1989 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 1988–89 season were held in May 1989, with the two-legged finals taking place at the finalists home stadiums. The play-off semi-finals were also played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Second Division and Football League Third Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Fourth Division table. The winners of the semi-finals progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches either gaining promotion or avoiding relegation for the following season.

Football League play-offs
Season1988–89
ChampionsCrystal Palace
(Second Division)
Port Vale
(Third Division)
Leyton Orient
(Fourth Division)
Matches played18
Goals scored38 (2.11 per match)
Biggest home winC. Palace 3–0 Blackburn
(Second Division)
Biggest away winFulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers
(Third Division)
Highest scoringBlackburn 3–1 C. Palace
Fulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers
Port Vale 3–1 Preston
Wrexham 3–1 Scunthorpe
(4 goals)
Highest attendance30,000 – Crystal Palace v Blackburn
(Second Division final)
Lowest attendance4,377 – Scarborough v Leyton Orient
(Fourth Division semi-final)
Average attendance12,994
← 1988
1990 →

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. For the first three seasons the final was played over two legs but this was changed to a single match at Wembley Stadium from 1990.

Second Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Crystal Palace 462312117149+2281
4Watford 462212127448+2678
5Blackburn Rovers 462211137449+1577
6Swindon Town 462016106853+1576

Semi-finals
First leg
Blackburn Rovers0–0Watford
Attendance: 14,028
Swindon Town1–0Crystal Palace
Hopkins  (o.g.)
Attendance: 16,658
Second leg
Watford1–1 (a.e.t.)Blackburn Rovers
Redfearn Garner
Attendance: 13,852

Watford 1–1 Blackburn Rovers on aggregate. Blackburn Rovers won on away goals.

Crystal Palace2–0Swindon Town
Bright
Wright
Attendance: 23,677

Crystal Palace won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1989 Football League Second Division play-off Final
First leg
Blackburn Rovers3–1Crystal Palace
Gayle  21', 27'
Garner  90'		 McGoldrick  86'
Attendance: 16,421
Referee: Joe Worrall
Second leg
Crystal Palace3–0 (a.e.t.)Blackburn Rovers
Wright  17', 117'
Madden  47' (pen.)
Attendance: 30,000

Crystal Palace won 4–3 on aggregate.

Third Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Port Vale 462412107848+3084
4Fulham 462291569670+275
5Bristol Rovers 461917106751+1674
6Preston North End 461915127960+1972

Semi-finals
First leg
Bristol Rovers1–0Fulham
Penrice
Attendance: 9,029
Preston North End1–1Port Vale
Jemson Earle
Attendance: 14,321
Second leg
Fulham0–4Bristol Rovers
Clark
Holloway
Bailey
Reece
Attendance: 10,188

Bristol Rovers won 5–0 on aggregate.

Port Vale3–1Preston North End
Beckford Patterson
Attendance: 13,416

Port Vale won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1989 Football League Third Division play-off Final
First leg
Bristol Rovers1–1Port Vale
Penrice Earle  73'
Attendance: 9,042
Referee: Allan Gunn
Second leg
Port Vale1–0Bristol Rovers
Earle  52'
Attendance: 17,353
Referee: Keith Hackett

Port Vale won 2–1 on aggregate.

Fourth Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Scunthorpe United 462114117757+2077
5Scarborough 462114116752+1577
6Leyton Orient 462112138650+3675
7Wrexham 461914137763+1471

Semi-finals
First leg
Leyton Orient2–0Scarborough
Cooper
Attendance: 9,298
Wrexham3–1Scunthorpe United
Wright
Kearns 		Cowling
Attendance: 5,449
Second leg
Scarborough1–0Leyton Orient
Russell
Attendance: 4,377

Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe United0–2Wrexham
Russell
Attendance: 5,516

Wrexham won 5–1 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1989 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
First leg
Wrexham0–0Leyton Orient
Attendance: 7,915
Second leg
Leyton Orient2–1Wrexham
Harvey  45'
Cooper 		Bowden  47'
Attendance: 13,355
Referee: John Martin

Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.

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