The Football League play-offs for the 1990–91 season were held in May and June 1991, with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium. 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, the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Third Division and the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place 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 gaining promotion for the following season.
| Season | 1990–91 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Notts County (Second Division) Tranmere Rovers (Third Division) Torquay United (Fourth Division) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 36 (2.4 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Brighton 4–1 Millwall (Second Division) |
| Biggest away win | Millwall 1–2 Brighton (Second Division) |
| Highest scoring | Brighton 4–1 Millwall (5 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 59,940 – Brighton v Notts County (Second Division final) |
| Lowest attendance | 5,600 – Torquay v Burnley (Fourth Division semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 17,629 |
← 1990 1992 → | |
Second Division
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Notts County | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 76 | 55 | +21 | 80 |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 70 | 51 | +19 | 73 |
| 6 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 63 | 69 | –6 | 70 |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 66 | 47 | +19 | 69 |
Semi-finals
edit- First leg
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 4–1 | Millwall |
|---|---|---|
Barham  40'Small 53'Walker 55'Codner 60' |
Stephenson 14' |
| Middlesbrough | 1–1 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips 86' |
Turner 27' |
- Second leg
| Millwall | 1–2 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
|---|---|---|
| McGinlay 17' |
Codner 47' Robinson 72' |
Brighton & Hove Albion won 6–2 on aggregate.
| Notts County | 1–0 | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| Harding 78' |
Notts County won 2–1 on aggregate.
Final
edit| Brighton and Hove Albion | 1–3 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Wilkins 89' |
Johnson 29', 59' Regis 71' |
Third Division
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 64 | 50 | +14 | 83 |
| 5 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 64 | 46 | +18 | 78 |
| 6 | Brentford | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 59 | 47 | +12 | 76 |
| 7 | Bury | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 67 | 56 | +11 | 73 |
Semi-finals
edit- First leg
| Bury | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers |
|---|---|---|
| Lee 42' (pen.) |
Philliskirk 59' (pen.) |
| Brentford | 2–2 | Tranmere Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Evans 13' Godfrey 90' |
Cooper 52', 72' |
- Second leg
| Bolton Wanderers | 1–0 | Bury |
|---|---|---|
| Philliskirk 45' |
Bolton Wanderers won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Tranmere Rovers | 1–0 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Brannan 34' |
Tranmere Rovers won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
edit| Bolton Wanderers | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Tranmere Rovers |
|---|---|---|
| Malkin 98' |
Fourth Division
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Blackpool | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 78 | 47 | +31 | 79 |
| 6 | Burnley | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 70 | 51 | +19 | 79 |
| 7 | Torquay United | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 64 | 47 | +17 | 72 |
| 8 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 71 | 62 | +9 | 71 |
Semi-finals
edit- First leg
| Scunthorpe United | 1–1 | Blackpool |
|---|---|---|
| Lillis 77' |
Rodwell 57' |
- Second leg
| Blackpool | 2–1 | Scunthorpe United |
|---|---|---|
| Eyres 55', 66' |
Hill 38' |
Blackpool won 3–2 on aggregate.
Torquay United won 2–1 on aggregate.
