1989 Football League play-offs

April 2022 Football League play-offs 1988–89 Crystal Palace(Second Division)Port Vale(Third Division)Leyton Orient(Fourth Division) C. Palace 3–0 Blackburn(Second Division) Fulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers(Third Division) Blackburn 3–1 C. PalaceFulham 0–4 Bristol RoversPort Vale 3–1 PrestonWrexham 3–1 Scunthorpe(4 goals) 18 38 30,000 – Crystal Palace v Blackburn(Second Division final) 4,377 – Scarborough v Leyton Orient(Fourth Division semi-final) 12,994 1988 1990 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. 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 1988–89 Football League Second Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Crystal Palace462312117149+22814Watford462212127448+26785Blackburn Rovers462211137449+15776Swindon Town462016106853+1576 Semi-finals First leg 21 May 1989 15:00 Blackburn Rovers 0–0 Watford Ewood Park, Blackburn 14,028 21 May 1989 15:00 Swindon Town 1–0 Crystal Palace Hopkins o.g. County Ground, Swindon 16,658 Second leg 24 May 1989 19:45 Watford 1–1 yes Blackburn Rovers Redfearn Garner Vicarage Road, Watford 13,852 Watford 1–1 Blackburn Rovers on aggregate. Blackburn Rovers won on away goals. 24 May 1989 20:00 Crystal Palace 2–0 Swindon Town Bright Wright Selhurst Park, London 23,677 Crystal Palace won 2–1 on aggregate. Final 1989 Football League Second Division play-off final First leg 31 May 1989 19:45 Blackburn Rovers 3–1 Crystal Palace Gayle 21 27Garner 90 McGoldrick 86 Ewood Park, Blackburn 16,421 Joe Worrall Second leg 3 June 1989 15:00 Crystal Palace 3–0 yes Blackburn Rovers Wright 17 117Madden 47 pen. Selhurst Park, London 30,000 George Courtney Crystal Palace won 4–3 on aggregate. Third Division 1988–89 Football League Third Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Port Vale462412107848+30844Fulham46229156967+2755Bristol Rovers461917106751+16746Preston North End461915127960+1972 Semi-finals First leg 21 May 1989 15:00 Bristol Rovers 1–0 Fulham Penrice Twerton Park, Bath 9,029 22 May 1989 19:45 Preston North End 1–1 Port Vale Jemson Earle Deepdale, Preston 14,321 Second leg 25 May 1989 19:30 Fulham 0–4 Bristol Rovers Clark Holloway Bailey Reece Craven Cottage, London 10,188 Bristol Rovers won 5–0 on aggregate. 25 May 1989 19:30 Port Vale 3–1 Preston North End Beckford Patterson Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent 13,416 Port Vale won 4–2 on aggregate. Final 1989 Football League Third Division play-off final First leg 31 May 1989 20:00 Bristol Rovers 1–1 Port Vale Penrice Earle 73 Twerton Park, Bath 9,042 Allan Gunn Second leg 3 June 1989 15:00 Port Vale 1–0 Bristol Rovers Earle 52 Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent 17,353 Keith Hackett Port Vale won 2–1 on aggregate. Fourth Division 1988–89 Football League Fourth Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points4Scunthorpe United462114117757+20775Scarborough462114116752+15776Leyton Orient462112138650+36757Wrexham461914137763+1471 Semi-finals First leg 21 May 1989 12:00 Leyton Orient 2–0 Scarborough Cooper Brisbane Road, London 9,298 21 May 1989 14:00 Wrexham 3–1 Scunthorpe United Wright Kearns Cowling Racecourse Ground, Wrexham 5,449 Second leg 24 May 1989 19:30 Scarborough 1–0 Leyton Orient Russell McCain Stadium, Scarborough 4,377 Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate. 25 May 1989 19:30 Scunthorpe United 0–2 Wrexham Russell Glanford Park, Scunthorpe 5,516 Wrexham won 5–1 on aggregate. Final 1989 Football League Fourth Division play-off final First leg 30 May 1989 19:45 Wrexham 0–0 Leyton Orient Racecourse Ground, Wrexham 7,915 Terry Holbrook Second leg 3 June 1989 12:00 Leyton Orient 2–1 Wrexham Harvey 45Cooper Bowden 47 Brisbane Road, London 13,355 John Martin Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate. External links Football League website uncollapsed Category:English Football League play-offs