National League play-offs 2023: Fixtures, dates & teams in contention
The 2022/23 National League campaign is over and so are the play-offs, with the two teams joining the Football League next season now confirmed.
Gaining promotion to League Two is notoriously difficult, with only the champions able to do so automatically.
The six teams below them are forced to contest the play-offs, with only one of those sides able to move up a division too.
Here's everything there is to know about the National League play-offs.
National League play-offs 2023
How does promotion and relegation work in the National League?
Each season, two teams are promoted from the National League to League Two, with the champions always going up automatically.
The clubs that finish second and third go straight through to the play-off semi-finals where they play the two winners of the quarter-finals, which the teams from fourth to seventh contest; the winners of those semis meet in a final at Wembley, with the victor being promoted. All ties consist of a single leg.
The bottom four teams in the league are relegated to the National League North or National League South depending on their geographic location, with two from each of those coming up to replace them.
When are the 2023 National League play-offs?
The 2022/23 National League campaign ended on April 29, with Wrexham confirming their title win before the final day.
The play-off quarter-finals were then played on the evenings of May 2 and May 3 before the semi-finals on May 7.
When is the 2023 National League play-off final?
The 2023 National League play-off final took place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday May 13 and kicked off at 15:30 BST.
Which teams have qualified for the 2023 National League play-offs?
Promoted
- Wrexham (C)
- Notts County
Eliminated in play-off final
- Chesterfield
Eliminated in play-off semi finals
- Bromley
- Boreham Wood
Eliminated in play-off quarter finals
- Woking
- Barnet
Wrexham shrugged off competition from Notts County at the top of the National League to be crowned champions.
Woking took on Bromley and Barnet hosted local rivals Boreham Wood in the quarter-finals. A pair of away wins meant Boreham Wood met Notts County and Chesterfield took on Bromley in the semi-finals.
Two 3-2 wins after extra time saw Notts County and Chesterfield reach the final, meaning it was second vs third for a spot in League Two.
Notts County came out on top at Wembley on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 draw, ensuring the runners-up joined the champions in being promoted to League Two.
Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Wrexham | 46 | 34 | 9 | 3 | 73 | 111 |
2. | Notts County | 46 | 32 | 11 | 3 | 75 | 107 |
3. | Chesterfield | 46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 29 | 84 |
4. | Woking | 46 | 24 | 10 | 12 | 23 | 82 |
5. | Barnet | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 8 | 74 |
6. | Boreham Wood | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 72 |
7. | Bromley | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 15 | 71 |
8. | Southend | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 12 | 69 |
9. | Eastleigh | 46 | 19 | 10 | 17 | -1 | 67 |
10. | Dagenham & Redbridge | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | -11 | 63 |
11. | Halifax Town | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 1 | 61 |
12. | Oldham | 46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | -1 | 61 |
How to watch the 2023 National League play-offs
Date / Kick-off Time | Fixture | TV Channel/Live Stream |
|---|---|---|
02/05/23 - 19:45 | Barnet 1-2 Boreham Wood | BT Sport 1 |
03/05/23 - 19:45 | Woking 1-2 Bromley | BT Sport 1 |
07/05/23 - 12:30 | Notts County 3-2 Boreham Wood (AET) | BT Sport 1 |
07/05/23 - 15:30 | Chesterfield 3-2 Bromley (AET) | BT Sport 1 |
13/05/23 - 15:30 | Chesterfield 2-2 Notts County (3-4p) | BT Sport 1 |
BT Sport hold the broadcasting rights for Football League matches in the United Kingdom. They will show the play-off games on their various television and streaming services.
How much is winning the National League play-off final worth?
Getting promoted to League Two and the Football League is a real game-changer for non-league clubs from a financial perspective.
That's because they then receive a basic award payment from the EFL as well as a solidarity payment from the Premier League. Those two payments combined amount to just under £1m.
Such a sum of money can be transformative for a club, and doesn't even take into account the increased ticket sales and fees paid for matches shown on TV.
Read more on the play-off hunt across the EFL
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