1989 Football League Third Division play-off Final

Port Vale goalkeeper Mark Grew only conceded one goal in the final.

It was the first time either Port Vale or Bristol Rovers played a play-off final. Vale had previously posted two mid-table finishes following their promotion into the third tier in 1986. Rovers meanwhile had spent most of the decade in the third tier following relegation from the second tier in 1981. In the two league matches played between the clubs during the regular season, the two teams played out a 2–2 draw at Twerton Park in April, before Vale won the home fixture 1–0 in what was the penultimate game of the campaign. Port Vale had conceded fewer goals than any other team in the Third Division in the 1988–89 season.[7] No team in the Football League had picked up as many home league draws as Rovers, with 11, whereas only the bottom two clubs of the Third Division had won fewer home fixtures. The referee for the home match was Allan Gunn from Sussex and the referee for the away fixture was 1981 FA Cup final referee and Sheffield & Hallamshire County Football Association representative Keith Hackett.[8][9] Vale quickly sold out their 1,500 ticket allocation at the cramped Twerton Park, whilst 4,000 Rovers fans secured tickets at the more spacious Vale Park.[2] Simon Mills had to postpone his honeymoon to play in the final.[2] The second leg would be the first time Port Vale would play a competitive fixture in June.[2] Port Vale were strong favourites.[2]

The Port Vale first 11 were largely the same eleven that defeated Preston, but with Gary West starting in place of Alan Webb.[10] John Jeffers saw a good chance to open the scoring go begging on the 30th minute mark following a Darren Beckford flick-on from a corner kick.[11] It was Rovers that were the first to score; keeper Nigel Martyn smashed the ball upfield and Gary Penrice volleyed home over a stranded Mark Grew following a Devon White flick-on.[11] Futcher headed into the net just before half-time only to find his goal disallowed for offside.[11] Vale dominated the second half and it was Earle who equalised seventeen minutes from time to level the tie, heading home a Futcher cross.[11] The Vale nearly won the match in the dying moments, only for Beckford's header to be cleared off the goal-line.[11] Rovers manager Gerry Francis bemoaned Futcher being yellow-carded for an altercation with a defender when he believed a red was more appropriate, saying "It was an out and out nut!"[2]

Port Vale manager John Rudge announced an unchanged team from the eleven that held Rovers to a 1–1 draw in the first leg.[10] The first half finished goalless despite large periods of pressure from the Vale, with Martyn in fine form in the Rovers goal.[2] Martyn saved a fine 30-yard strike from Dean Glover, whilst Beckford and Earle both came close to taking the lead.[2] The second half saw the "MBE" combination pay off, resulting in a Earle headed goal in the fifty-second minute (ironically Earle would be made an MBE years later); it was his 19th goal of the season and fourth headed goal against Bristol Rovers that season.[2] The "MBE" move was a Simon Mills corner, flicked on by Beckford and knocked into the net by Earle.[12] It was to prove the only goal of the match and a good-natured pitch invasion ensued.[2]

"We practised corners for hours, and it certainly paid off. Millsy could put in a brilliant delivery and as soon as it went toward Becky I knew it was coming my way. At the end of the game it was a huge feeling of relief that we had proved a point – we were good enough for promotion. We knew as a group of players we could play at a higher level and this gave us a chance to do so. I had a great time at Vale, and this was the greatest of them all.

— Earle speaking to The Sentinel in 2009.[12]