The oldest professional football club in the world will face a club transformed by celebrity ownership when Notts County and Salford City meet at Wembley on Monday in the League Two play-off final, a clash 11 years in the making.

Notts County, founded in 1862 and a founding member of the Football League in 1888, arrive at the national stadium as underdogs, chasing their second Wembley success in four years after beating Chesterfield in the 2023 National League promotion final. A victory would return them to League One for the first time since 2013, capping a dramatic recovery from two relegations in five years tied to severe financial instability.

Salford City, meanwhile, stand on the edge of history under the stewardship of Gary Neville and Sir David Beckham, who took control of the club in 2014 alongside Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Nevilles. A win would mark the club’s first-ever ascent to the third tier, completing a remarkable rise that began with their promotion to League Two in 2019 after four consecutive promotions in five seasons under the Class of ’92 ownership.

The two sides finished just one point apart in League Two this season—Salford in fourth, Notts in fifth—sealing a play-off semi-final clash that set the stage for Monday’s final. Karl Robinson, Salford’s manager since January 2024, has overseen a club breaking records at every turn: most home wins in a season, most league wins, highest-ever finish. “This is not just a game for us,” Robinson said. “We’ve broken every single record this season. It means everything.”

Behind Salford’s rise is a decade of investment, not just financially but emotionally. The Class of ’92 owners have embedded themselves in the club’s fabric, with Ryan Giggs driving from Colchester to Manchester hours before the birth of his child to manage a matchday bench, while Paul Scholes has been a near-constant presence at the training ground. Robinson, who took charge after the club narrowly avoided relegation, insists the owners’ support has never wavered in public or private. “Gary’s messages have never changed,” he said. “If everything’s brilliant, nothing. If everything’s terrible, nothing. It’s been so consistent.”

The connection between the clubs runs deeper than trophies. Martin Paterson, Notts County’s head coach, began his coaching career at Inter Miami—co-owned by Beckham—where he worked alongside Phil Neville and even coached Beckham’s son, Romeo. Yet Paterson dismisses any personal narrative. “The attention will be on Salford because they’re a dangerous team,” he said. “I don’t think the focus will be on David Beckham. My focus is on Salford as a footballing team.”

The rivalry is organic, born from divergence. Salford ascended from the eighth tier in 2015 to the brink of League One this season, while Notts County plummeted to the fifth tier in 2019 before their 2023 resurgence. Their paths first crossed in the 2023–24 EFL Trophy, a competition that offered a fleeting taste of competition between sides from different tiers. Now, both stand on the cusp of a return to the third tier, one to reclaim lost status, the other to achieve it for the first time.

The stakes are immense. For Notts County, a win would secure a return to League One and silence years of doubt. For Salford City, it would be a legacy-defining moment under ownership that has reshaped the club’s identity. The Class of ’92’s dream of turning a semi-professional side into a Football League mainstay edges closer to reality. And for football fans, it’s a rare clash between a fallen giant and a modern phoenix—both chasing glory at the national stadium.