2004 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs 2003–04 Crystal Palace(First Division)Brighton & Hove Albion(Second Division)Huddersfield Town(Third Division) West Ham 2–0 Ipswich(First Division) Mansfield 1–3 Northampton(Third Division) Crystal Palace 3–2 Sunderland(5 goals) 15 35 72,523 – Crystal Palace v West Ham(First Division final) 6,876 – Brighton v Swindon(Second Division semi-final) 25,911 2003 2005 The Football League play-offs for the 2003–04 season were held in May 2004, 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, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 7 points behind second placed West Bromwich Albion, who in turn finished 8 points behind champions Norwich City, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1995. West Ham United who are also along with Sunderland aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town who are looking for a place back in the top flight at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished level on points with Ipswich Town and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1998. First Division 2003–04 Football League First Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Sunderland462213116245+17794West Ham United461917107261+11745Ipswich Town462110158472+12736Crystal Palace462110157261+1173 Semi-finals First leg 14 May 2004 19:45 Crystal Palace 3–2 Report Sunderland Shipperley 52Butterfield 64Johnson 87 Stewart 51 pen.Kyle 85 Selhurst Park, London 25,287 Richard Beeby 15 May 2004 12:15 Ipswich Town 1–0 Report West Ham United Bent 57 Portman Road, Ipswich 28,435 Mark Clattenburg Second leg 17 May 2004 20:00 Sunderland 2–1 yes Report Crystal Palace Kyle 42 Stewart 45 Powell 90 Stadium of Light, Sunderland 34,536 David Pugh Oster Smith Babb Robinson Breen McAteer Whitley 4–5 Johnson Freedman Shipperley Popovic Derry Routledge Hughes Sunderland 4–4 Crystal Palace on aggregate. Crystal Palace won 5–4 on penalties. 18 May 2004 19:45 West Ham United 2–0 Report Ipswich Town Etherington 50Dailly 71 Upton Park, London 34,002 Neale Barry West Ham United won 2–1 on aggregate. Final 2004 Football League First Division play-off final 29 May 2004 15:00 Crystal Palace 1–0 Report West Ham United Shipperley 62 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 72,523 Graham Poll Second Division 2003–04 Football League Second Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points3Bristol City462313105837+21824Brighton & Hove Albion462211136443+21775Swindon Town462013137658+18736Hartlepool United462013137661+1573 Semi-finals First leg 15 May 2004 18:00 Hartlepool United 1–1 Report Bristol City Porter 74 Rougier 5 Victoria Park, Hartlepool 7,211 Paul Taylor 16 May 2004 16:00 Swindon Town 0–1 Report Brighton & Hove Albion Carpenter 72 County Ground, Swindon 14,034 Neale Barry Second leg 19 May 2004 19:45 Bristol City 2–1 Report Hartlepool United Goodfellow 88 Roberts 90 Sweeney 63 Ashton Gate, Bristol 18,434 Graham Poll Bristol City won 3–2 on aggregate. 20 May 2004 19:45 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–2 yes Report Swindon Town Virgo 120 Parkin 81 Fallon 97 Withdean Stadium, Brighton 6,876 Graham Laws Carpenter Iwelumo Piercy Virgo 4–3 Parkin Heywood Mooney Fallon Gurney Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4–3 on penalties. Final 2004 Football League Second Division play-off final 30 May 2004 15:00 Brighton & Hove Albion Bristol City 1–0 Report Knight 84 pen. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 65,167 Richard Beeby Third Division 2003–04 Football League Third Division Pos PositionTeam Pld Played W Won D Drawn L Lost GF Goals for GA Goals against GD Goal difference Pts Points4Huddersfield Town462311126852+16815Mansfield Town46229157662+14756Northampton Town46229155851+7757Lincoln City461917106847+2174 Semi-finals First leg 15 May 2004 15:00 Lincoln City 1–2 Report Huddersfield Town Taylor-Fletcher 51 Onuora 5 Mirfin 72 Sincil Bank, Lincoln 9,202 Graham Laws 16 May 2004 15:00 Northampton Town 0–2 Report Mansfield Town Day 40 Mendes 67 Sixfields Stadium, Northampton 6,960 Mike Jones Second leg 19 May 2004 19:45 Huddersfield Town 2–2 Report Lincoln City Schofield 60 pen. Edwards 83 Butcher 38 Bailey 39 Alfred McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield 19,467 Mike Pike Huddersfield Town won 4–3 on aggregate. 20 May 2004 19:45 Mansfield Town 1–3 yes Report Northampton Town Curtis 68 Richards 36Hargreaves 42Smith 46 Field Mill, Mansfield 9,243 Phil Crossley Corden Lawrence MacKenzie D'Jaffo Larkin 5–4 Reeves Smith Reid Sabin Willmott Mansfield Town 3–3 Northampton Town on aggregate. Mansfield Town won 5–4 on penalties. Final 2004 Football League Third Division play-off final 31 May 2004 15:00 Huddersfield Town 0–0 yes Mansfield Town Report Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 37,298 Mark Clattenburg Edwards Schofield Carss Fowler 4–1 Corden Lawrence MacKenzie External links Football League website Category:English Football League play-offs Play Category:May 2004 sports events in the United Kingdom