Football League One play-offs

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.

=Format=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.

=Results=

1987

;Semi-finals* Gillingham win on away goals;Final;Replayfootballbox
date = May 291987
team1 = Swindon Town
score = 2-0
report =
team2 = Gillingham
goals1 = Steve White 2', 65'
goals2 =
stadium = Selhurst Park
attendance = 18,491
referee =

1988

;Semi-finals;Final;Replayfootballbox
date = 30 May1988
team1 = Walsall
score = 4-0
report =
team2 = Bristol City
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Fellows Park
attendance = 13,007
referee =

1989

;Semi-finals;Final

1990

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 27 May1990
team1 = Notts County
score = 2 - 0
report =
team2 = Tranmere Rovers
goals1 = Tommy Johnson
Craig Short
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 29,252
referee =

1991

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 1 June1991
team1 = Tranmere Rovers
score = 1 - 0 aet
report =
team2 = Bolton Wanderers
goals1 = Chris Malkin
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 30,217
referee =

1992

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 25 May1992
team1 = Peterborough United
score = 2 - 1
report =
team2 = Stockport County
goals1 = Ken Charlery 2 goals
goals2 = Kevin Francis
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 35,087
referee =

1993

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 30 May1993
team1 = West Bromwich Albion
score = 3 - 0
report =
team2 = Port Vale
goals1 = Andy Hunt
Nicky Reid
Kevin Donovan
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 53,471
referee =

1994

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 29 May1994
team1 = Burnley
score = 2 - 1
report =
team2 = Stockport County
goals1 = David Eyres
Gary Parkinson
goals2 = Chris Beaumont
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 44,806
referee =

1995

;Semi-finals* Bristol Rovers win on away goals;Finalfootballbox
date = 28 May1995
team1 = Huddersfield Town
score = 2 - 1
report =
team2 = Bristol Rovers
goals1 = Andy Booth
Chris Billy
goals2 = Marcus Stewart
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 59,175
referee =

1996

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 26 May1996
team1 = Bradford City
score = 2 - 0
report =
team2 = Notts County
goals1 = Des Hamilton
Mark Stallard
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 39,972
referee =

1997

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 25 May1997
team1 = Crewe Alexandra
score = 1 - 0
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=389875 Report]
team2 = Brentford
goals1 = Shaun Smith 34'
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 34,149
referee =

1998

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 24 May1998
team1 = Grimsby Town
score = 1 - 0
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=389894 Report]
team2 = Northampton Town
goals1 = Kevin Donovan 19'
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 62,988
referee = Terry Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe)

1999

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 30 May1999
team1 = Manchester City
score = 2 - 2 aet
3 - 1 pens
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=306791 Report]
team2 = Gillingham
goals1 = Kevin Horlock 89'
Paul Dickov 90+4'
goals2 = Carl Asaba 81'
Rob Taylor 86'
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 76,935
referee = Mark Halsey (Lancashire)

2000

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 28 May2000
team1 = Gillingham
score = 3 - 2 aet
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=306783 Report]
team2 = Wigan Athletic
goals1 = Pat McGibbon og 35'
Steve Butler 114'
Andy Thomson 118'
goals2 = Simon Haworth 59'
Stuart Barlow 99' pen
stadium = Wembley
attendance = 53,764
referee = Rob Styles, Hampshire

2001

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 27 May2001
team1 = Walsall
score = 3 - 2 aet
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=308239 Report]
team2 = Reading
goals1 = Don Goodman 48'
Tony Rougier 107' og
Darren Byfield 109'
goals2 = Jamie Cureton 31'
Martin Butler 91'
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 50,496
referee = Eddie Wolstenholme (Blackburn)

2002

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 11 May2002
team1 = Stoke City
score = 2 - 0
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=361428 Report]
team2 = Brentford
goals1 = Deon Burton 16'
Ben Burgess 45' og
goals2 =
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 42,523
referee = Graham Laws (Tyne and Wear)

2003

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 25 May2003
team1 = Cardiff City
score = 1 - 0 aet
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=390533 Report]
team2 = Queens Park Rangers
goals1 = Andy Campbell 114'
goals2 =
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 66,096
referee = Howard Webb (South Yorkshire)

2004

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 30 May2004
team1 = Brighton & Hove Albion
score = 1 - 0
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=427734 Report]
team2 = Bristol City
goals1 = Leon Knight 84' pen
goals2 =
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 65,167
referee = Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire)

2005

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 29 May2005
team1 = Sheffield Wednesday
score = 4 - 2 aet
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=452684 Report]
team2 = Hartlepool United
goals1 = Jon-Paul McGovern 45'
Steven MacLean 82' pen
Glenn Whelan 94'
Drew Talbot 120'
goals2 = Eifion Williams 47'
Jon Daly 71'
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 59,808
referee = Phil Crossley (Kent)

2006

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 27 May2006
team1 = Barnsley
score = 2 - 2 aet
4 - 3 pens
report = [http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=485273 Report]
team2 = Swansea City
goals1 = Paul Hayes 19'
Daniel Nardiello 62'
goals2 = Rory Fallon 28'
Andy Robinson 40'
stadium = Millennium Stadium
attendance = 55,419
referee = Lee Mason (Lancashire)

2007

;Semi-finals;Finalfootballbox
date = 27 May2007
team1 = Yeovil Town
score = 0 - 2
report = [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/6686991.stm Report]
More details
team2 = Blackpool
goals1 =
goals2 = Robbie Williams 43'
Keigan Parker 52'
stadium = Wembley Stadium
attendance = 59,313
referee = Andy D'Urso (Essex)

2008

;Semi-finals

;Finalfootballbox
date = 25 May2008
team1 = Doncaster Rovers
score = 1 - 0
report = [http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7416574.stm Report]
team2 = Leeds United
goals1 = James Hayter 48'
goals2 =
stadium = Wembley Stadium
attendance = 75,132
referee = Andy D'Urso (Essex)

=References=
* [http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PlayOffsDetail/0,,10794~523140,00.html Semi-finals results]
* [http://www.football-league.premiumtv.co.uk/page/PlayOffsDetail/0,,10794~475418,00.html Finals results]
* [http://www.soccerbase.com/cup2.sd?competitionid=148 Results and match facts]