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 1–0 victory, courtesy of a goal from Wade Elliott. In the League One final, Scunthorpe United won 3–2 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 1–0 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
Preston North End 1–1 Sheffield United
St Ledger  21' Report Howard  46'
Attendance: 19,840
Burnley 1–0 Reading
Alexander  84' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 18,005
Second leg
Sheffield United 1–0 Preston North End
Halford  59' Report
Attendance: 26,354
Referee: Alan Wiley

Sheffield United won 2–1 on aggregate.

Reading 0–2 Burnley
Report Paterson  51'
Thompson  58'
Attendance: 19,909
Referee: Mike Riley

Burnley won 3–0 on aggregate.

Final

Burnley 1–0 Sheffield United
Elliott  13' Report
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
Scunthorpe United 1–1 Milton Keynes Dons
Woolford  13' Report Wilbraham  27'
Attendance: 6,599
Referee: Scott Mathieson
Millwall 1–0 Leeds United
Harris  71' Report
Attendance: 13,228
Referee: Clive Oliver
Second leg
Leeds United 1–1 Millwall
Becchio  53' Report Abdou  74'
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

Millwall 2–3 Scunthorpe United
Alexander  37', 39' Report Sparrow  6', 70'
Woolford  85'
Attendance: 59,661

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
Shrewsbury Town 0–1 Bury
Report Ashton  81' (o.g.)
Attendance: 8,429
Referee: Graham Laws
Rochdale 0–0 Gillingham
Report
Attendance: 4,450
Referee: Kevin Friend
Second leg
Bury 0–1 (a.e.t.) Shrewsbury Town
Report McIntyre  88'
Penalties
Barry-Murphy
Jones
Racchi
Bennett
Bishop 		3–4 Davies
Ashikodi
McIntyre
Worrall
Attendance: 7,673
Referee: Colin Webster

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

Gillingham 2–1 Rochdale
Jackson  13', 58' (pen.) Report Dagnall  36'
Attendance: 9,585

Gillingham won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Gillingham 1–0 Shrewsbury Town
Jackson  90' Report
Attendance: 53,706
Referee: Clive Oliver

References

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