A local football boss has been praising their promotion rivals despite being beaten to the automatic spot by them.
Luke Williams, head coach at Notts County, has been praising the officials at Wrexham despite them forcing them into the playoffs after finishing four points higher than them.
Wrexham won the Vanarama National League on 111 points, with the Magpies just behind on 107, both record points totals for the fifth tier in emotional scenes.
The local Welsh club, famously owned by A-listers Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are moving up to League Two.
County have their playoff semi-final this Sunday (May 7) against Boreham Wood at the County Ground.
Luke said: “These guys have been so, so gracious towards us.
“There has been incredible support from them.
“They’ve not been in touch personally but I’m sure when they sober up they’ll watch the game!
“They’ve been very hospitable towards us for sure.”
County were leading the league for much of the season, before towards the closing weeks Wrexham pushed ahead and finally won the championship on April 22 after beating Boreham Wood, County’s semi-final opposition, 3-1.
The Magpies did not manage to beat Boreham Wood in the regular season, playing through two draws with them, 2-2 and 1-1 respectively.
Speaking on BT Sport after celebrating their title win at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds said of County: “What makes it so special is how powerful, how special, how unique Notts County is.
“They’re the real story here; what they’ve done this season, losing their CEO Jason Turner, who as I’ve grown to know and learn was utterly beloved not just in Notts but here as well.
“I have such enormous respect for everything they’ve built and everything that they’ve done and it’s just insane for that only one goes up automatically.”
Only one team in the fifth tier gains automatic promotion, with the teams second through to seventh going through the promotion playoffs.
The fourth to seventh placed teams play quarter finals against each other, and the winners of these then go forward for the semi-finals against the second and third placed teams in the league.
The semi-final winners then go ahead to Wembley for the chance to make it back into the football league, which this year is taking place on Saturday, May 13.
Notts County lost their CEO Jason Turner unexpectedly on March 31 this year, aged 50.
His funeral was held on Wednesday this week (May 3).
