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

Main article: 1995–96 Football League First Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Crystal Palace	46	20	15	11	67	48	+19	75
4	Stoke City	46	20	13	13	60	49	+11	73
5	Leicester City	46	19	14	13	66	60	0+6	71
6	Charlton Athletic	46	17	20	9	57	45	+12	71

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996

15:00

Charlton Athletic	1–2	Crystal Palace
Newton File:Soccerball shade.svg 1'	Report	Brown File:Soccerball shade.svg 65' Veart File:Soccerball shade.svg 71'

The Valley, London

Attendance: 14,618

Referee: John Kirkby

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12 May 1996

15:00

Leicester City	0–0	Stoke City

Filbert Street, Leicester

Attendance: 20,325

Referee: William Burns

Second leg

15 May 1996

19:45

Crystal Palace	1–0	Charlton Athletic
Houghton File:Soccerball shade.svg 4'	Report

Selhurst Park, London

Attendance: 22,880

Referee: Terry Heilbron

Crystal Palace won 3–1 on aggregate.

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15 May 1996

19:45

Stoke City	0–1	Leicester City
		Parker File:Soccerball shade.svg 46'

Victoria Ground, Stoke-on-Trent

Attendance: 21,037

Referee: Gurnam Singh

Leicester City won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 1996 Football League First Division play-off final

27 May 1996

15:00

Crystal Palace	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Leicester City
Roberts File:Soccerball shade.svg 14'		Parker File:Soccerball shade.svg 76' (pen.) Claridge File:Soccerball shade.svg 120'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 73,573

Referee: David Allison

Second Division

Main article: 1995–96 Football League Second Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Blackpool	46	23	13	10	67	40	+27	82
4	Notts County	46	21	15	10	63	39	+24	78
5	Crewe Alexandra	46	22	7	17	77	60	+17	73
6	Bradford City	46	22	7	17	71	69	0+2	73

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996

15:00

Bradford City	0–2	Blackpool
		Bonner File:Soccerball shade.svg 72' Ellis File:Soccerball shade.svg 78'

Valley Parade, Bradford

Attendance: 14,273

Referee: Terry Heilbron

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12 May 1996

15:00

Crewe Alexandra	2–2	Notts County
Little File:Soccerball shade.svg 3' Rivers File:Soccerball shade.svg 17'		Finnan File:Soccerball shade.svg 55' Martindale File:Soccerball shade.svg 90'

Gresty Road, Crewe

Attendance: 4,931

Referee: David Allison

Second leg

15 May 1996

19:30

Blackpool	0–3	Bradford City
		Shutt File:Soccerball shade.svg 39' Hamilton File:Soccerball shade.svg 68' Stallard File:Soccerball shade.svg 78'

Bloomfield Road, Blackpool

Attendance: 9,593

Referee: William Burns

Bradford City won 3–2 on aggregate.

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15 May 1996

19:45

Notts County	1–0	Crewe Alexandra
Martindale File:Soccerball shade.svg 61'

Meadow Lane, Nottingham

Attendance: 9,640

Referee: Kevin Lynch

Notts County won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 1996 Football League Second Division play-off final

26 May 1996

15:00

Bradford City	2–0	Notts County
Hamilton File:Soccerball shade.svg 8' Stallard File:Soccerball shade.svg 75'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 39,972

Referee: Gurnam Singh

Third Division

Main article: 1995–96 Football League Third Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
4	Plymouth Argyle	46	22	12	12	68	49	+19	78
5	Darlington	46	20	18	8	60	42	+18	78
6	Hereford United	46	20	14	12	65	47	+18	74
7	Colchester United	46	18	18	10	61	51	+10	72

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 1996

15:00

Hereford United	1–2	Darlington
Smith File:Soccerball shade.svg 2'		Gregan File:Soccerball shade.svg 27' Blake File:Soccerball shade.svg 37'

Edgar Street, Hereford

Attendance: 6,622

Referee: Kevin Lynch

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12 May 1996

15:00

Colchester United	1–0	Plymouth Argyle
Kinsella File:Soccerball shade.svg 45'

Layer Road, Colchester

Attendance: 6,511

Referee: Mick Pierce

Second leg

15 May 1996

19:45

Plymouth Argyle	3–1	Colchester United
Evans File:Soccerball shade.svg 3' Leadbitter File:Soccerball shade.svg 41' Williams File:Soccerball shade.svg 85'		Kinsella File:Soccerball shade.svg 66'

Home Park, Plymouth

Attendance: 14,525

Referee: John Kirkby

Plymouth Argyle won 3–2 on aggregate.

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15 May 1996

19:45

Darlington	2–1	Hereford United
Painter File:Soccerball shade.svg 17' Appleby File:Soccerball shade.svg 47' (pen.)		White File:Soccerball shade.svg 65'

Feethams, Darlington

Attendance: 6,584

Referee: David Allison

Darlington won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 1996 Football League Third Division play-off final

25 May 1996

15:00

Darlington	0–1	Plymouth Argyle
		Mauge File:Soccerball shade.svg 65'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 43,431

Referee: William Burns

External links

• Football League website