. While the fanbase remains sizeable and committed, the lack of squad planning and the shadows cast by a stalled takeover mean Morecambe could find themselves in trouble before a ball is even kicked. A season of scraping for points to stave off a double relegation feels more likely than any title push, and unless off-field clarity arrives swiftly, the Shrimps risk becoming the story of a big club sleepwalking into the National League North.
Hartlepool aren’t in much better shape. Another summer of stalled takeovers and boardroom drama has sapped optimism at Victoria Park, where new manager Simon Grayson inherits a threadbare squad and a fanbase weary of empty promises. Grayson’s EFL experience will help, but goals may be hard to come by, and patience will run thin if the toxic off-pitch atmosphere spills onto the terraces. Survival will depend on smart recruitment, avoiding injuries, and a unified dressing room—a tall order when ownership questions continue to hang over the club.
Elsewhere, Gateshead enter the season having only just lifted a FIFA transfer ban and with Alun Armstrong arriving to replace Carl Magnay in a move that has split opinion on Tyneside. Having fallen apart late last season, losing key players like Luke Hannant, Gateshead’s hopes rest on a slim squad, fragile confidence, and off-field restructuring landing in time to strengthen. The Heed are well-run at their best, but a bad run could spiral into a survival fight quickly if recruitment is further delayed.
Tamworth, Truro, Braintree, and Wealdstone round out the survival battlers, each carrying a different story but a similar reality. Tamworth, despite last season’s solid return, have lost Dan Creaney’s goals and remain part-time, meaning a season of scrapping for safety looks likely. Truro’s historic promotion is a brilliant story for Cornish football, but the jump to Step 1 will test their small, committed squad, and the goal will be simply to stay up. Braintree’s loss of Kyrell Lisbie removes their primary attacking threat, while Wealdstone, under a reduced budget and new boss Sam Cox, are bracing for another last-day drama to maintain their place in the division.
For these clubs, survival will be the true triumph. If they can find goals, avoid injuries, and keep the noise off the pitch from swallowing the football, each has a fighting chance. But with finances tight, off-field chaos bubbling, and the National League’s competitiveness showing no mercy, the reality is that a relegation battle awaits most—whether the bookies see it coming or not.
Final Prediction
Links to all 24 season previews below.
