The 2022 National League play-off final, known as the Vanarama National League Promotion Final for sponsorship reasons, was an association football match played on 5 June 2022 at the London Stadium between Solihull Moors and Grimsby Town. It determined the second and final team to gain promotion from the National League, English football's fifth tier, to EFL League Two. By finishing first in the 2021–22 National League, Stockport County gained automatic promotion to League Two, while the teams placed from second to seventh participated in the play-offs. The winners of the semi-finals competed for the final promotion spot for League Two. The losing play-off quarter-finalists were Notts County and FC Halifax Town. In the following round, Chesterfield and Wrexham were eliminated in the semi-finals.
 The match took place at London Stadium | |||||||
| Event | 2021–22 National League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| After extra time | |||||||
| Date | 5 June 2022 | ||||||
| Venue | London Stadium, London | ||||||
| Referee | Martin Woods | ||||||
| Attendance | 22,897 | ||||||
The match was televised live on BT Sport 1 HD and BT Sport Ultimate.[1] The coverage was presented by Matt Smith,[2] while the commentary team comprised Adam Summerton and Kevin Davies.[3] Radio commentary was provided by Switch Radio[4] and BBC Radio Humberside.[5]
Ticketing
editThe National League were criticised before the game for their ticketing policy which resulted in a minimum ticket price of £40. Following complaints the league’s sponsor, Vanarama, gave £20,000 to both clubs to help supporters with costs. In addition 13,000 Grimsby fans were able to watch the game following intervention by the Mariners Trust supporters group which raised money for tickets.[6]
Route to the final
editSolihull won both regular season meetings between the two sides, 2–0 at home and 2–1 away.[7][8]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stockport County | 44 | 30 | 4 | 10 | 87 | 38 | +49 | 94 |
| 2 | Wrexham | 44 | 26 | 10 | 8 | 91 | 46 | +45 | 88 |
| 3 | Solihull Moors | 44 | 25 | 12 | 7 | 83 | 45 | +38 | 87 |
| 4 | FC Halifax Town | 44 | 25 | 9 | 10 | 62 | 35 | +27 | 84 |
| 5 | Notts County | 44 | 24 | 10 | 10 | 81 | 52 | +29 | 82 |
| 6 | Grimsby Town | 44 | 23 | 8 | 13 | 68 | 46 | +22 | 77 |
| 7 | Chesterfield | 44 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 69 | 51 | +18 | 74 |
Quarter-finals
edit| 23 May 2022 | Notts County | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Grimsby Town | Meadow Lane, Nottingham |
| 19:45 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 12,023 Referee: Sunny Sukhvir Gill |
| 24 May 2022 | FC Halifax Town | 1–2 | Chesterfield | The Shay, Halifax |
| 19:45 |
|
Report | Attendance: 5,661 Referee: Scott Tallis |
Semi-finals
edit| 28 May 2022 | Wrexham | 4–5 (a.e.t.) | Grimsby Town | Racecourse Ground, Wrexham |
| 12:30 | Report |
|
Attendance: 9,734 Referee: Adam Herczeg |
| 29 May 2022 | Solihull Moors | 3–1 | Chesterfield | Damson Park, Solihull |
| 12:30 | Report |
|
Attendance: 4,026 Referee: Thomas Kirk |
Details
edit| Solihull Moors | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Grimsby Town |
|---|---|---|
|
Report |
|
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town". BT Sport. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
- ^ "Live: Grimsby v Solihull Moors". Vanarama National League. 5 June 2022. 120 minutes in. BT Sport. BT Sport 1 HD.
- ^ "Live: Grimsby v Solihull Moors". Vanarama National League. 5 June 2022. 60 minutes in. BT Sport. BT Sport 1 HD.
- ^ "Preview: Solihull Moors vs Grimsby Town (Promotion Final)". Solihull Moors FC. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ "Solihull Moors v Grimsby Town". BBC Radio Humberside. 5 June 2022. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
- ^ Stone, Simon (6 June 2022). "National League general manager Mark Ives understands play-off ticket frustration". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
- ^ "Solihull Moors 2-0 Grimsby Town". BBC Sport. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Grimsby Town 1-2 Solihull Moors". BBC Sport. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
- ^ "Vanarama National League Table". Vanarama National League. Retrieved 4 May 2024.