2004 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 2003–04 season were held in May 2004, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs and will be contested by the teams who finish in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League First Division and Football League Second Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Third Division table. The winners of the semi-finals will go through to the finals, with the winner of the matches gaining promotion for the following season.

Football League play-offs
Season2003–04
ChampionsCrystal Palace
(First Division)
Brighton & Hove Albion
(Second Division)
Huddersfield Town
(Third Division)
Matches played15
Goals scored35 (2.33 per match)
Biggest home winWest Ham 2–0 Ipswich
(First Division)
Biggest away winMansfield 1–3 Northampton
(Third Division)
Highest scoringCrystal Palace 3–2 Sunderland
(5 goals)
Highest attendance72,523 – Crystal Palace v West Ham
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance6,876 – Brighton v Swindon
(Second Division semi-final)
Average attendance25,911
2003
2005

Background

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The Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places.

In the First Division, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 7 points behind second placed West Bromwich Albion, who in turn finished 8 points behind champions Norwich City, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1995. West Ham United who are also along with Sunderland aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town who are looking for a place back in the top flight at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished level on points with Ipswich Town and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1998.

First Division

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Sunderland 46 22 13 11 62 45 +17 79
4 West Ham United 46 19 17 10 72 61 +11 74
5 Ipswich Town 46 21 10 15 84 72 +12 73
6 Crystal Palace 46 21 10 15 72 61 +11 73

Semi-finals

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First leg
Crystal Palace3–2Sunderland
Shipperley   52'
Butterfield   64'
Johnson   87'
Report Stewart   51' (pen.)
Kyle   85'
Attendance: 25,287
Referee: Richard Beeby

Ipswich Town1–0West Ham United
Bent   57' Report
Attendance: 28,435
Second leg
Sunderland2–1 (a.e.t.)Crystal Palace
Kyle   42'
Stewart   45'
Report Powell   90'
Penalties
Oster  
Smith  
Babb  
Robinson  
Breen  
McAteer  
Whitley  
4–5   Johnson
  Freedman
  Shipperley
  Popovic
  Derry
  Routledge
  Hughes
Attendance: 34,536
Referee: David Pugh

Sunderland 4–4 Crystal Palace on aggregate. Crystal Palace won 5–4 on penalties.


West Ham United2–0Ipswich Town
Etherington   50'
Dailly   71'
Report
Attendance: 34,002
Referee: Neale Barry

West Ham United won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

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Crystal Palace1–0West Ham United
Shipperley   62' Report
Attendance: 72,523
Referee: Graham Poll

Second Division

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Bristol City 46 23 13 10 58 37 +21 82
4 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 22 11 13 64 43 +21 77
5 Swindon Town 46 20 13 13 76 58 +18 73
6 Hartlepool United 46 20 13 13 76 61 +15 73

Semi-finals

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First leg
Hartlepool United1–1Bristol City
Porter   74' Report Rougier   5'
Attendance: 7,211
Referee: Paul Taylor

Swindon Town0–1Brighton & Hove Albion
Report Carpenter   72'
Attendance: 14,034
Referee: Neale Barry
Second leg
Bristol City2–1Hartlepool United
Goodfellow   88'
Roberts   90'
Report Sweeney   63'
Attendance: 18,434
Referee: Graham Poll

Bristol City won 3–2 on aggregate.


Brighton & Hove Albion1–2 (a.e.t.)Swindon Town
Virgo   120' Report Parkin   81'
Fallon   97'
Penalties
Carpenter  
Iwelumo  
Piercy  
Virgo  
4–3   Parkin
  Heywood
  Mooney
  Fallon
  Gurney
Attendance: 6,876
Referee: Graham Laws

Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4–3 on penalties.

Final

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Brighton & Hove Albion1–0Bristol City
Knight   84' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 65,167
Referee: Richard Beeby

Third Division

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Huddersfield Town 46 23 11 12 68 52 +16 81
5 Mansfield Town 46 22 9 15 76 62 +14 75
6 Northampton Town 46 22 9 15 58 51 0+7 75
7 Lincoln City 46 19 17 10 68 47 +21 74

Semi-finals

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First leg
Lincoln City1–2Huddersfield Town
Taylor-Fletcher   51' Report Onuora   5'
Mirfin   72'
Attendance: 9,202
Referee: Graham Laws

Northampton Town0–2Mansfield Town
Report Day   40'
Mendes   67'
Attendance: 6,960
Referee: Mike Jones
Second leg
Huddersfield Town2–2Lincoln City
Schofield   60' (pen.)
Edwards   83'
Report Butcher   38'
Bailey   39'
Attendance: 19,467
Referee: Mike Pike

Huddersfield Town won 4–3 on aggregate.


Mansfield Town1–3 (a.e.t.)Northampton Town
Curtis   68' Report Richards   36'
Hargreaves   42'
Smith   46'
Penalties
Corden  
Lawrence  
MacKenzie  
D'Jaffo  
Larkin  
5–4   Reeves
  Smith
  Reid
  Sabin
  Willmott
Attendance: 9,243
Referee: Phil Crossley

Mansfield Town 3–3 Northampton Town on aggregate. Mansfield Town won 5–4 on penalties.

Final

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