York City hold a two-point advantage over Rochdale heading into Saturday's winner-takes-all final-day showdown at the Crown Oil Arena, where over 10,000 fans will pack the stands. York's 107 points have them in pole position, but Rochdale's dramatic 99th-minute winner at Braintree last weekend keeps their charge alive. The champions earn promotion to League Two and lift the trophy; the runners-up face a gruelling six-team play-off battle.

History suggests the stakes could not be higher. Since the play-off system introduced a second promotion spot in 2003, second-placed teams have been promoted only six times out of 23 attempts. Wrexham finished second with 98 points in 2011-12, then suffered immediate play-off elimination and spent over a decade in the National League before finally winning the title last season. York themselves experienced similar heartbreak last term, finishing five points behind Barnet before losing to Oldham in the semi-finals despite their opponents finishing 26 points adrift in fifth.

The contrast for champions is stark. Not a single club promoted from the National League since 2003 has suffered immediate relegation, while 24 of the 43 promoted sides have gone on to play in League One and six have reached the Championship. For the winners, EFL status brings stability and momentum; for the runners-up, the psychological blow combined with high player turnover at this level often leads to years of struggle.