For clubs outside of the Football League, the main aim is to get back into it. League Two may be a far cry from the Premier League, but for many National League players, it offers job security, and a chance to prove themselves against the very best.
This season's National League promises to be one of the most engrossing, with a number of teams believing that they have the chance to get into the Football League. Following the latest soccer news is needed to make the best selections on the action, but which clubs are currently among the front runners to be promoted this term?
Wrexham
One National League club that has gained more media headlines than most over the last couple of years has been Wrexham. They hit the headlines following the announcement that Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney would be taking over the club, while they were most recently announced as the only National League club in FIFA 22.
The Red Dragons have been among the favourites for promotion since the beginning of the season, but are currently sitting down in 12th in the league standings. They have won just three games of the eight that they have played, but have lost just twice, which is the joint second-fewest in the National League.
Stockport
Stockport have endured a rocky number of seasons both on and off the pitch since their relegation to the non-league for the first time in their history following the 2010-11 season. National League North success in 2019 does illustrate that they are back on the right path, and they will be looking to build on last season's effort, which narrowly saw them miss out on promotion after losing to Hartlepool United in the playoffs.
It has been a fairly decent start to the new season for Stockport, as they sit in the top half of the standings after nine games of the campaign. They have won four of the games that they have played, but they will need to make themselves more difficult to beat, as they have already lost on three occasions, which is the most of any team in the top half of the standings. However, their odds still suggest that they are among the leading contenders for promotion this term.
Chesterfield
Chesterfield have been playing their football in the National League since their relegation from the Football League at the end of the 2017-18 season. They narrowly avoided dropping down into the next tier after a slow start last season, before turning their campaign around to finish in sixth place. That was enough to get them into the playoffs, but they weren't able to make it past the quarterfinal stage, as they were eliminated by Notts County.
However, pride would have certainly been taken from that campaign, as very few would have believed that they would have ended the season as high as they did after the first nine games. Chesterfield certainly look to be on the right track this season, as they have won five of the nine games that they have played, and have lost the joint-fewest number of games in the National League.
