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Premier League promotion by season: History of promoted clubs, playoff final

When Southampton beat Leeds United in the Championship playoff final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, it ended a short wait for Saints to return to the Premier League while extending Leeds’ absence from the top flight by at least one year.

Both clubs know about much longer waits.

[ MORE: FA Cup history: All winners, finals ]

Saints waited between 2005-2012 for their last promotion, relegated last season, while there were 16 years between Premier League spells for Leeds between 2004-2020 (Leeds also went down last season).

Here’s a list of the clubs promoted to the Premier League since the naming of the division, plus all of the playoff finals since they began following the 1986-87 season.

Premier League promotion history by season

Bolded teams still in Premier League

1992:93: Newcastle United, West Ham United, Swindon Town
1993-94: Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City
1994-95: Middlesbrough, Bolton Wanderers
1995-96: Sunderland, Derby County, Leicester City
1996-97: Bolton Wanderers, Barnsley, Crystal Palace
1997-98: Nottingham Forest, Middlesbrough, Charlton Athletic
1998-99: Sunderland, Bradford City, Watford
1999-2000: Charlton Athletic, Manchester City, Ipswich Town
2000-01: Fulham, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers
2001-02; Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City
2002-03: Portsmouth, Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers
2003-04: Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion, Crystal Palace
2004-05: Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United
2005-06: Reading, Sheffield United, Watford
2006-07: Sunderland, Birmingham City, Derby County
2007-08: West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City, Hull City
2008-09: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Burnley
2009-10: Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, Blackpool
2010-11: Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Swansea City
2011-12: Reading, Southampton, West Ham United
2012-13: Cardiff City, Hull City, Crystal Palace
2013-14: Leicester City, Burnley, Queens Park Rangers
2014-15: Bournemouth, Watford, Norwich City
2015-16: Burnley, Middlesbrough, Hull City
2016-17: Newcastle United, Brighton and Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town
2017-18: Wolverhampton Wanderers, Cardiff City, Fulham
2018-19: Norwich City, Sheffield United, Aston Villa
2019-20: Leeds United, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham
2020-21: Norwich City, Watford, Brentford
2021-22: Fulham, Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest
2022-23: Sheffield United, Burnley, Luton Town
2023-24: Leicester City, Ipswich Town, Southampton

List of Championship playoff promotional finals

1987: Charlton Athletic 1-1, 2-1 Leeds United (replay)

1988: Middlesbrough 2-1 Chelsea (two legs)

1989: Crystal Palace 4-3 Blackburn Rovers (two legs)

1990: Swindon Town 1-0 Sunderland

1991: Notts County 3-1 Brighton and Hove Albion

1992: Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Leicester City

1993: Swindon Town 4-3 Leicester City

1994: Leicester City 2-1 Derby County

1995: Bolton Wanderers 4-3 Reading

1996: Leicester City 2-1 Crystal Palace

1997: Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United

1998: Charlton Athletic 4-4 (7-6 pens) Sunderland

1999: Watford 2-0 Bolton Wanderers

2000: Ipswich Town 4-2 Barnsley

2001: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Preston North End

2002: Birmingham City 1-1 (4-2 pens) Norwich City

2003: Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 Sheffield United

2004: Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham United

2005: West Ham United 1-0 Preston North End

2006: Watford 3-0 Leeds United

2007: Derby County 1-0 West Bromwich Albion

2008: Hull City 1-0 Bristol City

2009: Burnley 1-0 Sheffield United

2010: Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff City

2011: Swansea City 4-2 Reading

2012: West Ham United 2-1 Blackpool

2013: Crystal Palace 1-0 (aet) Watford

2014: Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Derby County

2015: Norwich City 2-0 Middlesbrough

2016: Hull City 1-0 Sheffield Wednesday

2017: Huddersfield Town 0-0 (4-3 pens) Reading

2018: Fulham 1-0 Aston Villa

2019: Aston Villa 2-1 Derby County

2020: Fulham 2-1 (aet) Brentford

2021: Brentford 2-0 Swansea City

2022: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Huddersfield Town

2023: Luton Town 1-1 (6-5 pens) Coventry City

2024: Southampton 1-0 Leeds United