Southend United manager Kevin Maher says the time has come for three clubs to be promoted from the National League, following his side’s agonising 3-2 extra-time loss to Oldham Athletic at Wembley.
The Shrimpers were just 29 minutes from a return to the EFL, only to fall victim to a dramatic turnaround in front of a record crowd of 52,115. Southend finished on 68 points, 28 behind second-placed York City, but were still so close to an EFL return.
Pretty raw
Maher, who made over 450 appearances for Southend as a player, admitted the defeat felt “pretty raw” after an emotional season that saw the Essex club overcome years of financial turmoil, ownership instability, and on-field uncertainty.
“What we’ve all been through at this club, you shouldn’t have to go through those sorts of things,” Maher told BBC Sport. “When we reflect we should be proud as a football club to see how far we’ve come in such a short period of time – but it’s pretty raw because as a professional you want to win.”
Southend had taken the lead through Manny Monthe’s early own goal and restored their advantage in extra time when Leon Chambers-Parillon nodded home. But after Joe Garner’s penalty made it 1-1, Oldham substitutes James Norwood and Kian Harratt struck in the space of two minutes to complete one of the most dramatic finales in recent Wembley history.
The Shrimpers had scraped into the play-offs on the final day, beating Rochdale 4-3 in extra time in the eliminator before edging past Forest Green Rovers on penalties in the semi-final. But their valiant run fell short against an Oldham side who, despite finishing 29 points behind champions Barnet, claimed the second promotion spot.
Maher used his post-match press conference to highlight the imbalance in the current system, which sees only two of 24 teams earn promotion compared to four relegated from League Two.
“There’s a bottleneck at this level, and this game tells you everything about the standard and quality in the league,” he said. “In the National League you’ve got to be better than 22 teams and only the top one goes up automatically, while in League Two you’ve only got to be better than 20 sides – it should be three up, of course it should.
Maher acknowledged that pushing through reform would require League Two clubs to vote in favour of reducing their own security, joking: “Whether it gets voted in or not I don’t know, people say it’s like turkeys voting for Christmas.”
Writer’s View
Kevin Maher’s frustration is understandable—and his argument is compelling. Southend’s season, like many in the National League, demonstrated both the quality and competitiveness of a division where only one team wins automatic promotion. The fact that a club 29 points behind the leaders could still earn the second spot underlines the absurdity of the current system.
While Oldham’s comeback deserves praise, Maher’s point is clear: two up is no longer enough. If the National League is to be taken seriously as a professional division, its promotion structure must reflect that reality. Three up, three down isn’t just fair—it’s overdue.
