Charlestown Azzurri are headed back to Northern NSW Football's second division for the first time since 2011 while one of Newcastle's oldest clubs is on the brink of what will be an emotional top-tier return should they get the job done this weekend.
Azzurri's relegation fate was sealed in a 2-0 loss to Edgeworth at Lisle Carr Oval on Wednesday night, leaving the once high-flying NPL club last and six points adrift of the nearest team heading into the final round this Sunday.
Wallsend, on 40 points, are in the box seat to earn NPL promotion and replace Azzurri as the top-ranked side in second-tier Northern League One but will need to seal the deal on Saturday.
Should the Red Devils, who were founded in 1887, stay top, it will be a remarkable turnaround. They have not played top division since 2000 and almost folded three years ago.
A dedicated committee and a group of passionate Old Boys working hard behind the scenes has been behind a rebuild, and it was clear how much it meant to them all last weekend when Wallsend seized outright top spot.
As Wallsend beat West Wallsend 7-0 on Old Boys Day at The Gardens, Lake Macquarie (38 points) drew 2-2 with South Cardiff and dropped to second.
Late in the game, Wallsend's victory song, When the Reds Go Marching In, began reverberating around the ground.
"I don't actually know who started it off, one of the Old Boys, but it brought a tear to my eyes," Wallsend Old Boy Allen Hardes told the Newcastle Herald.
"We were leading by a long way at the time and they went the early crow as you say in racing terms, but they were so excited to be that far in front.
"It was so, so special to hear that on Sunday. I've heard it in the dressing shed many times, but never during a game."
It was also special to first-grade coach and director of football Chris Gallagher, who has a rich history with the club and returned to Wallsend in 2024 to help with the rebuild.
"I couldn't tell you how many of the Old Boys were there, they were everywhere," Gallagher said.
"When they started singing the club song, the same song the Old Boys tell me has been sung for 140 years, that was a pretty special moment.
"The players, a lot of them have played at some big clubs, they were saying, 'I've never heard that'."
Gallagher and his late brother Peter were Wallsend juniors and went on to play first grade for the Red Devils.
The 47-year-old's parents, Chris and Vicki, are long-serving volunteers at the club and his sons Zac, 20, Kobe, 18, and Taj, 16, all play for Wallsend.
"It's been a massive turnaround for the club from three years ago, when we were nearly dead and buried, quite literally, to now," Gallagher said.
"This year has been massive for me personally. Obviously my three sons are back at the club, but I've known most of our squad since they were sort of 12 years old.
"They're still kids but they've bought in and they've done everything we could possibly ask of them from preseason.
"It's all been built on a commitment from players that have either been coached by me before, mates with other boys or have been juniors at the club. It makes it special. It's been great for the area.
"After the game, there was a massive sense of relief because we still believe that we've slipped up in a number of games that we shouldn't have."
The atmosphere back at Wallsend's Fire Station Hotel on Sunday evening was electric, but the message was clear.
"It's in our hands to do the job against a very experienced, well-coached team," Gallagher said.
"So it was, enjoy the moment because these things don't always come around.
"Embrace the occasion, but make sure we stay composed through the week and just get about our job and do what we need to do and do what we've done all year."
Wallsend play third-placed Newcastle Croatia (30) on Saturday while Lake Macquarie face ninth-placed Toronto (13). Wallsend have a goal difference of 34 and Lake Macquarie's is 35. All final-round games are at 2pm.
"Win, lose or draw, Chris has done a marvellous job with the club," Hardes said.
"It would be nice just to get that win on Saturday, and then the boys can have a bit of a spell. Let's hope on Saturday afternoon we're at the pub celebrating."
Whoever finishes second in Northern League One will join Newcastle Croatia and fourth-placed New Lambton (29) in the promotion-relegation play-offs, along with the 11th-placed NPL side.
Any of Kahibah (20), Adamstown (21), Newcastle Olympic (21) and Lambton (22) could finish 11th and end up playing for NPL survival.
Kahibah host sixth-placed Cooks Hill (30), Adamstown are away to fifth-placed Belmont Swansea (35) while Jaffas and Olympic play each other.
At the other end of the ladder, Broadmeadow (46) have already sealed a third straight premiership ahead of their match against Azzurri (14), but second, third and fourth place is up for grabs between Weston (40), Edgeworth (39) and Maitland (39).
Maitland host Edgeworth while Weston travel to seventh-placed Valentine (25), who survived last year's promotion-relegation play-offs.
All NPL final-round games are at 2pm on Sunday.
Also on Wednesday night, Weston beat Adamstown 4-2 and Maitland defeated Kahibah 2-1.
Meanwhile, Olympic have appointed Ethan Evans as their NPLW head coach for next year. There are no NPLW fixtures this weekend.
