The 2021âÂÂ22 National League season, known as the Vanarama National League for sponsorship reasons, was the seventh season as English football's National League, the eighteenth season consisting of three divisions, and the forty-third season overall.
Due to the curtailment of the preceding season for North and South and lower levels of competition in the English football pyramid, promotion and relegation between levels 5 and 6, and between level 6 and lower levels were suspended. These, combined with the folding of Macclesfield Town in 2020âÂÂ21 and the knock-on effects of Bury's collapse in 2019âÂÂ20, meant that for the 2021âÂÂ22 season the three divisions had the irregular complement of 23, 22 and 21 teams, respectively.
In 2019, prior to these COVID-19 related impacts, the league had intended the 2021âÂÂ22 season to be the first using a new structure in which the number of teams in its North and South divisions would increase, resulting in three 24-team divisions. On 1 July 2021, the National League confirmed its intent to achieve this structure for the 2022âÂÂ23 season; accordingly the following adjustments to promotion and relegation were in effect for this season:
Promoted from 2020âÂÂ21 National League North
Promoted from 2020âÂÂ21 National League South
Relegated from 2020âÂÂ21 League Two
Promoted to 2021âÂÂ22 League Two
Relegated to 2021âÂÂ22 National League North
Relegated to 2021âÂÂ22 National League South
Grimsby Town became the first former top-flight First Division club to be relegated to the National League twice, and their matches against Notts County make them the second pairing of clubs to face each other across all top five tiers of English football (after the Luton Town vs Oxford United fixture).
<sup>5</sup> Player scored 5 goals
Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
The National League North consisted of 22 teams for the final time.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation of the four Step 3 leagues' 2020âÂÂ21 seasons, no teams were promoted to or relegated from the National League North.
Relegated from 2020âÂÂ21 National League
Promoted to 2021âÂÂ22 National League
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Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
The National League South consisted of 21 teams after the 2019âÂÂ20 season and did so for the final time.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation of the four Step 3 leagues' 2020âÂÂ21 seasons, no teams were promoted to or relegated from the National League South.
Relegated from 2020âÂÂ21 National League
Promoted to 2021âÂÂ22 National League
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<sup>4</sup> Player scored 4 goals
Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.