The start and end of York City‘s 2025/26 season were chaotic in their own ways.
It was perhaps a shock to many that Adam Hinshelwood was sacked just four games into the National League season while still unbeaten, given the success he brought to the club in the latter stages of the previous campaign, where they faltered in the playoffs.
But still, without him at the helm, the Minstermen persevered and thrived under new boss Stuart Maynard, with their electric title battle with Rochdale going down to the final day, culminating in two stoppage-time goals, two pitch invasions and ultimately the crown as the best side in non-league heading across the Pennines with the men in red.
Now, heading back into the EFL for the first time in a decade, the question is how high York can fly in League Two and perhaps should they be aiming for back-to-back silverware?
A Well-Trodden Path
Consecutive promotions from the National League to League One is not without precedent, of course.
Wrexham did it with the backing of their newly-found Hollywood owners, but were unable to lift a trophy at the end of that second season thanks to their long-time adversaries, Stockport County.
The Hatters themselves did not go back-to-back, but managed to put themselves within four points of the automatic places and ultimately lost out to Carlisle United at Wembley Stadium in their return to the EFL.
Last season’s offering of promoted teams in Barnet and Oldham Athletic both gave a good account of themselves in the fourth tier, coming close to the playoffs, with the Bees finishing just two points behind Grimsby Town in seventh.
The top seven of League Two this campaign is filled with sides that have recently played in the National League, with the Mariners, league champions Bromley, Chesterfield and Notts County all having played at least one season of non-league since 2022.
York can look to these sides and see that the gulf in difference between the two divisions is narrow, caused in part by the bottlenecked promotion/relegation places, which should give confidence in their ability to challenge at the top next season.
Continuity vs Rebuild: Why Sticking Works
A big challenge that faces many sides which get promoted is whether they decide to make wholesale changes to their lineup due to the step up in division, or bank on the players which earned them the glory to continue to perform.
Both approaches have seen varying levels of success throughout the country. Perhaps the best example is in the Premier League’s title race, where Arsenal stuck with the same core squad over the summer and finally got themselves their first title in 22 years.
On the other hand in the top flight was Liverpool, the reigning champions, who opted for a rebuild which saw five new big-name signings integrated into the squad immediately, and the failure for them to gel ended in a distant fifth-place finish.
Stockport County’s final squads in their times in the National League and League Two point to why York City should bank on their current crop of players to see them through the coming season.
Eight players and manager Dave Challinor were part of the Hatters side which won both titles, with four in Ben Hinchliffe, Paddy Madden, Antoni Sarcevic and Myles Hippolyte featuring in both final games.
With a lineup which has dominated non-league and some great options which have previously courted interest from EFL sides, there is no reason why this current crop of York players couldn’t match that accomplishment.
Transfers Still Needed
As much as retaining their core squad and managerial philosophy could be the key to success as they return to League Two, some shifts within the squad are inevitable.
For the Minstermen, they will already have to act in the market this summer, with goalkeeper Harrison Male released in their retained list and will see a breakup in their centre-back partnership with Zak Johnson returning to Sunderland and Malachi Fagan-Walcott on his way out amid interest from Hearts of Midlothian.
That transfer could prove to be the decisive factor in what City can push themselves to, with Pete O’Rourke reporting that the Edinburgh side have bid £750,000 to sign the 24-year-old, which can be reinvested into League Two caliber players.
Again, using the Stockport example, none of the back three that started the final National League game against FC Halifax Town were around for their long-awaited EFL return against Barrow, while still retaining many of their stars, which guided them to the title just months earlier.
Who Are City’s Contenders?
The past 12 months have shown how strong York City have been, with the dynamic partnership of Ollie Pearce and Josh Stones set to continue for another year, and should still be supported by Ollie Banks and Alex Hunt behind them.
But it is worth considering the conditions they are entering next season and whether they will be able to capitalise on a somewhat weaker division.
Of the four relegated League One sides, there may be some confidence to be gained considering Exeter City are stuck with a tight budget to handle, while Rotherham United have faced a turbulent few years of consistently worsening performances.
Port Vale and Northampton Town will have to undergo massive changes to their playing squads over the coming months, with the latter perhaps on better footing if they can secure rumoured external funding during the transfer window.
York’s biggest tests though should come from those sides not promoted through the playoffs: Grimsby Town, Chesterfield and Salford City.
Grimsby have been consistently improving since David Artell’s arrival at Blundell Park, and while they may lose star forward Jaze Kabia this window, will surely fancy their chances if they pick up Andy Cook as a free agent.
Chesterfield face similar issues to the Mariners, with Sammy Braybrooke likely to be integrated into Leicester City‘s first team going forward, but Paul Cook has turned the Spireites into perennial contenders since their promotion in 2024.
The Ammies were the side defeated by Notts County at Wembley, and they too are likely to be handed some summer blows and may find it hard to hold on to stars like Kelly Nmai, but could be the best-placed to challenge if they continue to invest.
Of course, it would be foolish to rule out Rochdale too, a side which kept York on their feet for most of the season and led much of the proceedings in the National League before tailing off, allowing City to reel them in and ultimately best them on the final day.
If Maynard and his side can get the better of most of these clubs, then they should be surefire contenders for a place in League One by this time next year.
