Fresh blood or a seasoned veteran? One of these two clubs will secure a spot in the English Football League this Sunday when Boreham Wood and Rochdale meet at Wembley for the National League promotion final.
Founded in 1948, Boreham Wood have never been part of the elite 92 clubs, though they’ve come agonizingly close on two previous occasions. They lost 2-1 to a 10-man Tranmere side in the 2018 final and suffered a 3-2 semi-final defeat to Notts County five years later, conceding a 120th-minute winner.
Rochdale, meanwhile, have spent a third consecutive season outside the Football League after their 102-year stay ended in 2023. A last-gasp equalizer from York City on the final day of the season denied them the title outright, sending them into the play-offs for a second year. Unlike last season’s heartbreaking eliminator loss to Southend, where they squandered a 3-1 lead, Dale have now reached the final.
Image source: Getty Images
Caption: Zak Brunt of Boreham Wood and Rochdale’s Devante Rodney both scored for their sides during the play-off matches.
Luke Garrard was in charge during both of Boreham Wood’s near misses. Having made over 140 appearances for the club as a player, he has now managed more than 500 matches across two spells. Defeat in that semi-final against Notts County led to relegation and Garrard’s departure. He admits the time away from the club was tough.
“Two years ago, relegating Boreham Wood really hurt me. This is my club. I left and there were some dark times in the six months without a job,” he told the football podcast 72+. “It was a reset for me. I went away, worked on my craft, spoke to a lot of good managers, and when I returned, my language changed—there was a different mindset. I was very negative in the build-up to the relegation season, but when I came back 16 months ago, the mindset was all about getting back to the National League.”
His return in September 2024 brought immediate results, with promotion secured by beating Maidstone 1-0 in the National League South promotion final. He always believed a second consecutive promotion was possible this year. “I said from the start of this season we have enough to get promoted,” he said. “I worked out that we would have won three leagues in the past 12 or 13 years
