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
Charlton Athletic 1–2 Crystal Palace
Newton  1' Brown  65'
Veart  71'
Attendance: 14,618
Referee: John Kirkby
Leicester City 0–0 Stoke City
Attendance: 20,325
Referee: William Burns
Second leg
Crystal Palace 1–0 Charlton Athletic
Houghton  4'
Attendance: 22,880

Crystal Palace won 3–1 on aggregate.

Stoke City 0–1 Leicester City
Parker  46'
Attendance: 21,037
Referee: Gurnam Singh

Leicester City won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final

Crystal Palace 1–2 (a.e.t.) Leicester City
Roberts  14' Parker  76' (pen.)
Claridge  120'
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
Bradford City 0–2 Blackpool
Bonner  72'
Ellis  78'
Attendance: 14,273
Crewe Alexandra 2–2 Notts County
Little  3'
Rivers  17'		 Finnan  55'
Martindale  90'
Attendance: 4,931
Referee: David Allison
Second leg
Blackpool 0–3 Bradford City
Shutt  39'
Hamilton  68'
Stallard  78'
Attendance: 9,593
Referee: William Burns

Bradford City won 3–2 on aggregate.

Notts County 1–0 Crewe Alexandra
Martindale  61'
Attendance: 9,640
Referee: Kevin Lynch

Notts County won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

Bradford City 2–0 Notts County
Hamilton  8'
Stallard  75'
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
Hereford United 1–2 Darlington
Smith  2' Gregan  27'
Blake  37'
Attendance: 6,622
Referee: Kevin Lynch
Colchester United 1–0 Plymouth Argyle
Kinsella  45'
Attendance: 6,511
Referee: Mick Pierce
Second leg
Plymouth Argyle 3–1 Colchester United
Evans  3'
Leadbitter  41'
Williams  85'		 Kinsella  66'
Attendance: 14,525
Referee: John Kirkby

Plymouth Argyle won 3–2 on aggregate.

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

Darlington won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

Darlington 0–1 Plymouth Argyle
Mauge  65'
Attendance: 43,431
Referee: William Burns
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