2025 National League play-off final
{{Infobox football match
| title = 2025 National League play-off final
| other_titles =
| image =
| caption =
| event = 2024–25 National League
| team1 = Oldham Athletic
| team1score = 3
| team2 = Southend United
| team2score = 2
| details = After extra time
| date = {{start date|2025|6|1|df=y}}
| stadium = Wembley Stadium
| city = London
| man_of_the_match1a = Tom Pett{{cite web | last=Lawlor | first=Kent | title=Oldham players celebrate play-off win with fans in nightclub until early hours | website=The Oldham Times | date=2 June 2025 | url=https://www.theoldhamtimes.co.uk/sport/25208047.oldham-players-celebrate-play-off-fans-nightclub/ | access-date=3 June 2025}}
| referee = Elliot Bell
| attendance = 52,115
| weather =
| previous = 2024
| next = 2026
}}
The 2025 National League play-off final, known as the Vanarama National League Promotion Final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football match played on 1 June 2025 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Oldham Athletic and Southend United.
The match determined the second and final team to gain promotion from the National League, the fifth tier of English football, to EFL League Two. The champions of the 2024–25 National League season gained automatic promotion to EFL League Two, while the teams placed from second to seventh took part in the play-offs; Oldham Athletic finished in fifth position while Southend United finished in seventh position, both going through the eliminator rounds to get to the final.
Route to the final
{{main|2024–25 National League}}
{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL
|res_col_header=Q
|float=center
|teamwidth=auto
|title=National League final table, leading positions
|team_order= BAR, YOR, FGR, ROC, OLD, HAL, SOU
|win_BAR=31|draw_BAR=9 |loss_BAR=6 |gf_BAR=97|ga_BAR=38
|win_YOR=29|draw_YOR=9 |loss_YOR=8 |gf_YOR=95|ga_YOR=42
|win_FGR=22|draw_FGR=17|loss_FGR=7 |gf_FGR=69|ga_FGR=42
|win_ROC=21|draw_ROC=11|loss_ROC=14|gf_ROC=69|ga_ROC=44
|win_OLD=19|draw_OLD=16|loss_OLD=11|gf_OLD=64|ga_OLD=48
|win_HAL=19|draw_HAL=13|loss_HAL=14|gf_HAL=50|ga_HAL=46
|win_SOU=17|draw_SOU=17|loss_SOU=12|gf_SOU=59|ga_SOU=48
|name_BAR = Barnet
|name_YOR = York City
|name_FGR = Forest Green Rovers
|name_ROC = Rochdale
|name_OLD = Oldham Athletic
|name_HAL = FC Halifax Town
|name_SOU = Southend United
|update=complete|title_source={{cite web|url=https://uk.soccerway.com/national/england/conference-national/20242025/regular-season/r70554/tables/ |title=National League – 2024–25 table|website=Soccerway |access-date=22 May 2025}}
}}
=Quarter-finals=
{{football box collapsible
|date = 14 May 2025
|time = 19:45 BST
|team1 = Oldham Athletic
|score = 4–0
|report= https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2025/may/14/latics-4-0-halifax-town
|team2 = FC Halifax Town
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
| stadium =Boundary Park
| location = Oldham
|attendance = 10,865
|referee = Aaron Bannister
}}
{{football box collapsible
|date = 15 May 2025
|time =19:45 BST
|team1 = Rochdale
|score = 3–4
|aet = y
|report= https://www.southendunited.co.uk/news/2025/may/15/report--rochdale-3-4-southend-united/
|team2 = Southend United
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|stadium = Spotland Stadium
|location= Rochdale
|attendance = 5,560
|referee = Andrew Humphries
}}
=Semi-finals=
{{football box collapsible
|date =20 May 2025
|time =19:45 BST
|team1 = York City
|score = 0–3
|report= https://www.thenationalleague.org.uk/match-info/match-centre/2-11218197
|team2 = Oldham Athletic
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
- Garner {{goal|23}}
- Yoganathan {{goal|49}}
- Pritchard {{goal|51}}
| stadium = York Community Stadium
| location = York
|attendance = 8,153
|referee = Zac Kennard-Kettle
}}
{{football box collapsible
|date =21 May 2025
|time =19:45 BST
|team1 = Forest Green Rovers
|score = 2–2
|report=
|team2 = Southend United
|goals1 =
|goals2 =
|aet = yes
|stadium = The New Lawn
|location= Nailsworth
|attendance =3,937
|referee = David Rock
|penaltyscore = 2–4
}}
Match
=Details=
| date = 1 June 2025
| time = 15:00 BST
| team1 = Oldham Athletic
| score = 3–2
| report = https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/ce826ndj649t
| team2 = Southend United
| goals1 =
| goals2 =
- Monthé {{goal|5|o.g.}}
- Chambers-Parillon {{goal|91}}
| stadium = Wembley Stadium
| location = London
| attendance = 52,115
| referee = Elliot Bell
| aet = yes
}}
| width=92% |
| {{Football kit
| pattern_la = _oldham2425h | pattern_b = _oldham2425h | pattern_ra = _oldham2425h | pattern_sh = _oldham2425h | pattern_so = _oldham2425tl | leftarm = 0044FF | body = 0044FF | rightarm = 0044FF | shorts = 0044FF | socks = FFFFFF | title = Oldham Athletic }} |{{Football kit | pattern_la = | pattern_b = _thinnavystripes | pattern_ra = | pattern_sh = | pattern_so = _navytop | leftarm = F13241 | body = F13241 | rightarm = F13241 | shorts = F13241 | socks = F13241 |title = Southend United }} |
| width="100%"
|valign="top" width="50%"| {| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" | ||||
| width=25| | width=25| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Hudson | ||
| CB | 2 | {{flagicon|AUS}} Reagan Ogle | ||
| CB | 16 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Charlie Raglan (c) | ||
| CB | 6 | {{flagicon|CMR}} Manny Monthé | {{yel|90+2}} | |
| RM | 29 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Pritchard | {{yel|45+2}} | {{suboff|67}} |
| CM | 24 | {{flagicon|NIR}} Corry Evans | {{yel|79}} | {{suboff|101}} |
| CM | 28 | {{flagicon|WAL}} Vimal Yoganathan | {{suboff|84}} | |
| CM | 4 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tom Pett | ||
| LM | 3 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Mark Kitching | {{suboff|98}} | |
| CF | 9 | {{flagicon|CMR}} Mike Fondop | ||
| CF | 14 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Garner | {{suboff|75}} | |
| colspan=3|Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 31 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tom Donaghy | ||
| DF | 5 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Shaun Hobson | {{yel|100}} | {{subon|98}} |
| MF | 10 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tom Conlon | {{subon|84}} | |
| MF | 15 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jordan Rossiter | {{subon|114}} | |
| FW | 17 | {{flagicon|NGA}} Jesurun Uchegbulam | {{suboff|114}} | {{subon|67}} |
| FW | 26 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Kian Harratt | {{subon|101}} | |
| FW | 30 | {{flagicon|ENG}} James Norwood | {{subon|75}} | |
| colspan=3|Manager: | ||||
| colspan=4|{{flagicon|SCO}} Micky Mellon |
|valign="top"|
|valign="top" width="50%"|
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align=center | ||||
| width=25| | width=25| | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 1 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Nick Hayes | ||
| CB | 16 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Harry Taylor | ||
| CB | 20 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Ben Goodliffe | ||
| CB | 3 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Nathan Ralph (c) | ||
| RM | 2 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Gus Scott-Morriss | ||
| CM | 22 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Keenan Forson | {{suboff|114}} | |
| CM | 8 | {{flagicon|AFG|2013}} Noor Husin | ||
| CM | 17 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Cav Miley | {{yel|8}} | {{suboff|77}} |
| LM | 7 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Jack Bridge | {{suboff|64}} | |
| CF | 21 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Tom Hopper | {{yel|90}} | {{suboff|93}} |
| CF | 24 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Charley Kendall | {{suboff|64}} | |
| colspan=3|Substitutes: | ||||
| GK | 25 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Nathan Harness | ||
| DF | 4 | {{flagicon|ENG}} George Wind | ||
| DF | 15 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Joe Gubbins | {{subon|114}} | |
| MF | 19 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Leon Chambers-Parillon | {{subon|64}} | |
| MF | 28 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Oli Coker | {{subon|77}} | |
| FW | 9 | {{flagicon|ZIM}} Macauley Bonne | {{subon|64}} | |
| FW | 11 | {{flagicon|ENG}} Josh Walker | {{subon|93}} | |
| colspan=3|Manager: | ||||
| colspan=4|{{flagicon|IRL}} Kevin Maher |
|}
References
{{reflist}}
{{National League play-off finals}}
{{Oldham Athletic A.F.C.}}
{{Southend United F.C. matches}}