Wales manager Ryan Giggs watched his Salford City team win a second successive title – and earned their third promotion in four seasons.
Salford, owned by Manchester United’s Class of ’92 stars Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Gary and Phil Neville, will play Vanarama National League football in 2018-19.
They look certain to be facing Wrexham, who seem to have blown their hopes of returning to the Football League via the play-offs.
The Dragons still have a mathematical chance of going up, but that will end if Ebbsfleet United win at Gateshead or Bromley beat Barrow at home this evening.
Salford won the Northern Premier League Division One title in 2015 and were play-off winners in NPL Premier football the following season.
Now Giggs’ boys have climbed another rung and take their place in the fifth tier of English football.
Gary Neville, posting on social media, said: “Well done @SalfordCityFC!! Champions of the Conference North! @TheNationalLge here we come!”
Goalkeeper Tim Erlandsson, a 21-year-old on loan from Nottingham Forest, tweeted: “CAMPEONES CAMPEONES OLEEE OLEEE OLEEEEEE @SalfordCityFC.”
Salford, nicknamed the Ammies, play their final match of the season against Leamington away on Saturday, but they are six points clear at the top.
A 2-1 home defeat against Boston United was a shock for Salford in their latest fixture, but closest rivals Harrogate Town lost 3-1 at Bradford Park Avenue.
That meant Harrogate were too far behind to catch the leaders and Salford celebrations began.
National League Table
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | Macclesfield Town | 45 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 26 | 11 | 8 | 65 | 46 | 19 | 89 |
| 2. | Tranmere Rovers | 44 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 24 | 10 | 10 | 76 | 42 | 34 | 82 |
| 3. | Sutton United | 45 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 10 | 13 | 65 | 52 | 13 | 76 |
| 4. | Aldershot Town | 45 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 63 | 50 | 13 | 75 |
| 5. | AFC Fylde | 45 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 20 | 12 | 13 | 82 | 56 | 26 | 72 |
| 6. | Boreham Wood | 45 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 61 | 46 | 15 | 72 |
| 7. | Dover Athletic | 45 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 60 | 43 | 17 | 70 |
| 8. | Ebbsfleet United | 44 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 16 | 10 | 58 | 47 | 11 | 70 |
| 9. | Bromley | 44 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 12 | 13 | 73 | 53 | 20 | 69 |
| 10. | Wrexham | 45 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 17 | 18 | 10 | 49 | 39 | 10 | 69 |
| 11. | Dagenham and Redbridge | 45 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 69 | 60 | 9 | 68 |
| 12. | Maidenhead United | 44 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 59 | 64 | -5 | 58 |
| 13. | Leyton Orient | 44 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 12 | 17 | 55 | 54 | 1 | 57 |
| 14. | Gateshead | 44 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 59 | 50 | 9 | 54 |
| 15. | FC Halifax Town | 45 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 48 | 58 | -10 | 54 |
| 16. | Eastleigh | 45 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 61 | 71 | -10 | 53 |
| 17. | Hartlepool United | 45 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 51 | 62 | -11 | 53 |
| 18. | Maidstone United | 45 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 52 | 64 | -12 | 53 |
| 19. | Solihull Moors | 44 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 19 | 46 | 55 | -9 | 51 |
| 20. | Barrow | 44 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 18 | 50 | 61 | -11 | 48 |
| 21. | Woking | 45 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 23 | 54 | 74 | -20 | 48 |
| 22. | Torquay United | 44 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 23 | 41 | 68 | -27 | 41 |
| 23. | Chester | 45 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 25 | 40 | 78 | -38 | 34 |
| 24. | Guiseley | 44 | 3 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 6 | 12 | 26 | 39 | 83 | -44 | 30 |
National League North Table
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | Salford City | 41 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 76 | 45 | 31 | 88 |
| 2. | Harrogate Town | 41 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 25 | 7 | 9 | 95 | 49 | 46 | 82 |
| 3. | Brackley Town | 40 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 22 | 11 | 7 | 69 | 35 | 34 | 77 |
| 4. | Kidderminster Harriers | 41 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 75 | 48 | 27 | 72 |
| 5. | Stockport County | 41 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 13 | 74 | 56 | 18 | 68 |
| 6. | Chorley | 40 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 49 | 38 | 11 | 62 |
| 7. | Bradford Park Avenue | 41 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 64 | 55 | 9 | 60 |
| 8. | Spennymoor Town | 39 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 67 | 63 | 4 | 59 |
| 9. | York City | 41 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 65 | 60 | 5 | 58 |
| 10. | Boston United | 40 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 65 | 65 | 0 | 56 |
| 11. | Blyth Spartans | 40 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 18 | 1 | 21 | 72 | 66 | 6 | 55 |
| 12. | Darlington | 40 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 55 | 53 | 2 | 54 |
| 13. | Nuneaton Town | 40 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 11 | 15 | 47 | 54 | -7 | 53 |
| 14. | FC United Of Manchester | 41 | 12 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 14 | 8 | 19 | 58 | 70 | -12 | 50 |
| 15. | AFC Telford United | 40 | 8 | 3 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 10 | 15 | 5 | 20 | 53 | 67 | -14 | 50 |
| 16. | Alfreton Town | 41 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 20 | 67 | 70 | -3 | 49 |
| 17. | Curzon Ashton | 40 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 51 | 59 | -8 | 49 |
| 18. | Leamington | 41 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 18 | 51 | 61 | -10 | 49 |
| 19. | Southport | 40 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 10 | 13 | 8 | 19 | 55 | 68 | -13 | 47 |
| 20. | Gainsborough Trinity | 41 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 13 | 4 | 24 | 44 | 73 | -29 | 43 |
| 21. | Tamworth | 41 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 21 | 55 | 74 | -19 | 42 |
| 22. | North Ferriby United | 40 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 29 | 22 | 100 | -78 | 17 |