2021–22 National League


The 2021–22 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 2020–21 and the knock-on effects of Bury's collapse in 2019–20, meant that for the 2021–22 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 2021–22 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 2022–23 season; accordingly the following adjustments to promotion and relegation were in effect for this season:

National League

Team changes

;To National League
Promoted from 2020–21 National League North
  • None
Promoted from 2020–21 National League South
  • None
Relegated from 2020–21 League Two
;From National League
Promoted to 2021–22 League Two
Relegated to 2021–22 National League North
  • None
Relegated to 2021–22 National League South
  • None
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.

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Aldershot TownAldershotRecreation Ground7,200
AltrinchamAltrinchamMoss Lane7,700
BarnetLondon The Hive Stadium6,418
Boreham WoodBorehamwoodMeadow Park4,502
BromleyLondon Hayes Lane5,300
ChesterfieldChesterfieldProact Stadium10,504
Dagenham & RedbridgeLondon Victoria Road6,078
Dover AthleticDoverCrabble Athletic Ground5,745
EastleighEastleighTen Acres5,250
FC Halifax TownHalifaxThe Shay10,400
Grimsby TownCleethorpesBlundell Park9,052
King's Lynn TownKing's LynnThe Walks8,200
Maidenhead UnitedMaidenheadYork Road4,000
Notts CountyNottinghamMeadow Lane19,588
Solihull MoorsSolihullDamson Park5,500
Southend UnitedSouthend-on-SeaRoots Hall12,392
Stockport CountyStockportEdgeley Park10,852
Torquay UnitedTorquayPlainmoor6,500
WealdstoneLondon Grosvenor Vale4,085
WeymouthWeymouthBob Lucas Stadium6,600
WokingWokingKingfield Stadium6,036
WrexhamWrexhamRacecourse Ground10,771
Yeovil TownYeovilHuish Park9,566

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1

Hat-tricks

;Notes
5 Player scored 5 goals

Monthly awards

Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
MonthManager of the MonthClubPlayer of the MonthClub
August/September 2021

National League North

The National League North consisted of 22 teams for the final time.

Team changes

Following the COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation of the four Step 3 leagues' 2020–21 seasons, no teams were promoted to or relegated from the National League North.
;To National League North
Relegated from 2020–21 National League
  • None
;From National League North
Promoted to 2021–22 National League
  • None

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
AFC FyldeWeshamMill Farm6,000
AFC Telford UnitedTelfordNew Bucks Head6,300
Alfreton TownAlfretonNorth Street3,600
Blyth SpartansBlythCroft Park4,435
Boston UnitedBostonBoston Community Stadium5,061
Brackley TownBrackleySt. James Park3,500
Bradford (Park Avenue)BradfordHorsfall Stadium3,500
ChesterChesterDeva Stadium6,500
ChorleyChorleyVictory Park4,100
Curzon AshtonAshton-under-LyneTameside Stadium4,000
DarlingtonDarlingtonBlackwell Meadows3,300
Farsley CelticFarsleyThe Citadel3,900
GatesheadGatesheadGateshead International Stadium11,800
Gloucester CityGloucesterMeadow Park3,600
GuiseleyGuiseleyNethermoor Park4,200
HerefordHerefordEdgar Street5,213
Kettering TownKetteringLatimer Park 2,400
Kidderminster HarriersKidderminsterAggborough6,238
LeamingtonLeamingtonNew Windmill Ground2,300
SouthportSouthportHaig Avenue6,008
Spennymoor TownSpennymoorThe Brewery Field4,300
York CityYorkYork Community Stadium8,500

National League North table


Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Macaulay LangstaffGateshead28
2Nick HaughtonAFC Fylde26
3Glen TaylorSpennymoor Town25
4Cedwyn ScottGateshead24
5Danny ElliottBoston United19
6Ashley HemmingsKidderminster Harriers15
7Jordan McFarlane-ArcherSouthport14
7Lee NdlovuBrackley Town14
7JJ O'DonnellBlyth Spartans14
10Jason OswellAFC Telford United13
10Tom Owen-EvansHereford13

Monthly awards

Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
MonthManager of the MonthClubPlayer of the MonthClub
August/September 2021

National League South

The National League South consisted of 21 teams after the 2019–20 season and did so for the final time.

Team changes

Following the COVID-19 pandemic-related cancellation of the four Step 3 leagues' 2020–21 seasons, no teams were promoted to or relegated from the National League South.
;To National League South
Relegated from 2020–21 National League
  • None
;From National League South
Promoted to 2021–22 National League
  • None

Stadia and locations

TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
Bath CityBath Twerton Park8,840
Billericay TownBillericayNew Lodge3,500
Braintree TownBraintreeCressing Road4,085
Chelmsford CityChelmsfordMelbourne Stadium3,019
Chippenham TownChippenhamHardenhuish Park3,000
Concord RangersCanvey IslandThames Road3,300
DartfordDartfordPrinces Park4,100
Dorking WanderersDorkingMeadowbank Stadium3,000
Dulwich HamletLondon Champion Hill3,000
Eastbourne BoroughEastbournePriory Lane4,151
Ebbsfleet UnitedNorthfleetStonebridge Road4,800
Hampton & RichmondLondon Beveree Stadium3,500
Havant & WaterloovilleHavantWest Leigh Park5,300
Hemel Hempstead TownHemel HempsteadVauxhall Road3,152
Hungerford TownHungerfordBulpit Lane2,500
Maidstone UnitedMaidstoneGallagher Stadium4,200
Oxford CityOxford Court Place Farm2,000
Slough TownSloughArbour Park2,000
St Albans CitySt AlbansClarence Park4,500
Tonbridge AngelsTonbridgeLongmead Stadium3,000
Welling UnitedLondon Park View Road4,000

National League South table


Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1Alfie RutherfordDorking Wanderers30
2Shaun JeffersSt. Albans City27
2Ryan SeagerHungerford Town27
4Charley KendallEastbourne Borough25
5Joe IaciofanoOxford City22
6Joan LuqueMaidstone United20
7Dipo AkinyemiWelling United18
7Jack BarhamMaidstone United18
9Dominic PoleonEbbsfleet United17
9Alex FletcherBath City17

Hat-tricks

;Notes
4 Player scored 4 goals

Monthly awards

Each month the Vanarama National League announces their official Player of the Month and Manager of the Month.
MonthManager of the MonthClubPlayer of the MonthClub
August/September 2021