Play-Off Final History & Stats

A look at the history of the Championship play-offs, including final statistics & facts, ahead of Middlesbrough v Norwich.

Championship Play-Off History

Since their introduction back in 1987, the Football League play-offs have undoubtedly heightened the excitement and anxiety that supporters go through as the season comes to an end.

Just three games stand between your club and possible promotion. Victory in a Wembley final is celebrated with unrivalled jubilation but defeat after a long gruelling campaign is met with bitter disappointment.

The Championship final is of course the most nerve-wracking of all with a place in the Promised Land of the Premier League – and the untold riches which come with it – at stake.

This match is widely regarded to be the most lucrative one-off fixture in global sport as both finalists eye a reward well in excess of £100 million for earning a place among England’s elite while the fans dream of trips to Old Trafford, Anfield and the Emirates Stadium.

Charlton Athletic were the first team to win promotion to the top-flight via the play-offs back in 1987 thanks to a 2-1 extra-time victory over Leeds United (in a replay after the initial two-leg final was drawn 1-1) but the first Wembley final was won by Swindon 1-0 against Sunderland in 1990. However, due to financial irregularities, Town were prevented from taking their place in the top division and their place was taken by Sunderland.

Blackburn Rovers were the first to gain entry to the newly-formed Premier League this way after Mike Newell gave them a 1-0 victory over Leicester City in 1992.

The 1990s produced many particularly memorable finals including Swindon Town’s epic 4-3 victory over Leicester in 1993 and two years later Bolton Wanderers came from two goals down to overcome Reading, who famously missed a penalty while leading 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, by the same scoreline after extra-time.

But perhaps the one which sticks in most supporters’ minds is the thrilling 4-4 draw between a Clive Mendonca-inspired Charlton Athletic and Sunderland in 1998 which eventually went the way of the Addicks after Michael Gray missed the only penalty in the nerve-jangling shoot-out at Wembley.

In 2000 Ipswich Town were taking part in the play-offs for the fifth time and for the fourth season in a row but had yet to reach Wembley in any of them.

But that all changed when the Tractor Boys battled past Bolton Wanderers in a highly controversial semi-final second leg which they won 5-3 after extra-time for a famous 7-5 aggregate triumph. The Trotters conceded three penalties and had two players sent off by referee Barry Knight, leaving boss Sam Allardyce fuming, but the hosts didn’t care and instead toasted hat-trick hero Jim Magilton at a raucous Portman Road.

In their first play-off final, Barnsley also pushed them to the limit but a stoppage-time goal from Martijn Reuser sealed a 4-2 victory at Wembley.

A year later it was Bolton celebrating at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium following a 3-0 win over Preston North End which was sealed by late goals from Michael Ricketts and Ricardo Gardener. Wanderers would go on to become one of the most successful teams promoted via the play-offs and during their 11-year stay in the Premier League went on to qualify for Europe on two occasions.

The 3-0 winning scoreline is the joint biggest in a final along with Wolverhampton Wanderers’ triumph over Sheffield United in 2003 and Watford’s victory over Leeds United in 2006.

Ipswich once again finished in the top six in 2004 and 2005 but on both occasions failed to get through the semi-finals which makes them the most unsuccessful play-off participants ahead of their eighth appearance this season – a Championship record.

By contrast their East Anglian rivals Norwich, who they face in the semi-finals, have only featured in the play-offs once and that ended in a final defeat to Birmingham in 2002.

Two years later the most successful play-off team of all Crystal Palace clinched promotion this way for the third time – the first being in 1989 against Blackburn and the second against Sheffield United in 1997 – when captain Neil Shipperley tapped home from close range to give Iain Dowie’s Eagles a 1-0 success over London rivals West Ham.

The Hammers got the job done the following season against Preston, who have failed in all four of their Championship play-off bids, thanks to a solitary Bobby Zamora goal.

The following years saw promotion for Watford, Derby and Hull, for whom veteran striker Dean Windass scored an emotional winning goal against Bristol City in front of the Tigers supporters.

Hull’s victory was the start of a four-year sequence in which the play-off final winners were moving up to the Premier League for the first time in their respective histories.

Burnley edged out Sheffield United 1-0 in 2009, Blackpool sunk Cardiff City 3-2 a year later and Swansea City overcame Reading 4-2 in the thrilling final of 2011 thanks largely to a Scott Sinclair hat-trick.

Ricardo Vaz Te scored a late winner to break the hearts of Blackpool, who were aiming for an instant return to the top-flight following relegation, in the 2012 final before Crystal Palace notched up their fourth play-off winners’ trophy when Kevin Phillips’ extra-time penalty game them a 1-0 victory over his former club Watford.

Phillips had been a loser in his three previous play-off finals but the 39-year struck from the spot to end Palace’s eight-year absence from the Premier League.

In 2014, Zamora was once again a play-off final hero – this time wearing the Hoops of Queens Park Rangers – as he struck a last-gasp winning goal in a 1-0 victory over Derby County.

Play-Off Final Stats

Since the current play-off format was introduced in 1988/89, the team finishing third in the second tier has been promoted most often (nine times), while the team finish fourth has been promoted on the joint-fewest occasions (five times).

However, last season, the team finishing fourth was promoted via the play-offs for the first time since 1997/98.

The side finishing in third place has won promotion via the play-offs in five of the last nine seasons.

Interestingly, of the sides who have ever participated in the play-offs at Championship level, six have never experienced the riches of the Premier League. They are Brighton, Millwall, Cambridge, Tranmere, Preston and Bristol City.

Play-Off Records at Championship Level

Most play-off promotions: 4 - Crystal Palace (1989, 1997, 2004, 2013)
Most play-off finals: 5 - Crystal Palace (1989, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2013)
Most play-off final defeats: 3 - Sheffield United (1997, 2003, 2009)
Most play-off participations: 8 - Ipswich Town
Most unsuccessful play-off participations: 7 - Ipswich Town (from 8 in total)
Teams without any unsuccessful play-off participations: Notts County (1991), Hull City (2008), Burnley (2009) and Swansea City (2011)
​Biggest aggregate win: Chelsea 6-1 Blackburn Rovers (1988); Leicester City 6-1 Cambridge United (1992); Hull City 6-1 Watford (2008)
Biggest home win: Leicester City 5-0 Cambridge United (Semi-final, 1992)
Biggest away win: Birmingham City 0–4 Barnsley (Semi-final, 2000)
Biggest win in a final: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Preston North End (2001); Sheffield United 0-3 Wolverhampton Wanderers (2003); and Leeds United 0-3 Watford (2006)
Highest scoring final: 8 goals - Charlton Athletic 4-4 Sunderland (1998)
Highest scoring play-off match: 8 goals – Charlton Athletic 4-4 Sunderland (Final, 1998); Ipswich Town 5-3 Bolton Wanderers (Semi-final, 2000)
Highest scoring tie (aggregate): 12 goals - Ipswich Town 7-5 Bolton Wanderers (2000)

Previous Championship Play-Off Final Results

Other semi-finalists in brackets

1987 - Charlton 2 Leeds 1 AET (Oldham, Ipswich)
1988 - Middlesbrough 2 Chelsea 1 aggregate (Bradford, Blackburn)
1989 - Crystal Palace 4 Blackburn 3 aggregate (Watford, Swindon)
1990 - Swindon 1 Sunderland 0 (Newcastle, Blackburn)
1991 - Notts County 3 Brighton 1 (Millwall, Middlesbrough)
1992 - Blackburn 1 Leicester 0 (Derby, Cambridge)
1993 - Swindon 4 Leicester 3 (Portsmouth, Tranmere)
1994 - Leicester 2 Derby 1 (Millwall, Tranmere)
1995 - Bolton 4 Reading 3 AET (Wolves, Tranmere)
1996 - Leicester 2 Crystal Palace 1 AET (Stoke, Charlton)
1997 - Crystal Palace 1 Sheffield United 0 (Wolves, Ipswich)
1998 - Charlton 4 Sunderland 4, Charlton won 7-6 pens (Ipswich, Sheffield United)
1999 - Watford 2 Bolton 0 (Ipswich, Birmingham)
2000 - Ipswich 4 Barnsley 2 (Birmingham, Bolton)
2001 - Bolton 3 Preston 0 (Birmingham, West Brom)
2002 - Birmingham 1 Norwich 1, Birmingham won 4-2 pens (Wolves, Millwall)
2003 - Wolves 3 Sheffield United 0 (Reading, Nottingham Forest)
2004 - Crystal Palace 1 West Ham 0 (Sunderland, Ipswich)
2005 - West Ham 1 Preston 0 (Ipswich, Derby)
2006 - Watford 3 Leeds 0 (Preston, Crystal Palace)
2007 - Derby 1 West Brom 0 (Wolves, Southampton)
2008 - Hull 1 Bristol City 0 (Crystal Palace, Watford)
2009 - Burnley 1 Sheffield United 0 (Reading, Preston)
2010 - Blackpool 3 Cardiff 2 (Nottingham Forest, Leicester)
2011 - Swansea 4 Reading 2 (Cardiff, Nottingham Forest)
2012 - West Ham 2 Blackpool 1 (Birmingham, Cardiff)
2013 - Crystal Palace 1 Watford 0 AET (Brighton, Leicester)
2014 - QPR 1 Derby 0 (Wigan, Brighton)

Middlesbrough v Norwich Opta Stats

Middlesbrough were promoted in their only previous second tier final appearance (over two legs) back in 1988 v Chelsea.

Norwich will play in the second tier play-off final for the first time since 2002, where they lost to Birmingham on penalties.

Middlesbrough won both games against Norwich this season, scoring five and conceding none.

Norwich City have won only one of their last 12 matches against Middlesbrough in all competitions (D5 L6).

Middlesbrough (22) have kept more clean sheets than any other Championship team this season (incl. play-offs).

Nathan Redmond has been involved in seven goals in his last six games for the Canaries (two goals, five assists).

No Championship midfielder has scored more goals this campaign than Bradley Johnson (15) – level with Matt Ritchie and Bakary Sako.

Middlesbrough captain Grant Leadbitter has had a hand in more goals this season than any other player at the club (21 – 11 goals, 10 assists). However, Leadbitter hasn’t found the back of the net since January 31 vs Brentford.

Aitor Karanka’s charges have won five of their last seven games, losing just once in this run.

The Canaries’ only defeat in their last 13 matches came against Middlesbrough (W8 D4).

Route To The Final

Semi-final fixtures

Brentford 1-2 Middlesbrough

Ipswich 1-1 Norwich

Middlesbrough 3-0 Brentford (Agg: 5-1)

Norwich 3-1 Ipswich (Agg: 4-2)

Norwich City

Final position: 3rd
Points: 86
Goal Difference: 40 (Goals for 88, goals against 48)

Star man: Bradley Johnson

Play-off history: This is only the second time Norwich have featured in the play-offs. Their last foray in 2002 saw them overcome Wolves 3-2 on aggregate at the semi-final stage before losing on penalties to Birmingham in the showpiece at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Middlesbrough

Final position: 4th
Points: 85
Goal Difference: 31 (Goals for 68, goals against 37)

Star man: Patrick Bamford

Play-off history: This is Middlesbrough's third appearance in the play-offs. In 1988 they beat Chelsea 2-1 on aggregate in the final while three years later they lost by the same score over two legs to Notts County in the semi-final.

Previous Meetings

Friday April 17 - Norwich 0 Middlesbrough 1 (Tettey own goal 8th minute)
Tuesday November 4 - Middlesbrough 4 Norwich 0 (Bamford 5, Leadbitter pen 33, 69, Wildschut 85)