2022 English Football League play-offs

Football league season

2022 English Football League play-offs

Wembley Stadium was the venue for each play-off final

Season| 2021–22

← 2021

2023 →

The English Football League play-offs for the 2021–22 season (referred to as the Sky Bet Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) were held in May 2022 with all finals being staged at Wembley Stadium in Wembley.

The play-offs begin in each league with two semi-finals which are played over two legs. The teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th-placed teams in League Two compete. The winners of the semi-finals advance to the finals, with the winners gaining promotion for the following season.

All three play-off finals will use Video Assistant Referees (VAR), making it the first time that they have been used in each of the respective leagues.[1]

## Background

[edit]

The English Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places. The fixtures are determined by final league position – in the Championship and League One this is 3rd v 6th and 4th v 5th, while in League Two it is 4th v 7th and 5th v 6th.[citation needed]

## Television

[edit]

All English Football League play-off games were broadcast live on Sky Sports. It was simulcast on the ESPN+ streaming platform in the United States.[citation needed]

## Championship

[edit]

Main article: 2021–22 EFL Championship

### Semi-finals

[edit]

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 7 May 2022, due to Bournemouth beating Nottingham Forest on 3 May 2022; this meant that Nottingham Forest and Huddersfield Town were guaranteed to finish either 3rd or 4th and in the play-offs. Sheffield United and Luton Town won their games against Fulham and Reading respectively, because of this, Middlesbrough and Millwall did not qualify for the play-offs regardless of their results. It meant that Luton played Huddersfield, and Sheffield United played Nottingham Forest in the 1st legs, and vice versa in the 2nd legs.

Final league position – Championship

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts
3  | Huddersfield Town | 46  | 23  | 13  | 10  | 64  | 47  | 17  | 82
4  | Nottingham Forest | 46  | 23  | 11  | 12  | 73  | 40  | 33  | 80
5  | Sheffield United | 46  | 21  | 12  | 13  | 63  | 45  | 18  | 75
6  | Luton Town | 46  | 21  | 12  | 13  | 63  | 55  | 8  | 75

#### First leg

[edit]

13 May 2022

19:45 BST

Luton Town| 1–1| Huddersfield Town

|
|

* Bradley 30'

| Report |

* Sinani 12'

Kenilworth Road, Luton

Attendance: 10,005

Referee: Robert Jones

14 May 2022

15:00 BST

Sheffield United| 1–2| Nottingham Forest

|
|

* Berge 90+1'

| Report |

* Colback 10'
* Johnson 71'

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 30,225

Referee: Andre Marriner

#### Second leg

[edit]

16 May 2022

19:45 BST

Huddersfield Town| 1–0| Luton Town

|
|

Rhodes 82' | Report |

John Smith's Stadium, Huddersfield

Attendance: 23,507

Referee: Peter Bankes

Huddersfield Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

17 May 2022

19:45 BST

Nottingham Forest| 1–2 (a.e.t.)| Sheffield United

|
|

* Johnson 19'

| Report |

* Gibbs-White 47'
* Fleck 75'

Penalties

* Johnson
* Cafú
* Cook
* Lolley

| 3–2 |

* Norwood
* Hourihane
* Berge
* Ndiaye
* Gibbs-White

City Ground, Nottingham

Attendance: 29,015

Referee: Michael Oliver

3–3 on aggregate. Nottingham Forest won 3–2 on penalties.

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 2022 EFL Championship play-off Final

The winner, Nottingham Forest, won promotion to the top fight after more than two decades of absence, joining Fulham and Bournemouth in being promoted to the Premier League for the 2022–23 season.

29 May 2022 (2022-05-29)

16:30 BST

Huddersfield Town| 0–1| Nottingham Forest

|
|

| Report |

* Colwill 43' (o.g.)

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 80,019

Referee: Jon Moss

## League One

[edit]

Main article: 2021–22 EFL League One

### Semi-finals

[edit]

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 30 April 2022, Milton Keynes Dons had already guaranteed a place in the play-offs and would have been promoted if they had a better result than Rotherham United. Sheffield Wednesday and Sunderland won their games against Portsmouth and Morecambe respectively to finish 4th and 5th. Wycombe Wanderers beat Burton Albion and due to Plymouth Argyle losing to MK Dons, Wycombe finished 6th and Plymouth finished 7th. It meant that Wycombe played MK Dons and Sunderland played Sheffield Wednesday in the first legs, and vice versa in the second legs.

Final league position – League One

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts
3  | Milton Keynes Dons | 46  | 26  | 11  | 9  | 78  | 44  | 34  | 89
4  | Sheffield Wednesday | 46  | 24  | 13  | 9  | 78  | 50  | 28  | 85
5  | Sunderland | 46  | 24  | 12  | 10  | 79  | 53  | 26  | 84
6  | Wycombe Wanderers | 46  | 23  | 14  | 9  | 75  | 51  | 24  | 83

#### First leg

[edit]

5 May 2022

19:45 BST

Wycombe Wanderers| 2–0| Milton Keynes Dons

|
|

* Tafazolli 38'
* Vokes 82'

| Report |

Adams Park, High Wycombe

Attendance: 8,987

Referee: Darren Bond

6 May 2022

19:45 BST

Sunderland| 1–0| Sheffield Wednesday

|
|

* Stewart 45+1'

| Report |

Stadium of Light, Sunderland

Attendance: 44,742

Referee: Matthew Donohue

#### Second leg

[edit]

8 May 2022

18:30 BST

Milton Keynes Dons| 1–0| Wycombe Wanderers

|
|

* Parrott 26'

| Report |

Stadium MK, Milton Keynes

Attendance: 13,012

Referee: Thomas Bramall

Wycombe Wanderers won 2–1 on aggregate.

9 May 2022

19:45 BST

Sheffield Wednesday| 1–1| Sunderland

|
|

* Gregory 74'

| Report |

* Roberts 90+3'

Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield

Attendance: 32,978

Referee: James Linington

Sunderland won 2–1 on aggregate.

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 2022 EFL League One play-off Final

21 May 2022

15:00 BST

Wycombe Wanderers| 0–2| Sunderland

|
|

| Report |

* Embleton 12'
* Stewart 79'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 72,332

Referee: Simon Hooper

## League Two

[edit]

Main article: 2021–22 EFL League Two

### Semi-finals

[edit]

The final table was confirmed after the final matchday on 7 May 2022, Bristol Rovers had already secured a play-off place and could still have finished 3rd and gained automatic promotion if they bettered Northampton Town's result in the last game of the season. Northampton Town and Bristol Rovers both won their games, putting both of them on 80 points with the promoted team decided on goal difference. Due to Bristol Rovers winning their game 7–0, it put them both on a +22 goal difference, but Bristol Rovers had scored more goals than Northampton Town (71–60). This meant that against all the odds at the time, Bristol Rovers were promoted and Northampton were condemned to the play-offs. Swindon Town beat Walsall in their game, and Mansfield Town drew to champions Forest Green Rovers, which was enough to qualify for the play-offs. It meant that Mansfield Town played Northampton and Swindon Town played Port Vale in the 1st legs, and vice versa in the 2nd legs.

Final league position – League Two

Pos | Team  | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts
4  | Northampton Town | 46  | 23  | 11  | 12  | 60  | 38  | 22  | 80
5  | Port Vale | 46  | 22  | 12  | 12  | 67  | 46  | 21  | 78
6  | Swindon Town | 46  | 22  | 11  | 13  | 77  | 54  | 23  | 77
7  | Mansfield Town | 46  | 22  | 11  | 13  | 67  | 52  | 15  | 77

#### First leg

[edit]

14 May 2022

19:45 BST

Mansfield Town| 2–1| Northampton Town

|
|

* Oates 13'
* Bowery 32'

| Report |

* Koiki 61'

Field Mill, Mansfield

Attendance: 7,469

Referee: Anthony Backhouse

15 May 2022

12:00 BST

Swindon Town| 2–1| Port Vale

|
|

McKirdy 26', 68' | Report | Wilson 83'

County Ground, Swindon

Attendance: 14,086

Referee: Ross Joyce

#### Second leg

[edit]

18 May 2022

19:45 BST

Northampton Town| 0–1| Mansfield Town

|
|

| Report | McLaughlin 32'

Sixfields Stadium, Northampton

Attendance: 7,619

Referee: Ben Toner

Mansfield Town won 3–1 on aggregate.

19 May 2022

19:45 BST

Port Vale| 1–0 (a.e.t.)| Swindon Town

|
|

* Wilson 8'

| Report |
Penalties

* Wilson
* Worrall
* Edmondson
* Charsley
* Pett
* Garrity
* Gibbons
* Benning

| 6–5 |

* Payne
* Gladwin
* McKirdy
* Reed
* Davison
* Conroy
* Egbo
* Iandolo

Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent

Attendance: 11,669

Referee: Seb Stockbridge

2–2 on aggregate. Port Vale won 6–5 on penalties.

### Final

[edit]

Main article: 2022 EFL League Two play-off Final

28 May 2022 (2022-05-28)

16:00 BST

Mansfield Town| 0–3| Port Vale

|
|

| Report |

* Harratt 20'
* Wilson 24'
* Benning 85'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 37,303

Referee: Jarred Gillett

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "VAR to be used at EFL Play-Off Finals". www.efl.com. Retrieved 2022-05-28.

* v
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English Football League play-offs

Competitions|

* EFL Championship play-offs
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Play-offs|

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2021–22 in English men's football

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National teams|

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League
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* Premier League

|

Levels 2–4|

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Cup
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|

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Club seasons

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