No sooner has the National League season finished than thoughts start turning to the next campaign.
The 2026/27 season is scheduled to kick off on Saturday 8th of August. The fixtures will be officially released on 10th July at 10 am.
Many clubs will fancy their chances of promotion back into the Football League in the new campaign. However, who are the favourites for promotion to League Two in the 2026/27 season?
Carlisle United
By far the bookmakers’ favourites to win promotion from the National League in the 2026/27 season are Carlisle United. After back-to-back relegations, the Cumbrians steadied the ship last season, ending the season in third place and qualifying for the play-offs.
However, the Blues suffered a 2-1 defeat to Boreham Wood in extra time of the play-off semi-final. It was a disappointing end to the campaign, and they will be hoping that the heartbreak won’t take a mental strain on the players.
Carlisle has pulled off something of a coup by completing the signing of former Arsenal youngster Miguel Azeez, while also securing the services of goalkeeper Archie Muir on a permanent deal.
However, possibly the most crucial signing of the summer so far for Carlisle could be midfielder Harvey Bunker, who they signed from potential promotion rivals Forest Green Rovers.
Southend United
United finished in sixth place in the National League table last season, qualifying for the play-offs. However, the Shrimpers suffered a 1-0 defeat against Scunthorpe United in the quarter-finals of the play-offs.
One thing that could work in Southend’s favour is that they have one of the biggest supporter bases in the non-league game. They are usually highly passionate at Roots Hall and can make the old ground a highly intimidating place to visit for opposition teams.
One negative for Southend is the sacking of head coach Kevin Maher in May. Although the team failed to win promotion, Maher is a well-respected figure at the club.
The players may now need time to adjust to a new regime at the club, which is not ideal for a promotion push.
On a more positive note, the Shrimpers have strengthened their midfield with the signings of two former National League title winners in the shape of Darren Oldaker and Anthony Hartigan.
However, two players who have headed through the Roots Hall exit door are fan favourite Jack Bridge and Keenan Forson, who both left the club at the expiration of their contracts. The latter has joined Oldham Athletic.
Forest Green Rovers
Rovers were one of the favourites to win promotion last season, but fell short, eventually finishing seventh place in the table, and qualifying for the play-offs.
Unfortunately for everybody connected with the club, they suffered a quarter-final exit at the hands of Boreham Wood after a 1-0 extra-time defeat.
Forest Green are still in a strong financial position, so they are well-equipped to bring in EFL-quality players this summer. Something that their rivals may not be able to achieve. However, they do already have a squad in need of trimming.
They have already strengthened in defence with the signings of Joe Kizzi, Tom Dallison and wing-back Makai Welch.
However, they have also seen several highly-paid players leave, with Christian Doidge, Liam Sercombe, and Ryan Inniss all heading for the exit.
Boreham Wood
Having finished fourth place in the table last season, they came within seconds of winning the play-offs and earning promotion to League Two.
Rochdale’s Emmanuel Dieseruvwe’s goal deep into stoppage time made the play-off final 2-2 and took the game into extra time. Dale emerged victorious courtesy of a penalty shootout.
Boreham Wood will fancy their chances of going up this season, though. They are a team that is now well established at this level and looks capable of pushing on in the new season. They are especially effective from set-pieces.
One negative for the Hertfordshire outfit is that they haven’t been the most prolific in front of goal in recent seasons.
A new striker could be on their shopping list. They have yet to make any signings. However, no major players have yet departed. It is still early in the transfer window, and there is bound to be plenty of movement in the market before the season starts.
Hartlepool United
A takeover and new owners have given the north east outfit fresh hope for the new season after a disappointing 9th place finish in season 2025/26. The club’s owners are likely to provide the Pool with a larger budget than in recent seasons.
One of the biggest obstacles to a title tilt in the new season was the squad’s need for massive changes to be competitive.
With that in mind, United have been busy in the transfer market. Pool’s recruitment seems to have focused on the attacking areas of the team, with forwards Jordan Hugill and Jack Nolan, as well as attacking midfielder Corey McKeown. Meanwhile, wing-back Brooklyn Ilunga has also joined United.
One player who won’t feature for Hartlepool next season is winger Sam Folarin, who has left the club to join fellow National League club Sutton United.
Scunthorpe United
The Iron enjoyed a good return to the National League in the 2025/26 season, having won promotion from the National League North the previous campaign.
United finished in fifth place in the National League table and, in the process, qualified for the play-offs. Scunthorpe made it to the semi-finals, only to lose 2-1 at Rochdale.
Similar to Southend, Scunthorpe has a large fanbase for the non-league game and ambitious owners who want to continue moving the club forward.
The one aspect that Scunthorpe need to improve next season is their away form, as they struggled on their travels, especially against some of the more physical teams in the division.
United have boosted their chances of promotion by making a plethora of summer signings. Jordan Richards, Luke Brennan, Olly Crankshaw and Isaac Marriott have already joined the club.
Bolton Wanderers forward Dubem Eze has returned to his parent club after his loan deal expired.