Football League One play-offs

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The Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Coca Cola Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship.

The latest final was played in May 2008, with Doncaster beating Leeds 1-0 at Wembley.

Contents

[edit] Format

Name changes
1987 - 1992 Football League Third Division playoffs
1993 - 2004 Football League Second Division playoffs
2005 - 0000 Football League One playoffs

The current system of the League One playoffs uses two semi-finals played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following. For the two-legged semi-finals, there is no away goals advantage such as those in the knock-out rounds of European competition. The Final is played at Wembley, although from 2001 to 2006, it was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff while Wembley was being rebuilt.

Aside from the branding changes which affected English football in 1992 and 2004, the League One playoffs have also changed in format. The last alteration occurred in 1995, when the restructuring of the league meant 2nd to 5th contested the playoffs. When they started in 1987, the playoffs originally featured a second-tier team and three third-tier clubs. This format was continued for 1988, but discontinued afterwards.

The final was originally held over two legs, but both the 1987 and 1988 finals went to a third match at Selhurst Park and Fellows Park respectively. From 1990, the final has been a single-match affair, being held at Wembley, or the Millennium Stadium between 2001 and 2006.

[edit] Results

[edit] 1987

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
4th Wigan Athletic 2-3 Swindon Town 3rd 2-3 0-0
5th Gillingham 6-6 Sunderland 20th Div 2 3-2 3-4 aet

* Gillingham win on away goals

Final
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Gillingham 2-2 Swindon Town 1-0 1-2
Replay
May 29, 1987 Swindon Town 2-0 Gillingham Selhurst Park
Attendance: 18,491
Steve White 2', 65'

[edit] 1988

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
4th Notts County 2-4 Walsall 3rd 1-3 1-1
5th Bristol City 2-1 Sheffield United 21st Div 2 1-0 1-1
Final
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Bristol City 3-3 Walsall 1-3 2-0
Replay
30 May 1988 Walsall 4-0 Bristol City Fellows Park
Attendance: 13,007

[edit] 1989

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Preston North End 1-4 Port Vale 3rd 1-1 1-3
5th Bristol Rovers 5-0 Fulham 4th 1-0 4-0
Final
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Bristol Rovers 1-2 Port Vale 1-1 0-1

[edit] 1990

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Bolton Wanderers 1-3 Notts County 3rd 1-1 0-2
5th Bury 0-2 Tranmere Rovers 4th 0-0 0-2
Final
27 May 1990 Notts County 2 - 0 Tranmere Rovers Wembley
Attendance: 29,252
Tommy Johnson
Craig Short

[edit] 1991

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Brentford 2-3 Tranmere Rovers 5th 2-2 0-1
7th Bury 1-2 Bolton Wanderers 4th 1-1 0-1
Final
1 June 1991 Tranmere Rovers 1 - 0 aet Bolton Wanderers Wembley
Attendance: 30,217
Chris Malkin

[edit] 1992

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Peterborough United 4-3 Huddersfield Town 3rd 2-2 2-1
5th Stockport County 2-1 Stoke City 4th 1-0 1-1
Final
25 May 1992 Peterborough United 2 - 1 Stockport County Wembley
Attendance: 35,087
Ken Charlery 2 goals Kevin Francis

[edit] 1993

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Stockport County 1-2 Port Vale 3rd 1-1 0-1
5th Swansea City 2-3 West Bromwich Albion 4th 2-1 0-2
Final
30 May 1993 West Bromwich Albion 3 - 0 Port Vale Wembley
Attendance: 53,471
Andy Hunt
Nicky Reid
Kevin Donovan

[edit] 1994

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Burnley 3-1 Plymouth Argyle 3rd 0-0 3-1
5th York City 0-1 Stockport County 4th 0-0 0-1
Final
29 May 1994 Burnley 2 - 1 Stockport County Wembley
Attendance: 44,806
David Eyres
Gary Parkinson		 Chris Beaumont

[edit] 1995

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
4th Bristol Rovers* 1-1 Crewe Alexandra 3rd 0-0 1-1
5th Huddersfield Town 2-2 (4-3 pens) Brentford 2nd 1-1 1-1

* Bristol Rovers win on away goals

Final
28 May 1995 Huddersfield Town 2 - 1 Bristol Rovers Wembley
Attendance: 59,175
Andy Booth
Chris Billy		 Marcus Stewart

[edit] 1996

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Bradford City 3-2 Blackpool 3rd 0-2 3-0
5th Crewe Alexandra 2-3 Notts County 4th 2-2 0-1
Final
26 May 1996 Bradford City 2 - 0 Notts County Wembley
Attendance: 39,972
Des Hamilton
Mark Stallard

[edit] 1997

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Crewe Alexandra 4-3 Luton Town 3rd 2-1 2-2
5th Bristol City 2-4 Brentford 4th 1-2 1-2
Final
25 May 1997 Crewe Alexandra 1 - 0 Brentford Wembley
Attendance: 34,149
Shaun Smith 34' Report

[edit] 1998

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Fulham 1-2 Grimsby Town 3rd 1-1 0-1
5th Bristol Rovers 3-4 Northampton Town 4th 3-1 0-3
Final
24 May 1998 Grimsby Town 1 - 0 Northampton Town Wembley
Attendance: 62,988
Referee: Terry Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe)
Kevin Donovan 19' Report

[edit] 1999

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Wigan Athletic 1-2 Manchester City 3rd 1-1 0-1
5th Preston North End 1-2 Gillingham 4th 1-1 0-1
Final
30 May 1999 Manchester City 2 - 2 aet
3 - 1 pens		 Gillingham Wembley
Attendance: 76,935
Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire)
Kevin Horlock 89'
Paul Dickov 90+4'		 Report Carl Asaba 81'
Rob Taylor 86'

[edit] 2000

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Stoke City 3-5 Gillingham 3rd 3-2 0-3
5th Millwall 0-1 Wigan Athletic 4th 0-0 0-1
Final
28 May 2000 Gillingham 3 - 2 aet Wigan Athletic Wembley
Attendance: 53,764
Referee: Rob Styles, Hampshire
Pat McGibbon og 35'
Steve Butler 114'
Andy Thomson 118'		 Report Simon Haworth 59'
Stuart Barlow 99' pen

[edit] 2001

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Wigan Athletic 1-2 Reading 3rd 0-0 1-2
5th Stoke City 2-4 Walsall 4th 0-0 2-4
Final
27 May 2001 Walsall 3 - 2 aet Reading Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 50,496
Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme (Blackburn)
Don Goodman 48'
Tony Rougier 107' og
Darren Byfield 109'		 Report Jamie Cureton 31'
Martin Butler 91'

[edit] 2002

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Huddersfield Town 1-2 Brentford 3rd 0-0 1-2
5th Stoke City 3-2 Cardiff City 4th 1-2 2-0
Final
11 May 2002 Stoke City 2 - 0 Brentford Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 42,523
Referee: Graham Laws (Tyne and Wear)
Deon Burton 16'
Ben Burgess 45' og		 Report

[edit] 2003

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Cardiff City 1-0 Bristol City 3rd 1-0 0-0
5th Oldham Athletic 1-2 Queens Park Rangers 4th 1-1 0-1
Final
25 May 2003 Cardiff City 1 - 0 aet Queens Park Rangers Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 66,096
Referee: Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)
Andy Campbell 114' Report

[edit] 2004

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Hartlepool United 2-3 Bristol City 3rd 1-1 1-2
5th Swindon Town 2-2 aet (3-4 pens) Brighton & Hove Albion 4th 0-1 2-1
Final
30 May 2004 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 - 0 Bristol City Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 65,167
Referee: Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire)
Leon Knight 84' pen Report

[edit] 2005

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Hartlepool United 2-2 aet (6-5 pens) Tranmere Rovers 3rd 2-0 0-2
5th Sheffield Wednesday 3-1 Brentford 4th 1-0 2-1
Final
29 May 2005 Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 aet Hartlepool United Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 59,808
Referee: Phil Crossley (Kent)
Jon-Paul McGovern 45'
Steven MacLean 82' pen
Glenn Whelan 94'
Drew Talbot 120'		 Report Eifion Williams 47'
Jon Daly 71'

[edit] 2006

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Swansea City 3-1 Brentford 3rd 1-1 2-0
5th Barnsley 3-2 Huddersfield Town 4th 0-1 3-1
Final
27 May 2006 Barnsley 2 - 2 aet
4 - 3 pens		 Swansea City Millennium Stadium
Attendance: 55,419
Referee: Lee Mason (Lancashire)
Paul Hayes 19'
Daniel Nardiello 62'		 Report Rory Fallon 28'
Andy Robinson 40'

[edit] 2007

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Oldham Athletic 2-5 Blackpool 3rd 1-2 1-3
5th Yeovil Town 5-4 aet Nottingham Forest 4th 0-2 5-2
Final
27 May 2007 Yeovil Town 0 - 2 Blackpool Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 59,313
Referee: Andy D'Urso (Essex)
Report
More details		 Robbie Williams 43'
Keigan Parker 52'

[edit] 2008

Semi-finals
Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
6th Southend United 1-5 Doncaster Rovers 3rd 0-0 1-5
5th Leeds United 3-2 Carlisle United 4th 1-2 2-0
Final
25 May 2008 Doncaster Rovers 1 - 0 Leeds United Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 75,132
Referee: Andy D'Urso (Essex)
James Hayter - 48 minutes Report

[edit] References