1993 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 1992–93 season were held in May 1993, 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.

Football League play-offs
Season1992–93
ChampionsSwindon Town
(First Division)
West Bromwich Albion
(Second Division)
York City
(Third Division)
Matches played15
Goals scored47 (3.13 per match)
Biggest home winCrewe 5–1 Walsall
(Third Division)
Biggest away winWalsall 2–4 Crewe
(Third Division)
Highest scoringLeicester 3–4 Swindon
(7 goals)
Highest attendance73,802 – Leicester v Swindon
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance6,196 – Crewe v Walsall
(Third Division semi-final)
Average attendance21,320
← 1992
1994 →

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
3Portsmouth 462610108046+3488
4Tranmere Rovers 462310137256+1679
5Swindon Town 462113127459+1576
6Leicester City 4622101471640+776

Portsmouth, whose top scorer Guy Whittingham had found the net 42 times in Division One, only missed out on automatic promotion on goal difference. Fourth placed Tranmere Rovers had recorded the highest finish of their history and had yet to play in the top flight of English football. Swindon Town, who finished fifth, had won the playoff final three years earlier but promotion was then withdrawn due to financial irregularities. The last playoff place went to the previous season's beaten finalists, Leicester City.

In the end, it was Leicester and Swindon who went through to the final. Swindon took a 3-0 lead before Leicester clawed back to make it 3-3, only for Paul Bodin to score the winner and deliver top flight football to Swindon for the first time in their history.

Glenn Hoddle's impressive two-year spell as player-manager of Swindon attracted attention of bigger clubs, and soon after this famous victory he was appointed player-manager of Chelsea, while losers Leicester had now been beaten in all of their six appearances at Wembley.

Semi-finals
First leg
Leicester City1–0Portsmouth
Joachim  86'
Attendance: 24,538
Referee: Keith Hackett
Swindon Town3–1Tranmere Rovers
Vickers  2' (o.g.)
Mitchell  3'
Maskell  27'		 Morrissey  58'
County Ground, Swindon
Attendance: 14,230
Referee: Allan Gunn
Second leg
Tranmere Rovers3–2Swindon Town
Proctor  45'
Nevin  64'
Irons  83' (pen.)		 Moncur  28'
Maskell  81'
Attendance: 16,083
Referee: Paul Durkin

Swindon Town won 5–4 on aggregate.

Portsmouth2–2Leicester City
McLoughlin  51'
Kristensen  72'		 Ormondroyd  53'
Thompson  69'
Attendance: 25,438
Referee: Roger Milford

Leicester City won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1993 Football League First Division play-off Final
Leicester City3–4Swindon Town
Joachim  57'
Walsh  68'
Thompson  69'		 Hoddle  42'
Maskell  47'
Taylor  53'
Bodin  84' (pen.)
Attendance: 73,802
Referee: David Elleray

Second Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Port Vale 46261197944+3589
4West Bromwich Albion 462510118854+3485
5Swansea City 462013136547+1873
6Stockport County 461915128157+2472

Semi-finals
First leg
Stockport County1–1Port Vale
Gannon  5' (pen.) Glover  24'
Attendance: 7,856
Referee: Alan Wilkie
Swansea City2–1West Bromwich Albion
McFarlane  50'
Hayes  65'		 McFarlane  72' (o.g.)
Attendance: 13,917
Second leg
Port Vale1–0Stockport County
Foyle  84'
Attendance: 12,689
Referee: David Elleray

Port Vale won 2–1 on aggregate.

West Bromwich Albion2–0Swansea City
Hunt  10'
Hamilton  20'
Attendance: 26,045

West Bromwich Albion won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1993 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Port Vale0–3West Bromwich Albion
Hunt  66'
Reid  82'
Donovan  90'
Attendance: 53,471
Referee: Roger Milford

Third Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4York City 46211297245+2775
5Walsall 46227137661+1573
6Crewe Alexandra 46217137556+1970
7Bury 461891563550+863

Semi-finals
First leg
Bury0–0York City
Attendance: 6,520
Crewe Alexandra5–1Walsall
Naylor  19', 39'
Clarkson  45'
Edwards  50'
Ward  83'		 Cecere  38'
Gresty Road, Crewe
Attendance: 6,196
Second leg
Walsall2–4Crewe Alexandra
Clarke  18'
O'Connor  78'		 Naylor  31', 42', 88'
Ward  77'
Attendance: 7,398

Crewe Alexandra won 9–3 on aggregate.

York City1–0Bury
Swann  59'
Attendance: 9,206

York City won 1–0 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 1993 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Crewe Alexandra1–1 (a.e.t.)York City
McKearney  119' (pen.) Swann  104'
Penalties
McKearney
Smith
Whalley
Ward 		3–5 McCarthy
Barnes
Canham
Pepper
Hall
Attendance: 22,416
Referee: Allan Gunn
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