New venue planned for National League 2021/22 playoff final leaving fans angry

Another new venue is being planned for the National League 2021/22 playoff final leaving fans angry and calling the decision a shambles.

West Ham United’s London Stadium is expected to host this season’s showpiece on the 5th of June, a year after the playoff final was held at Bristol City’s Ashton Gate which saw Hartlepool United win promotion to the EFL following a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Torquay United.

London Football Scene and the Non League Paper report that for 2021/22, the final will take place at the 60,000-seater stadium, which was built for the Olympics and hadn’t always gone down well with fans when they’ve visited.

Currently, it’s Stockport County who are in pole position to claim the title, unless they dramatically mess it up, so all eyes are on the race for the playoffs.

The quarter final matches get underway on Wednesday the 25th of May with fifth playing sixth and then the following night sees fourth v seventh.

The runners-up and third-place team get byes to the semis, which take place over the weekend of the 28th.

Then the promotion final is set to be played the following Sunday, at the London Stadium according to reports.

CURRENT STANDINGS

			P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	Pts
	1	Stockport County	36	26	4	6	79	29	+50	82
	2	Wrexham	36	22	8	6	74	38	+36	74
	3	FC Halifax Town	37	22	7	8	55	29	+26	73
	4	Solihull Moors	37	20	11	6	67	39	+28	71
	5	Chesterfield	38	19	13	6	64	40	+24	70
	6	Notts County	37	18	10	9	65	47	+18	64
	7	Grimsby Town	37	19	6	12	55	35	+20	63
	8	Dagenham & Redbridge	37	18	5	14	64	45	+19	59
	9	Boreham Wood	35	16	11	8	41	27	+14	59
	10	Torquay United	36	16	8	12	60	49	+11	56
	11	Bromley	35	15	9	11	47	40	+7	54
	12	Yeovil Town	37	13	11	13	38	40	-2	50

Prior to that, Wembley had be hosting every Playoff final from 2007 through to 2020, apart from the 2011 final which was held at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

And with England’s Nations League games against Italy and Hungary are being played at Wolves’ Molineux and not Wembley, the home of English football has not been chosen this time around.

However, the inaugural ‘Finalissima’, which sees European champions Italy face South American champions Argentina, will take place at Wembley on Wednesday the 1st of June instead.

Soccer Aid is also being played at the London Stadium a week later, on June 12th, with the National League Playoff Final seen as the perfect introduction for the charity match.

As mentioned, a new venue is planned for the National League 2021/22 playoff final leaving fans angry…

@chogger5: To be honest with the majority of teams battling it out being form the midlands or North makes more sense to have it at Villa Park, Old Trafford or the Etihad if not having it at Wembley pointless taking the supporters all down to London with no Wembley final

@StephenRushton2: Have they looked at the league table and decided to choose the most inconvenient venue?

@NottsOfTheLane: I think this sort of thing tells us everything we need to know of the chances of getting a 2nd automatic promotion spot anytime soon. The majority of clubs in the top 7 are bigger than a lot of clubs in league 1/2. Sort yourselves out @TheVanaramaNL

@tiddlytown69: Absolutely diabolical decision!!!!!

@CharlieWenMoon: Shambles

@james_rothery8: Idiots

@LiamSpireite: Absolutely stupid decision. Not a single team likely to be in the playoffs is southern based. Why is it in an 80,000 seater that struggles to generate an atmosphere when it’s full? Why not stick it in a midlands stadium that holds 30,000 and have it rocking?

@Andrew_E_Walker: If true another delinquent decision from the corrupt custodians @TheVanaramaNL. A recipe in lieu of a meal… As always; irrational and devoid of significance. Supporters and meaning not even factoring into what could generously be called their ‘thinking’

@ShaymenShouts: Ridiculous to have the final down south despite the majority of teams in contention being Northern Based! At least if you’re holding it down south let it be Wembley not some soulless Running Track. Proving once again the ppl making devious are really football fans.

@Marshy1862: It should be Wembley for the history and occasion or a more central venue such as Villa Park. The timing of the announcement comes when all the teams currently occupying the playoff positions are from the midlands or north.

@SimplySuvo92: Very poor decision and just shows how poorly the league is thought of by governing authorities. Players and fans dream of playing and seeing their team at Wembley, not going to West Ham’s stadium where you’re further away from the pitch.

@georgemellor93: Can’t be the @TheVanaramaNL making another ridiculous decision can it?

@Shayflea: What a farce from @TheVanaramaNL Stockport, Wrexham, Halifax, Solihull, Chesterfield, Notts County, Grimsby – the teams currently in 1-7 in the league. Yeah, lets play the final in London when the top 7 sides are all Northern- and at a ground awkward to get to with poor views 🙄