Rochdale's Wembley win triggers more three-up calls

In performance terms, three promotion places make sense. The top tier of the National League is virtually fully professional and the gap in standard to League Two is negligible.

While two recently promoted teams – Barrow and Harrogate – have been relegated from the EFL this season, Bromley, promoted out of the National League two years ago, have just won the League Two title.

Notts County and Chesterfield, who contested the 2023 National League promotion final, are facing each other in the League Two play-off semi-finals, while Wrexham, also a National League club as recently as 2023, only missed out on a Championship play-off spot on the final day of this season.

However, the fear at the National League is that EFL clubs will stick rigidly to their stance that change in their league should not be made until the Premier League – who provide significant financial backing to the fifth tier - reach a funding agreement with them, which, as yet, there are no signs of.

Alexander feels the newly installed Football Regulator, chaired by David Kogan, has a role to play but hopes a solution can be found for the good of the game.

"Really the National League should be part of a larger pyramid with regards to connection with the EFL," said Alexander.

"It is league five in every sense and needs to be recognised in that way. At the moment it is on a bit of an island.

"The regulator has the power to make changes for the betterment of the game and that's where I'm coming from.

"We do think there is good feeling within the EFL for three-up and pretty much everyone thinks it's the thing to do but I am very concerned it might just drag on."