1989 Football League play-offs explained

Season:	1988–89
Winners:	Crystal Palace (Second Division) Port Vale (Third Division) Leyton Orient (Fourth Division)
Biggest Home Win:	C. Palace 3–0 Blackburn (Second Division)
Biggest Away Win:	Fulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers (Third Division)
Highest Scoring:	Blackburn 3–1 C. Palace Fulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers Port Vale 3–1 Preston Wrexham 3–1 Scunthorpe (4 goals)
Matches:	18
Total Goals:	38
Highest Attendance:	30,000 – Crystal Palace v Blackburn (Second Division final)
Lowest Attendance:	4,377 – Scarborough v Leyton Orient (Fourth Division semi-final)
Average Attendance:	12,994
Nextseason:	1990

The Football League play-offs for the 1988–89 season were held in May 1989, with the two-legged finals taking place at the finalists home stadiums. The play-off semi-finals were also played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Second Division and Football League Third Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Fourth Division table. The winners of the semi-finals progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches either gaining promotion or avoiding relegation 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. For the first three seasons the final was played over two legs but this was changed to a single match at Wembley Stadium from 1990.

Second Division

	Team
3	Crystal Palace	46	23	12	11	71	49	+22	81
4	Watford	46	22	12	12	74	48	+26	78
5	Blackburn Rovers	46	22	11	13	74	49	+15	77
6	Swindon Town	46	20	16	10	68	53	+15	76

Semi-finals

First leg----

Second legWatford 1–1 Blackburn Rovers on aggregate. Blackburn Rovers won on away goals.----Crystal Palace won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

See main article: 1989 Football League Second Division play-off final.

First leg

Second legCrystal Palace won 4–3 on aggregate.

Third Division

	Team
3	Port Vale	46	24	12	10	78	48	+30	84
4	Fulham	46	22	9	15	69	67	+2	75
5	Bristol Rovers	46	19	17	10	67	51	+16	74
6	Preston North End	46	19	15	12	79	60	+19	72

Semi-finals

First leg----

Second legBristol Rovers won 5–0 on aggregate.----Port Vale won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

See main article: 1989 Football League Third Division play-off final.

First leg

Second legPort Vale won 2–1 on aggregate.

Fourth Division

	Team
4	Scunthorpe United	46	21	14	11	77	57	+20	77
5	Scarborough	46	21	14	11	67	52	+15	77
6	Leyton Orient	46	21	12	13	86	50	+36	75
7	Wrexham	46	19	14	13	77	63	+14	71

Semi-finals

First leg----

Second legLeyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.----Wrexham won 5–1 on aggregate.

Final

See main article: 1989 Football League Fourth Division play-off final.

First leg

Second legLeyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.

External links

• Football League website