1996 Football League play-offs
| Season | 1995–96 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Leicester City (First Division) Bradford City (Second Division) Plymouth Argyle (Third Division) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 32 (2.13 per match) |
| Biggest home win |
Plymouth 3–1 Colchester (Third Division) |
| Biggest away win |
Blackpool 0–3 Bradford (Second Division) |
| Highest scoring |
Crewe 2–2 Notts County Plymouth 3–1 Colchester (4 goals) |
| Highest attendance |
73,573 – Crystal Palace v Leicester (First Division final) |
| Lowest attendance |
4,931 – Crewe v Notts County (Second Division semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 20,567 |
|
← 1995 1997 → | |
The Football League play-offs for the 1995–96 season were held in May 1996, with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished 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 progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these 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.
First Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 |
| 4 | Stoke City | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 73 |
| 5 | Leicester City | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 66 | 60 | +6 | 71 |
| 6 | Charlton Athletic | 46 | 17 | 20 | 9 | 57 | 45 | +12 | 71 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
Crystal Palace won 3–1 on aggregate.
Leicester City won 1–0 on aggregate.
Final
27 May 1996 15:00 |
| Crystal Palace | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Leicester City |
|---|---|---|
Roberts  14' |
Parker 76' (pen.) Claridge 120' |
Second Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Blackpool | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 82 |
| 4 | Notts County | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 63 | 39 | +24 | 78 |
| 5 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 77 | 60 | +17 | 73 |
| 6 | Bradford City | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 71 | 69 | +2 | 73 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
Bradford City won 3–2 on aggregate.
Notts County won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
Third Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 68 | 49 | +19 | 78 |
| 5 | Darlington | 46 | 20 | 18 | 8 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 78 |
| 6 | Hereford United | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 74 |
| 7 | Colchester United | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 61 | 51 | +10 | 72 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
15 May 1996 19:45 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 3–1 | Colchester United |
|---|---|---|
| Evans 3' Leadbitter 41'Williams 85' |
Kinsella 66' |
Plymouth Argyle won 3–2 on aggregate.
Darlington won 4–2 on aggregate.