Football League Championship play-offs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Football League Championship play-offs are a series of playoff matches contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the Football League Championship table. The semi-finals are played over two legs, with 6th playing 3rd and 5th playing 4th, with the return fixtures following. The final is played at Wembley Stadium, although from 2001 to 2006, it was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff while Wembley was being rebuilt.
There is no single sporting event in the world more valuable to the winners,[1] who end up approximately £60,000,000 better off than the losers, mainly due to the increased commercial television revenue from being promoted to the Premier League.[2] However, by convention the two finalists agree that the loser will keep all the gate receipts from the game, so as to slightly soften the financial blow of missing out.[3]
The most recent final was played on 25 May 2009, with Burnley beating Sheffield United 1–0 at Wembley Stadium.
Ipswich Town have been in the Championship play-offs a record seven times: 1987, 1997–2000 inclusive, 2004, and 2005, making the final only once in 2000 when they won promotion.
Contents |
[edit] Format
| Name changes | |
|---|---|
| 1987–1992 | Football League Second Division play-offs |
| 1993–2004 | Football League First Division play-offs |
| 2005 - | Football League Championship play-offs |
Aside from the branding changes which affected English football in 1992 and 2004, the Championship play-offs have also changed in format.
When they were introduced for the 1986–87 season, the play-offs originally featured a top flight team as well as the three second tier clubs. This format was continued for the 1987–88, but discontinued afterwards to include only the four teams who finished behind the team or teams winning automatic promotion. As before, the semi-final and final were both two-legged.
Since 1989–90, the final has been a single game (contested between the winners of the semi-finals, which remain two-legged) has been held either at Wembley or the Millennium Stadium, apart from 1987, when Charlton Athletic and Leeds United could not be separated over two legs and took the tie to a third match at St. Andrews, Birmingham.
[edit] Results
[edit] 1987
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Leeds United* | 2–2 | Oldham Athletic 3rd | 1–0 | 1–2 aet |
| 5th Ipswich Town | 1–2 | Charlton Athletic 19th Div 1 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
* Leeds win on away goals
- Final
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton Athletic | 1–1 | Leeds United | 1–0 | 0–1 |
- Replay
| Charlton Athletic | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Leeds United | St. Andrews, Birmingham Attendance: 18,000 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
[edit] 1988
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Blackburn Rovers | 1–6 | Chelsea 18th Div 1 | 0–2 | 1–4 |
| 4th Bradford City | 2–3 | Middlesbrough 3rd | 2–1 | 0–2 |
- Final
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesbrough | 2–1 | Chelsea | 2–0 | 0–1 |
[edit] 1989
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Swindon Town | 1–2 | Crystal Palace 3rd | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| 5th Blackburn Rovers* | 1–1 | Watford 4th | 0–0 | 1–1 |
*Blackburn win on away goals.
- Final
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackburn Rovers | 3–4 | Crystal Palace | 3–1 | 0–3 |
[edit] 1990
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Sunderland | 2–0 | Newcastle United 3rd | 0–0 | 2–0 |
| 5th Blackburn Rovers | 2–4 | Swindon Town 4th | 1–2 | 1–2 |
- Final
| 1990-05-28 |
Swindon Town | 1 – 0 | Sunderland | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 72,873 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLoughlin |
Following successful prosecutions against Swindon Town and the club chairman, Brian Hillier, after they admitted 36 breaches of League rules - 35 of which are related to illegal payments, Swindon remained in the Second Division and Sunderland took their promotion place (see History of Swindon Town F.C.)
[edit] 1991
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Brighton and Hove Albion | 6–2 | Millwall 5th | 4–1 | 2–1 |
| 7th Middlesbrough | 1–2 | Notts County 4th | 1–1 | 0–1 |
- Final
| 1991-06-02 |
Notts County | 3 – 1 | Brighton and Hove Albion | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 59,940 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson (2) Regis |
Wilkins |
[edit] 1992
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Blackburn Rovers | 5–4 | Derby County 3rd | 4-2 | 1–2 |
| 5th Cambridge United | 1–6 | Leicester City 4th | 1–1 | 0–5 |
- Final
| 1992-05-25 |
Blackburn Rovers | 1 – 0 | Leicester City | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 68,147 Referee: George Courtney |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newell (pen) |
[edit] 1993
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Leicester City | 3–2 | Portsmouth 3rd | 1–0 | 2–2 |
| 5th Swindon Town | 5–4 | Tranmere Rovers 4th | 3–1 | 2–3 |
- Final
| 1993-05-31 |
Swindon Town | 4–3 | Leicester City | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 73,802 Referee: David Elleray |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoddle Maskell Taylor Bodin |
Joachim Walsh Thompson |
[edit] 1994
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Derby County | 5–1 | Millwall 3rd | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| 5th Tranmere Rovers | 1–2 | Leicester City 4th | 0–0 | 1–2 |
- Final
| 1994-05-30 |
Leicester City | 2 – 1 | Derby County | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 73,671 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walsh (2) | Johnson |
[edit] 1995
The play-offs in 1995 featured the teams finishing in positions 2–5; during this season the Premiership was reduced from 22 to 20 clubs, with four relegated to Division 1 and only two promoted, the champions (Middlesbrough) automatically and one other through the play-offs.
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5th Tranmere Rovers | 1–3 | Reading 2nd | 1–3 | 0–0 |
| 4th Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–3 | Bolton Wanderers 3rd | 2–1 | 0–2 |
- Final
| 29 May1995 |
Bolton Wanderers | 4 – 3 (a.e.t.) | Reading | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 64,107 Referee: Peter Foakes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coyle de Freitas Paatelainen |
(Details) | Nogan Williams Quinn |
[edit] 1996
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Charlton Athletic | 1–3 | Crystal Palace 3rd | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| 5th Leicester City | 1–0 | Stoke City 4th | 0–0 | 1–0 |
- Final
| 1996-05-27 |
Leicester City | 2 – 1 (a.e.t.) | Crystal Palace | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 73,573 Referee: David Allison |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker Claridge |
(Details) | Roberts |
[edit] 1997
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Crystal Palace | 4–3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers 3rd | 3–1 | 1–2 |
| 5th Sheffield United* | 3–3 | Ipswich Town 4th | 1–1 | 2–2 |
*Sheffield United win on away goals
- Final
| 1997-05-26 |
Crystal Palace | 1 – 0 | Sheffield United | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 64,383 Referee: Neale Barry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hopkin |
(Details) |
[edit] 1998
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Sheffield United | 2–3 | Sunderland 3rd | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| 5th Ipswich Town | 0–2 | Charlton Athletic 4th | 0–1 | 0–1 |
- Final
| 25 May1998 |
Charlton Athletic | 4 – 4 (a.e.t.) (7 – 6 pen.) |
Sunderland | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 77,739 Referee: Eddie Wolstenholme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mendonca Rufus |
(Details) | Quinn Phillips Summerbee |
[edit] 1999
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Bolton Wanderers* | 4–4 | Ipswich Town 3rd | 1–0 | 3–4 aet |
| 5th Watford | 1–1 (7–6 pen) | Birmingham City 4th | 1–0 | 0–1 aet |
* Bolton win on away goals
- Final
| 1999-05-31 |
Bolton Wanderers | 0 – 2 | Watford | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 70,343 Referee: Terry Heilbron |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Details) | Wright Smart |
[edit] 2000
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Bolton Wanderers | 5–7 | Ipswich Town 3rd | 2–2 | 3–5 aet |
| 5th Birmingham City | 2–5 | Barnsley 4th | 0–4 | 2–1 |
- Final
| 2000-05-29 |
Barnsley | 2 – 4 | Ipswich Town | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 73,427 Referee: Terry Heilbron |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wright Hignett |
(Details) | Mowbray Naylor Stewart Reuser |
[edit] 2001
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th West Bromwich Albion | 2–5 | Bolton Wanderers 3rd | 2–2 | 0–3 |
| 5th Birmingham City | 2–2 (2–4 pens) | Preston North End 4th | 1–0 | 1–2 aet |
- Final
| 2001-05-28 |
Bolton Wanderers | 3 – 0 | Preston North End | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 54,328 Referee: Uriah Rennie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Farrelly Ricketts Gardner |
(Details) |
[edit] 2002
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Norwich City | 3–2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers 3rd | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| 5th Birmingham City | 2–1 | Millwall 4th | 1–1 | 1–0 |
- Final
| 2002-05-12 |
Birmingham City | 1 – 1 (a.e.t.) (4 – 2 pen.) |
Norwich City | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 71,597 Referee: Graham Barber |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horsfield |
(Details) | Roberts |
[edit] 2003
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Nottingham Forest | 4–5 | Sheffield United 3rd | 1–1 | 3–4 |
| 5th Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3–1 | Reading 4th | 2–1 | 1–0 |
- Final
| 2003-05-26 |
Sheffield United | 0 – 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 69,473 Referee: Steve Bennett |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Details) | Kennedy Blake Miller |
[edit] 2004
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Crystal Palace | 4–4 (5–4 pens) | Sunderland 3rd | 3–2 | 1–2 aet |
| 5th Ipswich Town | 1–2 | West Ham United 4th | 1–0 | 0–2 |
- Final
| 2004-05-29 |
Crystal Palace | 1 – 0 | West Ham United | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 72,523 Referee: Graham Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipperley |
(Details) |
[edit] 2005
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th West Ham United | 4–2 | Ipswich Town 3rd | 2–2 | 2–0 |
| 5th Preston North End | 2–0 | Derby County 4th | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| 2005-05-30 |
West Ham United | 1 – 0 | Preston North End | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 70,275 Referee: Mike Riley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zamora |
(Details) |
[edit] 2006
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Crystal Palace | 0–3 | Watford 3rd | 0–3 | 0–0 |
| 5th Leeds United | 3–1 | Preston North End 4th | 1–1 | 2–0 |
- Final
| 2006-05-21 |
Leeds United | 0 – 3 | Watford | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 64,736 Referee: Mike Dean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Details) | DeMerit Sullivan Henderson |
[edit] 2007
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Southampton | 4–4 (3–4 pens) | Derby County 3rd | 1–2 | 3–2 aet |
| 5th Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–4 | West Bromwich Albion 4th | 2–3 | 0–1 |
- Final
| 2007-05-28 |
Derby County | 1 – 0 | West Bromwich Albion | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 74,993 Referee: Graham Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson |
(Details) |
[edit] 2008
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Watford | 1–6 | Hull City 3rd | 0–2 | 1–4 |
| 5th Crystal Palace | 2–4 | Bristol City 4th | 1–2 | 1–2 aet |
- Final
| 2008-05-24 |
Bristol City | 0 – 1 | Hull City | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 86,703 Referee: Alan Wiley |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windass |
[edit] 2009
- Semi-finals
| Team #1 | Agg. | Team #2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6th Preston North End | 1 – 2 | Sheffield United 3rd | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| 5th Burnley | 3 – 0 | Reading 4th | 1–0 | 2–0 |
- Final
| 2009-05-25 |
Burnley | 1-0 | Sheffield United | Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 80,518 Referee: Mike Dean |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elliott |
(Details) |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "£40m to the winner". The Independent Online Edition. http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/coca_cola/article548927.ece. Retrieved on 2007-07-29.
- ^ Cuff, Andrew. "Promotion worth £60m", "The Guardian", 3 May 2007, viewed 3 May 2007
- ^ "Losers in line for final windfall". BBC Sport. 2006-05-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/4773307.stm. Retrieved on 2008-05-18.
|
|||||||||||||

