2004 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 2003–04 season were held in May 2004, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs and will be contested by the teams who finish 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 will go through to the finals, with the winner of the matches gaining promotion for the following season.

Football League play-offs
Season2003–04
ChampionsCrystal Palace
(First Division)
Brighton & Hove Albion
(Second Division)
Huddersfield Town
(Third Division)
Matches played15
Goals scored35 (2.33 per match)
Biggest home winWest Ham 2–0 Ipswich
(First Division)
Biggest away winMansfield 1–3 Northampton
(Third Division)
Highest scoringCrystal Palace 3–2 Sunderland
(5 goals)
Highest attendance72,523 – Crystal Palace v West Ham
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance6,876 – Brighton v Swindon
(Second Division semi-final)
Average attendance25,911
← 2003
2005 →

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 First Division, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 7 points behind second placed West Bromwich Albion, who in turn finished 8 points behind champions Norwich City, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1995. West Ham United who are also along with Sunderland aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town who are looking for a place back in the top flight at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished level on points with Ipswich Town and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1998.

First Division
Main article: 2003–04 Football League First Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Sunderland 462213116245+1779
4West Ham United 461917107261+1174
5Ipswich Town 462110158472+1273
6Crystal Palace 462110157261+1173

Semi-finals
First leg
Crystal Palace3–2Sunderland
Shipperley  52'
Butterfield  64'
Johnson  87'		 Report Stewart  51' (pen.)
Kyle  85'
Attendance: 25,287
Referee: Richard Beeby
Ipswich Town1–0West Ham United
Bent  57' Report
Attendance: 28,435
Second leg
Sunderland2–1 (a.e.t.)Crystal Palace
Kyle  42'
Stewart  45'		 Report Powell  90'
Penalties
Oster
Smith
Babb
Robinson
Breen
McAteer
Whitley 		4–5 Johnson
Freedman
Shipperley
Popovic
Derry
Routledge
Hughes
Stadium of Light, Sunderland
Attendance: 34,536
Referee: David Pugh

Sunderland 4–4 Crystal Palace on aggregate. Crystal Palace won 5–4 on penalties.

West Ham United2–0Ipswich Town
Etherington  50'
Dailly  71'		 Report
Attendance: 34,002
Referee: Neale Barry

West Ham United won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 2004 Football League First Division play-off Final
Crystal Palace1–0West Ham United
Shipperley  62' Report
Attendance: 72,523
Referee: Graham Poll

Second Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Bristol City 462313105837+2182
4Brighton & Hove Albion 462211136443+2177
5Swindon Town 462013137658+1873
6Hartlepool United 462013137661+1573

Semi-finals
First leg
Hartlepool United1–1Bristol City
Porter  74' Report Rougier  5'
Victoria Park, Hartlepool
Attendance: 7,211
Referee: Paul Taylor
Swindon Town0–1Brighton & Hove Albion
Report Carpenter  72'
County Ground, Swindon
Attendance: 14,034
Referee: Neale Barry
Second leg
Bristol City2–1Hartlepool United
Goodfellow  88'
Roberts  90'		 Report Sweeney  63'
Attendance: 18,434
Referee: Graham Poll

Bristol City won 3–2 on aggregate.

Brighton & Hove Albion1–2 (a.e.t.)Swindon Town
Virgo  120' Report Parkin  81'
Fallon  97'
Penalties
Carpenter
Iwelumo
Piercy
Virgo 		4–3 Parkin
Heywood
Mooney
Fallon
Gurney
Attendance: 6,876
Referee: Graham Laws

Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4–3 on penalties.

Final
Brighton & Hove Albion1–0Bristol City
Knight  84' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 65,167
Referee: Richard Beeby

Third Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Huddersfield Town 462311126852+1681
5Mansfield Town 46229157662+1475
6Northampton Town 462291558510+775
7Lincoln City 461917106847+2174

Semi-finals
First leg
Lincoln City1–2Huddersfield Town
Taylor-Fletcher  51' Report Onuora  5'
Mirfin  72'
Sincil Bank, Lincoln
Attendance: 9,202
Referee: Graham Laws
Northampton Town0–2Mansfield Town
Report Day  40'
Mendes  67'
Attendance: 6,960
Referee: Mike Jones
Second leg
Huddersfield Town2–2Lincoln City
Schofield  60' (pen.)
Edwards  83'		 Report Butcher  38'
Bailey  39'
Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield
Attendance: 19,467
Referee: Mike Pike

Huddersfield Town won 4–3 on aggregate.

Mansfield Town1–3 (a.e.t.)Northampton Town
Curtis  68' Report Richards  36'
Hargreaves  42'
Smith  46'
Penalties
Corden
Lawrence
MacKenzie
D'Jaffo
Larkin 		5–4 Reeves
Smith
Reid
Sabin
Willmott
Attendance: 9,243
Referee: Phil Crossley

Mansfield Town 3–3 Northampton Town on aggregate. Mansfield Town won 5–4 on penalties.

Final
Main article: 2004 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Huddersfield Town0–0 (a.e.t.)Mansfield Town
Report
Penalties
Edwards
Schofield
Carss
Fowler 		4–1 Corden
Lawrence
MacKenzie
Attendance: 37,298
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