How much money Stockport County, Charlton Athletic or Bolton Wanderers would receive if they get promoted | OneFootball

FLW look at the earnings promoted teams from League One potentially earn.

League One has served up another captivating season, and with the promotion race now entering its final stages, Charlton Athletic, Stockport County, and Bolton Wanderers look set to battle for a play-off promotion.

Chris Davies' Birmingham City have been runaway leaders, and it would take a truly remarkable turn of events for them not to be crowned champions. Meanwhile, Wycombe Wanderers and Wrexham AFC are locked in a two-way tussle for the automatic promotion places, with the latter currently holding the upper hand.

Behind them, three teams remain in contention, and while the Addicks and the Hatters are all but certain of a top-six finish, Bolton still have plenty of work to do. The likes of Reading and Huddersfield Town will be eager to squeeze into the play-offs, with the Royals looking particularly dangerous after a series of superb recent results.

Promotion to a higher tier is, of course, a well-deserved reward for a season of hard graft, but, as is often the case in modern football, there are also financial incentives to consider.

For Bolton, Charlton, and Stockport, all three clubs are eager to secure Championship football and the substantial monetary rewards that come with it.

Championship promotion will bring in heavy payments

The EFL operates a revenue-based system where clubs earn money depending on the division they are in, with higher tiers bringing in significantly more financial rewards.

While League One and League Two operate with relatively similar figures, the leap to the Championship is substantial, which helps to explain why similar teams are often promoted from League One year after year.

This season, Bolton, Charlton and Stockport would have all received £778,500 in solidarity payments, as well as a further £920,000 via basic award payments. This totals to £1,698,500 - a figure £544,500 higher than the division below.

Looking upwards, however, if any of these teams were to earn promotion to the Championship, their financial rewards would see a dramatic increase. In the second tier, the solidarity payment rises to £5.19 million, while the basic award payment climbs to £3.12 million.

For any of these clubs, this would be a significant boost in helping them maintain their status in the tier above. The trio promoted last season - Portsmouth, Derby County, and Oxford United - are all close to achieving this goal and have been helped by the massive increase in finance.

Solidarity payments designed to reduce Premier League gap

Many will question why such a disparity exists between the Championship and the lower tiers. The reality is that the system is heavily weighted towards the top, but it is designed to bridge the financial gap between the Championship and the Premier League.

Solidarity payments come exclusively from the top flight and are intended to create a more balanced English football pyramid, allowing a wider range of teams the opportunity to secure promotion each season.

However, in practice, we often see a familiar group of promotion contenders, with clubs like Norwich City, Leeds United, Burnley, and Sheffield United regularly in the mix.

Nevertheless, the likes of Stockport, Bolton and Charlton will welcome a boosted income if they secure promotion, but the club's owners must note that they cannot rely solely on this to become a stable second-tier force.