1990 Football League play-offs

April 2022 Football League play-offs 1989–90 Swindon Town(Second Division)Notts County(Third Division)Cambridge United(Fourth Division) Chesterfield 4–0 Stockport(Fourth Division) N'castle 0–2 Sunderland(Second Division)Stockport 0–2 Chesterfield(Fourth Division)Maidstone 0–2 Cambridge(Fourth Division) Chesterfield 4–0 Stockport(4 goals) 15 28 72,873 – Sunderland v Swindon(Second Division final) 5,538 – Maidstone v Cambridge(Fourth Division semi-final) 19,433 1989 1991 The Football League play-offs for the 1989–90 season were held in May 1990, 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. The 1990 play-offs finals were the first to be played at Wembley Stadium. 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 1989–90 Football League Second Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Newcastle United462214108055+25804Swindon Town462014127959+20745Blackburn Rovers461917107459+15746Sunderland462014127064+674 Semi-finals First leg 13 May 1990 12:00 Sunderland 0–0 Newcastle United Roker Park, Sunderland 26,641 Vic Callow 13 May 1990 15:00 Blackburn Rovers 1–2 Swindon Town Kennedy White Foley Ewood Park, Blackburn 15,636 Terry Holbrook Second leg 16 May 1990 19:45 Newcastle United 0–2 Sunderland Gates 13Gabbiadini 86 St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne 32,199 George Courtney Sunderland won 2–0 on aggregate. 16 May 1990 19:45 Swindon Town 2–1 Blackburn Rovers Shearer White Gayle County Ground, Swindon 12,416 John Martin Swindon Town won 4–2 on aggregate. Final 1990 Football League Second Division play-off final 28 May 1990 15:00 Sunderland 0–1 Swindon Town Bennett 25 o.g. Wembley Stadium, London 72,873 John Martin Demotion Although they won the promotion play-offs, Swindon Town did not compete in the First Division during the following season. During the 1989–90 season the club was charged with 36 breaches of Football League regulations – 35 of which related to illegal payments made to players between 1985 and 1989. A hearing to decide the club's fate was scheduled for 4 May – before the play-offs began – but this was postponed on legal advice just days before it was due when Swindon chairman Brian Hillier, club accountant Vince Farrar and former team manager Lou Macari were charged by police for "intent to defraud Inland Revenue by making payments without deducting tax or NI". (In July 1992 both Hillier and Farrar were found guilty of these charges, while Macari was cleared). Hillier and Macari had already been punished by the FA in February 1990 for their involvement in a £6,500 bet being placed on Swindon losing to Newcastle United in a tie during the 1987–88 FA Cup. The bet was successful and netted £4,000 winnings. As this activity ran counter to FA rules that forbid any bets by club officials or players on their own team, both were found guilty. Hillier was given a six-month suspension from football, but after he (unsuccessfully) appealed, the FA increased it to three years. Macari was fined £1,000 (upheld after his own appeal), and Swindon Town given a £7,500 fine. At a Football League hearing on 7 June, Swindon pleaded guilty to all 36 charges against them and admitted a further twenty. The league decreed that the club would be denied promotion and instead demoted to the Third Division. Six days later, it was announced that losing play-off finalists Sunderland would be instead promoted to the First Division. This was controversial as Newcastle felt that as they had finished third, three places above bitter rivals Sunderland, they should have been promoted instead. The FA's decision stood and Sunderland were promoted. Swindon launched a High Court appeal against the Football League's double demotion, claiming it to be "harsh, oppressive and disproportionate to previous penalties". However, within days they dropped this action and instead appealed directly to the FA. On 2 July an FA Appeal Panel reduced the punishment to the club simply remaining in the Second Division; Tranmere Rovers – the losing play-off finalists in the Third Division – who were to have replaced Swindon in the second level were therefore denied promotion. Third Division 1989–90 Football League Third Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Notts County46251297353+20874Tranmere Rovers462311128649+37805Bury462111147049+21746Bolton Wanderers461815135948+1169 Semi-finals First leg 13 May 1990 15:00 Bolton Wanderers 1–1 Notts County Philliskirk pen. Lund Burnden Park, Bolton 15,108 13 May 1990 15:00 Bury 0–0 Tranmere Rovers Gigg Lane, Bury 7,019 Second leg 16 May 1990 19:30 Tranmere Rovers 2–0 Bury Malkin Muir Prenton Park, Birkenhead 10,343 Tranmere Rovers won 2–0 on aggregate. 16 May 1990 19:45 Notts County 2–0 Bolton Wanderers Johnson Bartlett Meadow Lane, Nottingham 15,200 Notts County won 3–1 on aggregate. Final 1990 Football League Third Division play-off final 27 May 1990 15:00 Notts County 2–0 Tranmere Rovers Johnson 30Short 62 Wembley Stadium, London 29,252 Roger Milford Fourth Division 1989–90 Football League Fourth Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points4Stockport County462111146862+6745Maidstone United46227177761+16736Cambridge United462110157666+10737Chesterfield461914136350+1371 Semi-finals First leg 13 May 1990 12:00 Cambridge United 1–1 Maidstone United Cheetham pen. Gall Abbey Stadium, Cambridge 8,277 13 May 1990 12:00 Chesterfield 4–0 Stockport County Plummer Ryan Saltergate, Chesterfield 7,264 Second leg 16 May 1990 19:30 Stockport County 0–2 Chesterfield Plummer Chiedozie Edgeley Park, Stockport 7,339 Chesterfield won 6–0 on aggregate. 16 May 1990 20:00 Maidstone United 0–2 yes Cambridge United Dublin Cheetham pen. Watling Street, Dartford 5,538 Cambridge United won 3–1 on aggregate. Final 1990 Football League Fourth Division play-off final 26 May 1990 15:00 Cambridge United 1–0 Chesterfield Dublin 77 Wembley Stadium, London 26,404 George Courtney External links Football League website Category:English Football League play-offs Category:May 1990 sports events in the United Kingdom