3UP: The promotion that nearly didn't happen for record-breaking Notts County

Imagine racking up 107 points across the season and not getting promoted.

That's what almost happened to Notts County in a campaign that defied belief, crumbled long-standing records and ended in drama befitting of a Hollywood script even the title-winning owners of Wrexham would call farfetched.

As we build up to our 3UP Day of Action this weekend, Notts County have a tale or two to tell when it comes to being denied automatic promotion and leaving things to chance.

In addition to their points tally, the Magpies also notched over 100 goals and lost just three times across the 2022/23 season.

Yet despite their monumental effort, Luke Williams and his side had to claw their way back to the EFL and end their four-year National League stay the hard way - through the play-offs.

In every other National League season to that point, 107 points would have been enough to wrap the title up long before the season finale on April 29.

Eventual champions Wrexham racked up 111 - one of five records broken between the pair over the 46-game season.

You can't talk about that season either without mentioning Macaulay Langstaff who broke the individual goalscoring record with 42 goals to his name. 

It's stats like these where the madness lies. The bottleneck of only one side going up automatically could have seen the Magpies miss out. One of the best teams ever seen in the National League potentially missing out on what - they felt - was rightfully theirs to then have to risk everything in the play-offs.

It almost didn't go their way in the play-offs either. Their semi-final against Boreham Wood looked all but over at half time after trailing Boreham Wood 2-0 at Meadow Lane. A second-half fightback saw them take the game to extra-time after a last-gasp Aden Baldwin goal.

Jodi Jones continued the theme of leaving it late with his 119th-minute winner to set-up a Wembley Promotion Final with old foes Chesterfield - a side they had finished 23 points clear of in the regular season.

Ever the entertainers, Notts twice came from behind against Chesterfield before sealing promotion courtesy of a penalty shootout that saw Cedwyn Scott hit the winning spot kick.

Three seasons on and Wrexham are now mixing it in the Championship while Notts sit two points off the summit in League Two. Proof if you needed it that the National League continues to send clubs into the EFL in much better shape than they are when they drop into the division.

They join a long list of clubs who more than hold their own in the EFL to this day after spending time in the National League: recently Premier League Luton Town, League One title hopefuls Stockport County, Lincoln City, Mansfield Town, AFC Wimbledon. The list goes on.

Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds labelled the lack of a third promotion spot a 'shambles' while defeated Spireites boss Paul Cook said the fact Notts even had to compete in a Promotion Final after their antics in the regular season was a 'sporting disgrace'. 

If proof 3UP was needed before 2023, Notts' incredible season should have seen the current bottleneck consigned to the history books. That didn't happen and that's why on Saturday 15 November our sides kick-off at 3.03pm to send a clear message: it's time to put football first, and to grant 3UP.

It's not just us saying it either. Clubs up and down the country agree on 3UP and 93% of fans do too. Put your name to the campaign and play your part by signing our petition.