New Season New Teams

The full list of 24 teams was confirmed a week ago when Rochdale beat Boreham Wood on penalties at Wembley. Dale came back from two goals down to take the tie all the way, while York City secured promotion as National League champions on the final day after scoring a dramatic last-minute equaliser against Rochdale to return to the EFL for the first time in over five years.

Two teams were relegated from the Sky Bet English Football League on Saturday, 2nd  May, to replace York and Rochdale. Those sides were Barrow and Harrogate Town. Barrow finished bottom of the table on 36 points, followed by Harrogate on 39 points, with their relegation place not confirmed until the final day.

Four teams were relegated from the National League, with all relegation places confirmed before the final day, including Braintree Town, Morecambe, Truro City and Brackley Town. Coming up from the National League North and South to replace those sides are AFC Fylde, who bounced back from relegation at the first attempt by winning the National League North title in 2025/26. They were joined by Kidderminster Harriers, who returned to the National League through the play-offs after a two-year absence, beating South Shields 2-0 away from home on Saturday, 9 May.

The National League South complements the two newly promoted sides from the North with Worthing, who secured the title after a 2-0 victory against Ebbsfleet United on the final day. The West Sussex side will compete in the top flight of non-league football for the first time in their history. They will be joined by part-time side Hornchurch, who beat Torquay United in the closing moments of extra time in the play-off final. The Essex-based club finished second in the National League South during the 2025/26 campaign and, following a successful play-off run, will compete in the National League for the first time.

Below is a full overview of each new side joining the National League next season, including honours and the distance Forest Green Rovers will have to travel to face them.

AFC Fylde

Promoted from: National League North | 1st (Champions)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 364 miles
Last time in the National League: 2024/25 | 24th (Relegated)
Nickname: ‘The Coasters’

AFC Fylde return to the National League after just one season in the National League North. They sealed promotion back to the top tier of non-league football as champions, reaching 100 points and scoring more than 110 goals during the 2025/26 campaign. Fylde confirmed themselves as worthy winners of the division after putting four goals past Southport with a game to spare.

Notably, Fylde’s attacking threat was second to none throughout the season. Danny Ormerod and Luca Thomas both scored more than 20 goals, with Ormerod finishing second in the division’s scoring charts with 28 goals for the season.

Barrow

Relegated from: EFL League Two | 24th (Relegated)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 472 miles
Last time in the National League: 2019/20 | 1st (Champions – Covid-affected season)
Nickname: ‘The Bluebirds’

Barrow returns to the National League after a six-year stay in the EFL. After successfully avoiding relegation during their first two seasons back in the Football League, they went on to record back-to-back top-10 finishes in the following campaigns. However, after a mid-table finish in 2024/25, they suffered relegation this season.

Barrow hired and dismissed three managers during the campaign, with their fate confirmed before the final day following results elsewhere.

Harrogate Town

Relegated from: EFL League Two | 23rd (Relegated)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 408 miles
Last time in the National League: 2019/20 | 2nd (Covid-affected season)
Nickname: ‘The Sulphurites’

Harrogate Town also earned promotion alongside Barrow during the 2019/20 season, which was cut short by the Covid-19 pandemic. During their time in the EFL, Harrogate enjoyed a series of mid-table and lower-table finishes, with their highest placing coming in the 2023/24 campaign when they finished a respectable 13th.

They struggled the following season, however, finishing 18th before eventually being relegated back to the National League this campaign. Despite their difficulties, Harrogate fought until the final day, picking up four victories in their final 10 league fixtures.

Hornchurch

Promoted from: National League South | 2nd (Play-off winners)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 294 miles
Last time in the National League: N/A
Nickname: ‘The Mighty Urchins’

Part-time side Hornchurch enjoyed a fantastic 2025/26 campaign, securing promotion to the National League for the first time in their history in dramatic fashion. The Essex-based side defeated Torquay United 3-2 in the National League South play-off final, with defender Sam Ling scoring the decisive goal in the closing moments of extra time.

It was only the ‘Mighty Urchins’ second season in National League South, having finished ninth during their debut campaign within the National League system. Their standout performer this season was Colombian veteran Angelo Balanta, who scored 21 National League South goals.

Kidderminster Harriers

Promoted from: National League North | 3rd (Play-off winners)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 116 miles
Last time in the National League: 2023/24 | 22nd (Relegated)
Nickname: ‘The Harriers’

Kidderminster Harriers returned to the National League after a two-year absence by beating South Shields 2-0 in the National League North play-off final on Saturday, 9 May.

The Harriers finished third during the 2025/26 season, winning eight consecutive matches to end the campaign, including their play-off fixtures. The Worcestershire-based side have spent the previous two seasons attempting to return to the National League following relegation, having finished fourth in their first season back in National League North.

Their main objective next season will be to retain their National League status and avoid an immediate return to the sixth tier. However, that task has already become more difficult following manager Adam Murray’s departure to fellow National League side Barrow earlier this week.

Worthing

Promoted from: National League South | 1st (Champions)
Round-trip distance from The New Lawn: 286 miles
Last time in the National League: N/A
Nickname: ‘The Rebels’

Worthing will compete in the National League for the first time in their history after being crowned National League South champions. They finished the season on 84 points with an impressive goal difference of +47.

Worthing ended the campaign as worthy champions, going unbeaten across their final 10 matches. Current manager Adam Hinshelwood is in his second spell at the club after leaving to manage York City during the 2024/25 season, before returning in October 2025 to guide Worthing into the National League for the first time.

Forest Green Rovers previously faced Worthing in the final qualifying round of the FA Cup, with Rovers running out 4-1 winners in West Sussex.