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

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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

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Crystal Palace 46 23 12 11 71 49 +22 81
4 Watford 46 22 12 12 74 48 +26 78
5 Blackburn Rovers 46 22 11 13 74 49 +15 77
6 Swindon Town 46 20 16 10 68 53 +15 76

Semi-finals

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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

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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

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Port Vale 46 24 12 10 78 48 +30 84
4 Fulham 46 22 9 15 69 67 0+2 75
5 Bristol Rovers 46 19 17 10 67 51 +16 74
6 Preston North End 46 19 15 12 79 60 +19 72

Semi-finals

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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

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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

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Scunthorpe United 46 21 14 11 77 57 +20 77
5 Scarborough 46 21 14 11 67 52 +15 77
6 Leyton Orient 46 21 12 13 86 50 +36 75
7 Wrexham 46 19 14 13 77 63 +14 71

Semi-finals

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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

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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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