2009 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs
Season 2008–09
Champions Burnley
(Championship)
Scunthorpe United
(League One)
Gillingham
(League Two)
Matches played 15
Goals scored 23 (1.53 per match)
Biggest home win Gillingham 2–1 Rochdale
(League Two)
Biggest away win Reading 0–2 Burnley
(Championship)
Highest scoring Millwall 2-3 Scunthorpe
(5 goals)
Highest attendance 80,518 – Burnley v Sheffield United
(Championship final)
Lowest attendance 4,450 – Rochdale v Gillingham
(League Two semi-final)
Average attendance 25,298
2008
2010

The Football League play-offs for the 2008–09 season were held in May 2009, 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 Championship and League One tables, and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in League Two. The semi-final winners progressed to the finals, with the winner of each match earning promotion for the following season.

Burnley and Sheffield United contested the Championship play-off final, having defeated Reading and Preston North End respectively in the semi-finals. Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League with a 10 victory, courtesy of a goal from Wade Elliott. In the League One final, Scunthorpe United won 32 against Millwall; Leeds United and MK Dons were the other teams to reach the play-offs. In League Two, Gillingham won their semi-final against Rochdale and then secured promotion with a 10 victory against Shrewsbury, who had beaten Bury in their semi-final.

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.

In the Championship, Sheffield United, who had been relegated from the Premier League under controversial circumstances in 2007, finished 3 points behind second placed Birmingham City, who in turn had finished 7 points off the champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. Reading - who were aiming to return to the Premier League at the first attempt - were in fourth place in the table. Burnley and Preston North End were only a couple of points further back on 76 and 74 respectively. Neither of the latter had played in the Premier League before, with Preston's last spell in the top division ending in 1961. Burnley were relegated from in the top flight in 1976.

Championship

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Sheffield United 462214106439+2580
4Reading 462114117240+3277
5Burnley 462113127260+1276
6Preston North End 462111146654+1274

Semi-finals

First leg

9 May 2009
17:20
Burnley 1–0 Reading
Alexander  84' (pen.) Report
Turf Moor, Burnley
Attendance: 18,005
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Second leg

Sheffield United won 2–1 on aggregate.


12 May 2009
19:45
Reading 0–2 Burnley
Report Paterson  51'
Thompson  58'
Madejski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 19,909
Referee: Mike Riley

Burnley won 3–0 on aggregate.

Final

25 May 2009
15:00
Burnley 1–0 Sheffield United
Elliott  13' Report
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 80,518
Referee: Mike Dean

League One

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Milton Keynes Dons 46269118347+3687
4Leeds United 46266147749+2884
5Millwall 46257146353+1082
6Scunthorpe United 462210148263+1976

Semi-finals

First leg

8 May 2009
19:45
Scunthorpe United 1–1 Milton Keynes Dons
Woolford  13' Report Wilbraham  27'
Glanford Park, Scunthorpe
Attendance: 6,599
Referee: Scott Mathieson

9 May 2009
12:45
Millwall 1–0 Leeds United
Harris  71' Report
The New Den, Bermondsey
Attendance: 13,228
Referee: Clive Oliver
Second leg

14 May 2009
19:45
Leeds United 1–1 Millwall
Becchio  53' Report Abdou  74'
Elland Road, Leeds
Attendance: 37,036
Referee: Mark Halsey

Millwall won 2–1 on aggregate.


Milton Keynes Dons 1–1 Scunthorpe United on aggregate. Scunthorpe United won 7–6 on penalties.

Final

24 May 2009
13:00
Millwall 2–3 Scunthorpe United
Alexander  37', 39' Report Sparrow  6', 70'
Woolford  85'
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 59,661
Referee: Michael Oliver

League Two

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Bury 462115106343+2078
5Gillingham 462112135855+375
6Rochdale 461913147059+1170
7Shrewsbury Town 461718116144+1769

Semi-finals

First leg

7 May 2009
19:45
Shrewsbury Town 0–1 Bury
Report Ashton  81' (o.g.)
Prostar Stadium, Shrewsbury
Attendance: 8,429
Referee: Graham Laws

7 May 2009
19:45
Rochdale 0–0 Gillingham
Report
Spotland, Rochdale
Attendance: 4,450
Referee: Kevin Friend
Second leg

10 May 2009
12:00
Bury 0–1 (a.e.t.) Shrewsbury Town
Report McIntyre  88'
  Penalties  
Barry-Murphy
Jones
Racchi
Bennett
Bishop
3–4 Davies
Ashikodi
McIntyre
Worrall
Gigg Lane, Bury
Attendance: 7,673
Referee: Colin Webster

Bury 1–1 Shrewsbury Town on aggregate. Shrewsbury Town won 4–3 on penalties.


10 May 2009
18:30
Gillingham 2–1 Rochdale
Jackson  13', 58' (pen.) Report Dagnall  36'

Gillingham won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

23 May 2009
15:00
Gillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury Town
Jackson  90' Report
Wembley Stadium, London
Attendance: 53,706
Referee: Clive Oliver

References

    External links

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