2003 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs
Season 2002–03
Champions Wolverhampton Wanderers
(First Division)
Cardiff City
(Second Division)
Bournemouth
(Third Division)
Matches played 15
Goals scored 41 (2.73 per match)
Biggest home win Lincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe
(Third Division)
Biggest away win Reading 0–1 Wolves
(First Division)
Scunthorpe 0–1 Lincoln
(Third Division)
Highest scoring Lincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe
(8 goals)
Highest attendance 69,473 – Sheffield United v Wolves
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance 5,782 – Bury v Bournemouth
(Third Division semi-final)
Average attendance 24,964
2002
2004

The Football League play-offs for the 2002–03 season were held in May 2003, 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, Sheffield United, who are aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1994, finished 12 points behind second placed Leicester City, who in turn finished 6 points behind champions Portsmouth, who returned to the top flight for the first time since 1988. Reading who are aiming for a place in the top flight for the first time in their history, finished in fourth place in the table. Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 20 years outside the top flight, finished in fifth place. Nottingham Forest finished 2 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1999.

First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Sheffield United 462311127252+2080
4Reading 46254176146+1579
5Wolverhampton Wanderers 462016108144+3776
6Nottingham Forest 462014128250+3274

Semi-finals

First leg

10 May 2003
17:30
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 Reading
Murty  75' (o.g.)
Naylor  84'
Report Forster  25'
Molineux, Wolverhampton
Attendance: 27,678
Referee: Alan Kaye
Second leg

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–1 on aggregate.


15 May 2003
19:45
Sheffield United 4–3 (a.e.t.) Nottingham Forest
Brown  60'
Kabba  68'
Peschisolido  112'
Walker  117' (o.g.)
Report Johnson  30'
Reid  58'
Page  119' (o.g.)
Bramall Lane, Sheffield
Attendance: 30,212
Referee: Peter Walton

Sheffield United won 5–4 on aggregate.

Final

Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Bristol City 462411117948+3183
4Queens Park Rangers 462411116945+2483
5Oldham Athletic 46221686838+3082
6Cardiff City 462312116843+2581

Semi-finals

First leg

10 May 2003
15:00
Cardiff City 1–0 Bristol City
Thorne  74' Report
Ninian Park, Cardiff
Attendance: 19,146
Referee: Howard Webb

Second leg

13 May 2003
19:45
Bristol City 0–0 Cardiff City
Report
Ashton Gate, Bristol
Attendance: 16,307
Referee: Jeff Winter

Cardiff City won 1–0 on aggregate.


Queens Park Rangers won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Third Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Bournemouth 462014126048+1274
5Scunthorpe United 461915126849+1972
6Lincoln City 461816124637+970
7Bury 461816125756+170

Semi-finals

First leg

10 May 2003
15:00
Bury 0–0 Bournemouth
Report
Gigg Lane, Bury
Attendance: 5,782
Referee: Jeff Winter

10 May 2003
15:00
Lincoln City 5–3 Scunthorpe United
Weaver  15'
Mayo  18'
Smith  55'
Yeo  82', 90'
Report Calvo García  26', 69'
Stanton  70'
Sincil Bank, Lincoln
Attendance: 8,902
Referee: Peter Walton
Second leg

13 May 2003
19:45
Bournemouth 3–1 Bury
O'Connor  21'
Hayter  38', 60'
Report Preece  67'
Fitness First Stadium, Bournemouth
Attendance: 7,945
Referee: Mick Fletcher

Bournemouth won 3–1 on aggregate.


Lincoln City won 6–3 on aggregate.

Final

24 May 2003
15:00
Bournemouth 5–2 Lincoln City
S. Fletcher  29'
C. Fletcher  45', 77'
Purches  56'
O'Connor  60'
Report Futcher  35'
Bailey  75'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 32,148
Referee: Alan Kaye

External links

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