The 2025-26 season for the National League is over, well ALMOST, after the last actual league games were played on Saturday. What I would like to do in this Part 1 of 2 is to reflect on the season of my own team, Southend United (SUFC), and the league it is playing in.  

A little over 65 years ago, I went along to Roots Hall, the ground in which SUFC play, with my dad, to watch my very first game. I have watched many games since then and have followed the club’s fortunes and supported it, even ahead of any of the big named clubs, hoping and wanting it to do well. It is the first result I look for, typically 5pm on a Saturday afternoon after most teams by tradition have played. I am not a particularly good supporter though and it has been a few seasons since I have watched SUFC play live.

It was in 1920 when SUFC entered the football league and, except for two seasons in the second tier of that league, they have always been in the third and fourth tiers until it was relegated from the Football League to the National League in 2021. There have been many ups and downs, including more recently nearly being wound up over financial regularities, and I have followed many of them with interest, always hoping that the club would do well, including most recently them being able to rejoin the Football League. I get the impression that Southend, evidenced by watching crowds pass by, enjoy a strong support base, whose loyalty deserve promotion.

Regarding the image above, SUFC finished a respectable sixth place in the league, having won twice as many games as they lost. It was a typical topsy-turvy season, having gone on winning runs and then losing against lower rated teams, with the manager praised or censured by certain fans accordingly. The only team now guaranteed promotion is a well-deserved York City, having narrowly missed out last season. The six teams below them includes SUFC, where they would have to beat three different teams in the play-offs if they are to get that other promotion place. Thoughts go back to the 2024/25 season when SUFC were in a similar situation and they almost did it, only to be thwarted following a closely fought Wembley final!

As for how SUFC do this time, wait for Part 2. And that is not their only end of season footballing interest. They are in the FA Trophy final. I had to look this up – it is akin to the poor man’s FA Cup. Whilst the FA Cup focuses on the top four tiers of English football (this year the final is between Manchester City and Chelsea), the FA Trophy focuses on the top four tiers on non-league Football (this year the final is between Southend and Wealdstone). To get to the final meant negotiating several rounds – all to SUFC’s credit! Watch this space too – for the final outcome of that competition. The 2025/26 season for Southend is far from over and we await with excited anticipation and hopeful expectation as to how it all ends.

I want to end with a gripe about how promotion and relegation is organised. I mentioned earlier York City winning this year’s National League. I was pleased because last season they finished second and were far ahead of the third team but lost in the play-offs. We have a similar situation this year with Rochdale finishing a very close second and far ahead of the third placed team. While I want my team to win, I will feel sorry if Rochdale do lose in the play-offs. The quality of play in the National League warrants three rather than two teams going up. I would rather it went with the format that is traditionally played – the winner and runner up teams getting automatic promotion and the next four playing for that third place.