With 86 points banked, an 8-point lead at the top, and seven matches remaining, York City are on the cusp of a famous return to the EFL. We break down everything you need to know about the Minstermen’s run-in — and what it will take to seal the deal.
Where does the title race stand?
As things stand on Friday 13 March 2026, York City sit top of the National League with 86 points from 37 games — a record of 26 wins, 8 draws and just 3 defeats. Their nearest challengers are Rochdale, who lie 8 points adrift having played the same number of games. Hartlepool, Solihull Moors and Carlisle complete the top five, all out of realistic title contention but still in the hunt for automatic promotion places and play-off spots.
| National League Top 5 — 13 March 2026 1st York City P37 W26 D8 L3 GD +56 Pts 86 2nd Rochdale P37 W23 D9 L5 GD +32 Pts 78 3rd Hartlepool Utd P37 W21 D9 L7 GD +28 Pts 72 4th Solihull Moors P36 W20 D8 L8 GD +20 Pts 68 5th Carlisle United P36 W19 D8 L9 GD +18 Pts 65 |
The maths is straightforward: York need a maximum of 10 points from their remaining 7 games to make promotion arithmetically certain, regardless of what Rochdale do. In practice, victory in Saturday’s game at Aldershot Town would push that gap to 11 points with 18 left to play for — putting York firmly in the driving seat.
The remaining fixtures — a detailed look
York’s run-in is mixed in terms of difficulty, but there is no fixture that should feel unwinnable for a side of the Minstermen’s quality this season.
| York City — Remaining Fixtures 2025-26 Sat 14 Mar vs Aldershot Town (away) — 16th place, 3 losses in a row Sat 21 Mar vs Brackley Town (home) — Bottom half, safe Mon 24 Mar vs Gateshead FC (away) — 12th place, mid-table Sat 28 Mar vs Woking (home) — Struggling, 4 losses in last 5 Fri 3 Apr vs Boston United (away) — Lower mid-table TBC Play-off six-pointers TBC — National League schedule pending Final Day Sat 18 Apr — Venue and opponent TBC |
The home games against Brackley Town and Woking look the most straightforward on paper. Both sides are in poor form and have nothing at stake beyond avoiding relegation. York’s record at the LNER Community Stadium this season — 14 wins from 17 home league games — makes those fixtures look very manageable.
The away games are trickier. Gateshead at the International Stadium can be a difficult afternoon even for top sides, and the trip to Boston United in April will require focus and intensity from a squad that may, by that point, already have confirmed their promotion status.
Can Rochdale catch them?
Mathematically, the title race remains alive — but realistically, it would require York to collapse in a way that has simply not been in their character all season. Rochdale would need to win all seven of their remaining games while York took zero points. That is not happening.
The more realistic scenario is that York seal promotion within the next three or four games, with the title confirmed shortly after. Stuart Maynard has been careful not to set specific targets publicly, insisting his side takes things one match at a time. But inside the LNER Community Stadium, confidence is sky-high.
What promotion means for York City
A return to the EFL would end a gap in the Football League that has stretched since York were relegated from League Two in 2017. The club has been through significant turbulence in the years since — a period in the National League North, a return to the top tier of non-league football — and the current squad represents, in many ways, the culmination of years of rebuilding.
For the city of York, a club playing in League Two again would represent a significant moment. The LNER Community Stadium — shared with the Rugby League’s York Knights — has proven a worthy home, and crowds have grown as the season has progressed. Manager Stuart Maynard has spoken about wanting to sell the ground out before the end of the season, and with the atmosphere building, that goal seems within reach.
Our verdict: the title is York’s to lose
Eight points with seven to play, a +56 goal difference, and the form of a side that has lost just three league games all season. The National League title is York City’s to lose — and this team has shown, time and again, that it does not lose things easily. Saturday’s game at Aldershot is the next step. The Minstermen will not be looking much further than that.
