English Football Promotion, Relegation and European Places: 2021-22 Season

Paul Gerald · Profile
English Football Promotion, Relegation and European Places: 2021-22 Season

Which English soccer teams have been promoted and relegated after the 2021-22 season? Who’s in the Football League playoffs? Which Premier League teams have made it into Europe?

We’re going to track everything here until it’s all said and done. But first, some quick background.

Looking for the 2022-23 Promotions and Relegations?

How Does Promotion and Relegation Work in English Soccer?

The short version is that at the end of each season, the top three teams in each league go up a league for the next season, and the bottom three drop down a league. And there are a lot of leagues up and down the so-called pyramid of English football. There are some variables on this, like playoffs being involved to settle some promotions, plus the question of where the top teams in the top league get “promoted to.”

We’ll get to those, but here’s a complete explanation of how promotion and relegation work in England:

English Football League Playoffs

Yes, English soccer has playoffs — not to determine champions, but to determine some promotion spots. For example, in the Championship, the second-tier league just below the Premier League, the top two finishers automatically go up, then numbers 3 through 6 battle it out for the third spot. The final of that mini tournament, played at Wembley Stadium, is often called the “richest game in world football,” as the winner gets a share of the Premier League TV money.

Here’s more about the playoffs.

Here are the Promotions and Relegations from the 2020-21 Season

“Getting into Europe” or, Promotion from the Premier League

Since the Premier League is the top league in England, where do its top teams go “up” to? The answer is European competitions — and the same is true for leagues all over the continent, like Germany’s Bundesliga, Spain’s La Liga and Italy’s Serie A.

This is what is meant by the phrase “getting into Europe,” or getting into “the European places” at the top of the Premier League. In England, it basically breaks down like this:

Here’s more about getting into Europe.

Watch soccer, including the Champions League, on Paramount+

English Football Promotions and Relegations, 2021-22 Season

Premier League: European Places

Champions League:

  • Manchester City
  • Liverpool
  • Chelsea
  • Tottenham

Europa League:

  • Arsenal
  • Manchester United

Europa Conference League:

  • West Ham

Here’s the final Premier League table from the BBC.

Watch All the EFL Playoffs on ESPN+!Advertisement

From the Premier League down to the Championship

  • Norwich City
  • Watford
  • Burnley

From the Championship up to the Premier League

  • Fulham (Champions)
  • Bournemouth
  • Nottingham Forest (via the playoff)

Here’s the final Championship table from the BBC.

From the Championship down to League One

  • Barnsley
  • Peterborough
  • Derby County

From League One up to the Championship:

  • Wigan Athletic (Champions)
  • Rotherham United
  • Sunderland (via the playoff)

From League One down to League Two:

  • Gillingham
  • Doncaster Rovers
  • Wimbledon
  • Crewe Alexandra

Here’s the final League One table.

From League Two up to League One:

  • Forest Green Rovers (Champions)
  • Exeter City
  • Bristol Rovers
  • Port Vale (via the playoff)

From League Two down to the National League:

  • Oldham Athletic
  • Scunthorpe United

From the National League up to the Football League Two

  • Stockport County (champions)
  • Grimsby Town via the playoffs

From the National League down to National League North:

  • Kings Lynn Town

From the National League down to National League South:

  • Weymouth
  • Dover Athletic

Here’s the final National League table from the BBC.

From the National League North to the National League

  • York City
  • Gateshead

From the National League South to the National League

  • Maidstone
  • Dorking Wanderers
Written By Paul Gerald
Paul Gerald, Owner and Founder of Groundhopper Soccer Guides · Profile
Paul is a traveler, writer, publisher and soccer freak. He started Groundhopper Soccer Guides as EnglishSoccerGuide.com in 2014. When he's not kicking around England working on this site and his book, you can find him at Providence Park in Portland, cheering on the Portland Timbers.

Post Comments

Powered By MemberPress WooCommerce Plus Integration