Football League One play-offs
Encyclopedia
The Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff
matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower 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 2010, with Millwall
beating Swindon Town
1–0 at Wembley
.
The record attendance for a League One Play-off final at Wembley, was the 1999 final, when Manchester City played Gillingham and the attendance stood at 76,935. This remains the 5th highest attendance for a play-off in the whole of the football league.
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.
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Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
table to determine the third spot for promotion
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
to the second tier of English football, the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
The latest final was played in May 2010, with Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
beating Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
1–0 at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
.
The record attendance for a League One Play-off final at Wembley, was the 1999 final, when Manchester City played Gillingham and the attendance stood at 76,935. This remains the 5th highest attendance for a play-off in the whole of the football league.
Format
| Name changes | |
|---|---|
| 1987–1992 | Football League Third Division Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two... playoffs |
| 1993–2004 | Football League Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... playoffs |
| 2005 - | Football League One Football League One Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system.... 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
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
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
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
and Fellows Park
Fellows Park
Fellows Park was a football stadium in Walsall, England. It was the home ground of Walsall F.C. from 1896 till 1990, when the team moved to the Bescot Stadium....
respectively. From 1990, the final has been a single-match affair, being held at Wembley, or the Millennium Stadium between 2001 and 2006.
1987
Semi-finals|}* Gillingham win on away goals
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1988
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1989
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1990
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1991
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1992
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1993
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1994
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1995
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1996
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1997
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1998
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1999
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2000
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2001
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2002
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2003
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2004
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2005
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2006
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2007
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2008
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2009
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2010
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2011
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