| SEASON | TEAM | PROMOTED BACK (NUMBER OF SEASONS) |
| 1986/87 | LINCOLN CITY | 1987/88 (1) |
| 1987/88 | NEWPORT COUNTY | 2012/13 (24) # |
| 1988/89 | DARLINGTON | 1989/90 (1) |
| 1989/90 | COLCHESTER UNITED | 1991/92 (2) |
| 1990/91 | NO RELEGATION (i) | |
| 1991/92 | NO RELEGATION (ii) | |
| 1992/93 | HALIFAX TOWN | 1997/98 (4) |
| 1993/94 | NO RELEGATION (iii) | |
| 1994/95 | NO RELEGATION (iv) | |
| 1995/96 | NO RELEGATION (v) | |
| 1996/97 | HEREFORD UNITED | 2005/06 (9) |
| 1997/98 | DONCASTER ROVERS | 2002/03 (5) |
| 1998/99 | SCARBOROUGH | |
| 1999/00 | CHESTER CITY | 2003/04 (4) |
| 2000/01 | BARNET | 2004/05 (4) |
| 2001/02 | HALIFAX TOWN | |
| 2002/03 | SHREWSBURY TOWN | 2003/04 (1) |
| EXETER CITY | 2007/08 (5) | |
| 2003/04 | CARLISLE UNITED | 2004/05 (1) |
| YORK CITY | 2011/12 (8) | |
| 2004/05 | CAMBRIDGE UNITED | 2013/14 (9) |
| KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS | ||
| 2005/06 | OXFORD UNITED | 2009/10 (4) |
| RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS | ||
| 2006/07 | BOSTON UNITED | |
| TORQUAY UNITED | 2008/09 (2) | |
| 2007/08 | MANSFIELD TOWN | 2012/13 (5) |
| WREXHAM | ||
| 2008/09 | CHESTER CITY | |
| LUTON TOWN | ||
| 2009/10 | GRIMSBY TOWN | |
| DARLINGTON | ||
| 2010/11 | STOCKPORT COUNTY | |
| LINCOLN CITY | 2016/17 (5) | |
| 2011/12 | HEREFORD UNITED | |
| MACCLESFIELD TOWN | 20717/18 (6) | |
| 2012/13 | BARNET | 2014/15 (2) |
| ALDERSHOT TOWN | ||
| 2013/14 | BRISTOL ROVERS | 2014/15 (1) |
| TORQUAY UNITED | ||
| 2014/15 | CHELTENHAM TOWN | 2015/16 (1) |
| TRANMERE ROVERS | 2017/18 (3) | |
| 2015/16 | DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE | |
| YORK CITY | ||
| 2016/17 | HARTLEPOOL UNITED | |
| LEYTON ORIENT | 2018/19 (2) | |
| 2017/18 | BARNET | |
| CHESTERFIELD | ||
| 2018/19 | NOTTS COUNTY | |
| YEOVIL TOWN | ||
| 2019/20 | MACCLESFIELD TOWN | |
| 2020/21 | SOUTHEND UNITED | |
| GRIMSBY TOWN | ||
| 2021/22 | SCUNTHORPE UNITED | |
| OLDHAM ATHLETIC |
KEY
Red denotes achieved promotion back
(i) League expanded so no relegation
(ii) Aldershot expelled from football league so no relegation
(iii) Kidderminster Harriers ground grading failed so no relegation or promotion
(iv) Macclesfield Town ground grading failed so relegation or promotion
(v) Stevenage Borough ground grading failed so relegation or promotion
# denotes the club were reformed as Newport AFC and changed to Newport County in 1999
Scunthorpe United and Oldham Athletic will be non-league clubs for the 2022/23 season. The Iron drop out of the football league they have been members of since 1950 with The Latics being the first former Premier League side to drop out to be relegated from the football league.
Only Lincoln City, Darlington, Shrewsbury Town, Carlisle United, Bristol Rovers and Cheltenham Town have won promotion back at the first time of asking - Grimsby Town have a chance of joining this list as they are currently in a play off place this season. Southend United, after a poor start to their season, have changed management and will finish in a comfortable mid-table position.
A number of clubs have dropped out of the league and gone bust with new clubs being formed. The below is a list of those clubs -
NEWPORT COUNTY - NEWPORT AFC formed in 1989 now NEWPORT COUNTY playing in League Two,
ALDERSHOT FC - ALDERSHOT TOWN formed in 1992 now playing in The National League and did play in the football league from 2008 to 2013.
HALIFAX TOWN - FC HALIFAX TOWN formed in 2008 now playing in The National League.
HEREFORD UNITED - HEREFORD FC formed in 2013 now playing in The National League South.
SCARBROUGH - SCARBOROUGH ATHLETIC formed in 2007 now playing in The Northern Premier League and qualified for play-offs this season.
CHESTER CITY - CHESTER FC formed in 2010 now playing in The National League North
RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS - AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS formed in 2011 now playing in The Southern League Premier (Central) - missed out on a play-off place on goal difference.
DARLINGTON - DARLINGTON 1883 formed in 2012 now DARLINGTON FC playing in The National League North
MACCLESFIELD TOWN - MACCLESFIELD FC formed in 2020 - Champions of The North West Counties League Premier Division and will play at Step Four in 22/23.
Excluding these re-formed clubs only Stockport County (National League North from 2013 to 2019), Boston United (National League North since 2010 - did play in Northern Premier League in 08/09 and 09/10 ) and York City (National League North from 2017 to date) have dropped down further into the non-league pyramid - It's looking very likely that Stockport County will move back into the football league for the 22/23 season.
