Monday's League Two promotion play-off final features a clash between two clubs with vastly different trajectories. Notts County, the world's oldest professional football club founded in 1888, takes on Salford City at Wembley with a place in League One at stake. The sides finished just one point apart after the regular season, with Salford edging fourth place.

Notts County returned to the EFL in 2023 after four years in non-league exile, having beaten Chesterfield in the National League promotion final. They now chase their second Wembley triumph in four years and aim to return to the third tier for the first time since 2015. The club's identity remains deeply tied to their historic status as the oldest Football League member.

Salford City's meteoric rise under the Class of 92 ownership group has taken them within touching distance of League One for the first time. Manager Karl Robinson praised the owners' consistent support despite high expectations. Notts boss Martin Paterson, who previously worked at Inter Miami under Phil Neville, dismissed any Beckham subplot, focusing purely on Salford's quality as a football team.

Both clubs broke records this season, with Salford achieving their highest-ever league finish. The winner climbs to League One for the first time in their respective histories, making this a genuinely historic occasion regardless of the outcome.