2002 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs 2001–02 Birmingham City(First Division)Stoke City(Second Division)Cheltenham Town(Third Division) Norwich 3–1 Wolves(First Division) Cardiff 0–2 Stoke(Second Division) Norwich 3–1 WolvesRushden & Diamonds 2–2 RochdaleCheltenham 3–1 Rushden & Diamonds(4 goals) 15 35 71,597 – Birmingham v Norwich(First Division final) 6,015 – Rushden & Diamonds v Rochdale(Third Division semi-final) 21,859 2001 2003 The Football League play-offs for the 2001–02 season were held in May 2002, 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. 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, Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 20 years, finished 3 points behind their Black Country rivals West Bromwich Albion, who finished second and thus gained automatic promotion. Albion ended the season 10 points behind champions Manchester City, who returned to the Premier League after being relegated the previous season. Millwall who were aiming for a place in the top flight for the first time since 1990, finished in fourth place in the table. Birmingham City, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1986, finished in fifth place. Norwich City finished 1 point behind Birmingham City and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1995. First Division 2001–02 Football League First Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Wolverhampton Wanderers462511107643+33864Millwall462211136948+21775Birmingham City462113127049+21766Norwich City46229156051+975 Semi-finals First leg 28 April 2002 12:00 Birmingham City 1–1 Report Millwall Hughes 56 Dublin 80 St Andrew's, Birmingham 28,282 Anthony Bates 28 April 2002 14:30 Norwich City 3–1 Report Wolverhampton Wanderers Rivers 56McVeigh 73Mackay 90 Sturridge 22 Carrow Road, Norwich 20,127 Roger Furnandiz Second leg 1 May 2002 19:45 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–0 Report Norwich City Cooper 77 Molineux, Wolverhampton 27,418 Tony Leake Norwich City won 3–2 on aggregate. 2 May 2002 19:45 Millwall 0–1 Report Birmingham City John 90 The New Den, London 16,391 Graham Laws Birmingham City won 2–1 on aggregate. Final 2002 Football League First Division play-off final 12 May 2002 15:30 Birmingham City Norwich City 1–1 yes Report Horsfield 102 Roberts 91 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 71,597 Graham Barber John Devlin Lazaridis Carter 4–2 Roberts Mulryne Sutch Easton Second Division 2001–02 Football League Second Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Brentford462411117743+34834Cardiff City46231497550+25835Stoke City462311126740+27806Huddersfield Town462115106547+1878 Semi-finals First leg 28 April 2002 14:00 Stoke City 1–2 Report Cardiff City Burton 84 Earnshaw 12Fortune-West 59 Britannia Stadium, Stoke 21,245 Tony Leake 28 April 2002 15:00 Huddersfield Town 0–0 Report Brentford Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield 16,523 Graham Laws Second leg 1 May 2002 19:45 Brentford 2–1 Report Huddersfield Town Powell 14Owusu 46 Booth 2 Griffin Park, Brentford 11,191 Graham Barber Brentford won 2–1 on aggregate. 1 May 2002 19:45 Cardiff City 0–2 yes Report Stoke City O'Connor 90Oularé 115 Ninian Park, Cardiff 19,367 Mike Dean Stoke City won 3–2 on aggregate. Final 2002 Football League Second Division play-off final 11 May 2002 13:30 Brentford 0–2 Report Stoke City Burton 16Burgess 45 o.g. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 42,523 Graham Laws Third Division 2001–02 Football League Third Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points4Cheltenham Town462115106649+17785Rochdale462115106552+13786Rushden & Diamonds462013136953+16737Hartlepool United462011157448+2671 Semi-finals First leg 27 April 2002 15:00 Hartlepool United 1–1 Report Cheltenham Town Williams 45 Grayson 89 Victoria Park, Hartlepool 7,135 Mike Dean 27 April 2002 15:00 Rushden & Diamonds 2–2 Report Rochdale Wardley 34 Butterworth 73 McEvilly 8 Simpson 57 Nene Park, Irthlingborough 6,015 Graham Barber Second leg 30 April 2002 19:45 Cheltenham Town 1–1 yes Report Hartlepool United Williams 26 Arnison 17 Whaddon Road, Cheltenham 7,165 Andy Hall Grayson Lee Yates Duff Finnigan Alsop 5–4 Smith Stephenson Arnison Henderson Watson Humphreys Cheltenham Town 2–2 Hartlepool United on aggregate. Cheltenham Town won 5–4 on penalties. 30 April 2002 19:45 Rochdale 1–2 Report Rushden & Diamonds Peters 65 o.g. Lowe 67Hall 76 Spotland, Rochdale 8,547 Roger Furnandiz Rushden & Diamonds won 4–3 on aggregate. Final 2002 Football League Third Division play-off final 6 May 2002 15:00 Cheltenham Town 3–1 Report Rushden & Diamonds Devaney 27Alsop 49 Finnigan 80 Hall 28 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 24,368 Tony Leake External links Football League website Category:English Football League play-offs play-offs Category:May 2002 sports events in the United Kingdom