1996 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs
Season 1995–96
Champions Leicester City
(First Division)
Bradford City
(Second Division)
Plymouth Argyle
(Third Division)
Matches played 15
Goals scored 32 (2.13 per match)
Biggest home win Plymouth 3–1 Colchester
(Third Division)
Biggest away win Blackpool 0–3 Bradford
(Second Division)
Highest scoring Crewe 2–2 Notts County
Plymouth 3–1 Colchester
(4 goals)
Highest attendance 73,573 – Crystal Palace v Leicester
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance 4,931 – Crewe v Notts County
(Second Division semi-final)
Average attendance 20,567
1995
1997

The Football League play-offs for the 1995–96 season were held in May 1996, with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished 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 progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches gaining promotion for the following season.

Background

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.

First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Crystal Palace 462015116748+1975
4Stoke City 462013136049+1173
5Leicester City 461914136660+671
6Charlton Athletic 46172095745+1271

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996
15:00
Charlton Athletic 1–2 Crystal Palace
Newton  1' Brown  65'
Veart  71'
The Valley, London
Attendance: 14,618
Referee: John Kirkby

12 May 1996
15:00
Leicester City 0–0 Stoke City
Filbert Street, Leicester
Attendance: 20,325
Referee: William Burns
Second leg

Crystal Palace won 3–1 on aggregate.


15 May 1996
19:45
Stoke City 0–1 Leicester City
Parker  46'
Victoria Ground, Stoke-on-Trent
Attendance: 21,037
Referee: Gurnam Singh

Leicester City won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final

27 May 1996
15:00
Crystal Palace 1–2 (a.e.t.) Leicester City
Roberts  14' Parker  76' (pen.)
Claridge  120'
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 73,573
Referee: David Allison

Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Blackpool 462313106740+2782
4Notts County 462115106339+2478
5Crewe Alexandra 46227177760+1773
6Bradford City 46227177169+273

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996
15:00
Bradford City 0–2 Blackpool
Bonner  72'
Ellis  78'
Valley Parade, Bradford
Attendance: 14,273
Referee: Terry Heilbron

12 May 1996
15:00
Crewe Alexandra 2–2 Notts County
Little  3'
Rivers  17'
Finnan  55'
Martindale  90'
Gresty Road, Crewe
Attendance: 4,931
Referee: David Allison
Second leg

15 May 1996
19:30
Blackpool 0–3 Bradford City
Shutt  39'
Hamilton  68'
Stallard  78'
Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
Attendance: 9,593
Referee: William Burns

Bradford City won 3–2 on aggregate.


15 May 1996
19:45
Notts County 1–0 Crewe Alexandra
Martindale  61'
Meadow Lane, Nottingham
Attendance: 9,640
Referee: Kevin Lynch

Notts County won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

26 May 1996
15:00
Bradford City 2–0 Notts County
Hamilton  8'
Stallard  75'
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 39,972
Referee: Gurnam Singh

Third Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Plymouth Argyle 462212126849+1978
5Darlington 46201886042+1878
6Hereford United 462014126547+1874
7Colchester United 461818106151+1072

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996
15:00
Hereford United 1–2 Darlington
Smith  2' Gregan  27'
Blake  37'
Edgar Street, Hereford
Attendance: 6,622
Referee: Kevin Lynch

12 May 1996
15:00
Colchester United 1–0 Plymouth Argyle
Kinsella  45'
Layer Road, Colchester
Attendance: 6,511
Referee: Mick Pierce
Second leg

15 May 1996
19:45
Plymouth Argyle 3–1 Colchester United
Evans  3'
Leadbitter  41'
Williams  85'
Kinsella  66'
Home Park, Plymouth
Attendance: 14,525
Referee: John Kirkby

Plymouth Argyle won 3–2 on aggregate.


15 May 1996
19:45
Darlington 2–1 Hereford United
Painter  17'
Appleby  47' (pen.)
White  65'
Feethams, Darlington
Attendance: 6,584
Referee: David Allison

Darlington won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

25 May 1996
15:00
Darlington 0–1 Plymouth Argyle
Mauge  65'
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 43,431
Referee: William Burns

External links

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