The Football League play-offs for the 2012–13 season (referred to as the npower Football League Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) were held in May 2013 with all finals being staged at Wembley Stadium in London.

Football League play-offs
Season2012–13
ChampionsCrystal Palace
(Championship)
Yeovil Town
(League One)
Bradford City
(League Two)
Matches played15
Goals scored36 (2.4 per match)
Biggest home winWatford 3–1 Leicester
(Championship)
Biggest away winBurton 1–3 Bradford
(League Two)
Highest scoringBrentford 3–3 Swindon
(6 goals)
Highest attendance82,025 – Crystal Palace v Watford
(Championship Final)
Lowest attendance5,955 – Cheltenham v Northampton
(League Two semi-final)
Average attendance23,077
2012
2014

The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs, contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th-placed teams in the League Two table. The winners of the semi-finals advanced to the finals, with the winner of the final gaining promotion for the following season.

Background

edit

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.

Championship

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Watford 46 23 8 15 85 58 +27 77
4 Brighton & Hove Albion 46 19 18 9 69 43 +26 75
5 Crystal Palace 46 19 15 12 73 62 +11 72
6 Leicester City 46 19 11 16 71 48 +23 68
Semi-finals Final
        
5 Crystal Palace 0 2 2
4 Brighton & Hove Albion 0 0 0
5 Crystal Palace 1
3 Watford 0
6 Leicester City 1 1 2
3 Watford 0 3 3

Semi-finals

edit
First leg
Leicester City1–0Watford
Nugent   82' Report
Attendance: 29,650
Crystal Palace0–0Brighton & Hove Albion
Report
Attendance: 23,294

Second leg
Watford3–1Leicester City
Vydra   15', 65'
Deeney   90+7'
Report Nugent   19'
Attendance: 16,142

Watford won 3–2 on aggregate.

Brighton & Hove Albion0–2Crystal Palace
Report Zaha   69', 88'
Attendance: 29,518

Crystal Palace won 2–0 on aggregate.


Final

edit
Crystal Palace1–0 (a.e.t.)Watford
Phillips   105+1' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 82,025

League One

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Brentford 46 21 16 9 62 47 +15 79
4 Yeovil Town 46 23 8 15 71 56 +15 77
5 Sheffield United 46 19 18 9 56 42 +14 75
6 Swindon Town 46 20 14 12 72 39 +33 74

Semi-finals

edit
First leg
Sheffield United1–0Yeovil Town
McFadzean   46' Report
Attendance: 15,262
Swindon Town1–1Brentford
Luongo   70' Report O'Connor   90+4' (pen.)
Attendance: 10,595

Second leg
Yeovil Town2–0Sheffield United
Dawson   6'
Upson   85'
Report
Attendance: 8,152
Referee: Phil Gibbs

Yeovil Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

Brentford3–3 (a.e.t.)Swindon Town
A. Rooney   24' (o.g.)
Donaldson   40', 47'
Report A. Rooney   44'
Devera   57'
Flint   90+5'
Penalties
Saunders  
Hayes  
Dean  
Craig  
Forshaw  
5–4   Devera
  Flint
  Collins
  Storey
  Roberts
Attendance: 9,109
Referee: Nigel Miller

Brentford 4–4 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brentford won 5–4 on penalties.


Final

edit
Brentford1–2Yeovil Town
Dean   51' Report Madden   6'
Burn   42'
Attendance: 41,955
Referee: Andy D'Urso

League Two

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Burton Albion 46 22 10 14 71 65 +6 76
5 Cheltenham Town 46 20 15 11 58 51 +7 75
6 Northampton Town 46 21 10 15 64 55 +9 73
7 Bradford City 46 18 15 13 63 52 +11 69

Semi-finals

edit
First leg
Bradford City2–3Burton Albion
Wells   37' (pen.)
Thompson   75'
Report Zola   22', 27'
Weir   44'
Attendance: 14,657
Referee: James Adcock
Northampton Town1–0Cheltenham Town
O'Donovan   26' Report
Attendance: 6,563
Referee: Mick Russell

Second leg
Burton Albion1–3Bradford City
Maghoma   55' (pen.) Report Wells   27', 57'
Hanson   50'

Bradford City won 5–4 on aggregate.

Northampton Town won 2–0 on aggregate.


Final

edit
Bradford City3–0Northampton Town
Hanson   15'
McArdle   19'
Wells   28'
Report
Attendance: 47,127
Referee: Keith Stroud

References

edit