WE'RE AT A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

WHEN one of NonLeague football’s biggest success stories champions the standard of the English game below the Football League, you tend to take note.

- Tony INCENZO

Starting his playing career in the Isthmian League with Southall and Hayes in the 1980’s, Les Ferdinand MBE famously went on to attain Premier League stardom with Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers as well as winning 17 full England caps.

Now, in his current role as QPR’s Director of Football, Ferdinand still keeps a very keen eye on developments below the EFL where a seismic battle for the National League title has ensued.

Both Wrexham and Notts County are on track to achieve 100+ point seasons having already netted a century of goals. Steeped in history, both of these famous clubs are clearly geared for an emotional return to the Football League but only one can do so automatically while the other will be forced to lick their wounds of missing out on top spot and negotiate their way through the ‘lottery’ of the play-offs.

Arguments for an extra promotion place have fallen on deaf ears in recent years but have resurfaced this season as part of the EFL’s contribution to the game’s financial reset, as demanded by chairman Rick Parry.

I caught up with ‘Sir Les’ for an in-depth chat this week and he was clearly in support of the plan.

“If leading National League clubs are capable of coping in League Two, why shouldn’t it be three teams going up and down,” the 56-year-old said.

“If you look at other EFL divisions, three sides get promoted so why isn’t that the case for the National League as well?