30 years of play-offs madness... two

God’s gift to Stoke

Brentford vs Stoke, 2002
Second Division play-off final

The south dressing room at the Millennium Stadium had become the sporting equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle – whichever team went in it was guaranteed not to leave their division, or leave Wales with any silverware.

Stoke and their notoriously superstitious manager Gudjon Thordarson, though, were taking no chances. A television interview room suspected of creating negative energy was replaced with a 7ft mural featuring a phoenix, a galloping horse and a glowing sun.

“I made time for myself in the dressing room and spoke to the Almighty and we sorted out the dressing room,” said the nutty Icelander. “He said to me, ‘No problem, son.’” With that kind of help Brentford didn’t stand a chance and after easing to a 2-0 victory, Stoke were on their way to the First Division. 

Imps’ five-year curse 

Bournemouth vs Lincoln, 2003
Third Division, play-off final 

Just five days before the start of the 2002/03 season Lincoln had been in administration and were favourites for relegation out of the Football League. Now they were 90 minutes from promotion, thanks in large part to super-sub Simon Yeo, who had come off the bench to score twice in the semi-final first leg. “It’s a huge achievement for us,” said Imps boss Keith Alexander. “We should be the team of the season.”

But not only did they get thrashed 5-2 in the final, it would be the first of five successive play-off appearances for Lincoln. And to the despair of their long-suffering fans, they would succeed in none of them. Andy Townsend, of the Lincoln Supporters Trust, recalls the misery. “Five years on the bounce we got to the play-offs and not once did we get promoted. I remember the first time we got there and lost to Bournemouth in the final, but in many ways that didn’t really matter – we were just thrilled to be there.

"The year that really sticks in the throat was 2005, when we lost 2-0 to Southend. It was a case of tired legs and them hitting us on the break. I don’t mind admitting there were a few tears shed over that one. By the time the fifth year rolled around, we were really thinking: ‘Do we need to go through all this again?’ I think by the end it was really affecting the players. It was more psychological than anything.”

Perhaps the best tactic would have been to just stop caring. When Millwall beat Swindon in the League One play-off final, having been play-off victims five times, they banished their hoodoo by ignoring the big occasion and treating the game as any other – even choosing to wear scruffy tracksuits.

Dowie’s day in the sun

Crystal Palace vs West Ham, 2004
First Division play-off final

“When Iain took over, promotion was a million miles away, but we kept believing,” said assistant Palace boss Kit Symons after a Wembley win over West Ham that provided the culmination of one of football’s most epic revivals. Palace were 19th when Dowie took the reins in December 2003 and now his side – courtesy of Neil Shipperley’s winner – were contemplating life among the elite of the English game. “We’re talking about teams like Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea,” said an excited Dowie. “I don’t sleep as a manager in Division One so what I’ll be like in the Premiership I really don’t know!”

It’s a dog’s life

Huddersfield vs Barnsley, 2006
League One play-off semi-final, second leg

Barnsley sub Chris Shuker stuck out a leg and Huddersfield mascot Terry the Terrier – punching the air in delight at an equaliser – hit the deck in this third-tier play-off semi. At that moment, Town’s hopes of getting one over on their Yorkshire rivals hit the skids, too. As stewards battled to contain the fracas caused by Shuker’s dog-handling skills, Barnsley scored twice to seal a final with Swansea. “I’ve had my family in my office in tears,” said Huddersfield boss Peter Jackson. Imagine the reaction back at Terry’s kennels.

Yann hits a bum note

Cardiff City vs Leicester, 2010
Championship play-off semi-final, second leg

Every player wants a song written about them, don’t they? Yann Kermorgant might beg to differ. After his limp Panenka penalty cost Leicester City a place in the Championship play-off final, Foxes fan David Henson chose to immortalise the Frenchman’s howler to the tune of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. “As I watched my TV screen, I was sure that he’d have ripped it / Could not believe what I’d seen when the stupid w***er chipped it / Confidence is one thing but you took it too far / Did someone tell you you were Eric Cantona? / What else can I say? / He was totally s*** from the start.” What else can you say, indeed?

Holloway speechless

Blackpool vs Cardiff, 2010
Championship play-off final 

Cardiff lost the match but they did achieve the unlikely feat of rendering Ian Holloway lost for words. Blackpool won 3-2 in one of the play-offs’ biggest fairy tales – a result that left the effervescent West Countryman strangely quiet. “I can’t put this achievement into words,” said a tearful Ollie. “I usually like a chat but all I can say is that I’m bursting with pride.” 

Terriers break Cherries

Huddersfield vs Bournemouth, 2011
League One play-off semi-final, second leg

Fewer than 10,000 bothered turning up for the first leg 1-1 draw at Dean Court, but those who showed up for game No.2 were glad they did... if they were a home fan, anyway. The teams traded blows in the first half at the Galpharm Stadium, but it was Huddersfield who took a half-time lead with goals from Lee Peltier and Danny Ward cancelling out Steve Lovell's equaliser. But Lovell struck again after half-time, and that's how it stayed after 90 minutes. And so to extra-time, where an 18-year-old Danny Ings headed the Cherries into a 104th-minute lead. But before referee Neil Swarbrick could blow for the interval, Huddersfield's Antony Kay struck to level things up once more.

Once again, that's how it stayed. The penalty shootout wasn't so close, though: Huddersfield netted all four of their spot-kicks, with misses from Liam Feeney and Anton Robinson meaning Bournemouth travelled home blue. Huddersfield went on to lose 3-0 in the final to Peterborough at Old Trafford, while Bournemouth... well, they'd end up having their big moment a few years later. 

Powell packs punch

Crewe Alexandra vs Cheltenham Town, 2012
League Two play-off final

Crewe had finished seventh in the League Two table, but saw off Southend 3-2 in the semi-finals and headed to Wembley in hope more than expectation against Cheltenham, who'd wiped the floor with Torquay. That hope quickly blossomed 15 minutes into the final, however, when the Railwaymen's rising midfielder Nick Powell thundered home a beauty. Crewe added a second eight minutes from time through Byron Moore. Powell joined Manchester United before he could kick a ball in League One. 

Deeney drama

Watford vs Leicester, 2013
Championship play-off semi-final, second leg

With the match poised at 2-2 on aggregate and about to enter extra-time, Leicester's Anthony Knockaert won a dubious penalty. Hornets keeper Manuel Almunia pulled off a sensational double save, allowing Watford to counter. No need to guess the rest: within 20 seconds Kasper Schmeichel had flapped at the other end, before Troy Deeney fired the Hornets to Wembley (where they lost to Crystal Palace).

Belt up, Steve

Leyton Orient 2-2 Rotherham United, 2014
League One play-off final

Rotherham had one foot in the Championship as they sought back-to-back promotions, but to make it all the way they'd have to get past an impressive Leyton Orient side who'd only just missed out on automatic promotion. At half-time in this one, it looked like their dream was over after first-half goals from Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox had given Orient a commanding 2-0 lead at Wembley. What the O's hadn't counted on was Alex Revell, Rotherham's predatory poacher who'd also netted in the semis against Preston. 

If the striker's first goal was important on 55 minutes, his second five minutes later was huge in more ways than one – a sumptuous half volley from 35 yards that's arguably one of Wembley's greatest ever goals. Millers' fans celebrated wildly, but none of them more so than boss Steve Evans, who almost lost his trousers running down the touchline like a chubby child running after the ice cream van. Rotherham won on penalties, while a miserable Orient followed up their misery with relegation to League Two in 2014/15.

Blades blunted in County Ground thriller

Swindon Town 5-5 Sheffield United, 2015
League One play-off semi-final second leg

It's accepted that second legs are usually more entertaining than the cagey ones that predede them – but Swindon and Sheffield United took that idea even further with a 10-goal thriller at the County Ground. The hosts led 2-1 from the first leg and were absolutely crusing to Wembley when Ben Gladwin's brace and Michael Smith put them 5-1 up on aggregate inside just 18 minutes of the second leg.

Even when Nathan Thompson's own goal and Chris Basham pulled two back for the Blades before half-time, Smith notched his second from the penalty spot with half an hour remaining. Steven Davies and Jonathan Obika swapped goals to make it 5-3 on the night, but Sheffield United hadn't given up and struck twice in the last two minutes of normal time to level things up. 

With nine minutes' added time they had a chance to peg back Swindon where it really mattered too, but the Robins overcame the jitters to come out clean from the most goal-laden play-off semi-final in history.

Daring Dons back where they belong

AFC Wimbledon 2-0 Plymouth Argyle, 2016
League Two play-off final 

There have been few decisions in the history of English football as controversial as the FA's backing of the proposal to move Wimbledon FC 56 miles north to Milton Keynes in May 2002. The 1988 FA Cup winners continued to play in their traditional guise until the end of the 2003/04 campaign, which saw them relegated to the third tier of the pyramid, before then becoming known as MK Dons.

By that point, most of the original club's supporters had long since diverted their allegiances to a new non-league side by the name of AFC Wimbledon. The task in front of them was a gruelling one, but the phoenix club set about trying to climb through the divisions with the ultimate aim of picking up from where they left off.

That objective was realised in the 2016 play-offs, when Neal Ardley's side won promotion to League One with victory over Plymouth at Wembley. Twelve years after Wimbledon's demotion to the third flight, the true successor side were back - and ready to face MK Dons in the league for the first time.

by

Richard Edwards