2003 Football League play-offs

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.

Football League play-offs
Season2002–03
ChampionsWolverhampton Wanderers
(First Division)
Cardiff City
(Second Division)
Bournemouth
(Third Division)
Matches played15
Goals scored41 (2.73 per match)
Biggest home winLincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe
(Third Division)
Biggest away winReading 0–1 Wolves
(First Division)
Scunthorpe 0–1 Lincoln
(Third Division)
Highest scoringLincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe
(8 goals)
Highest attendance69,473 – Sheffield United v Wolves
(First Division final)
Lowest attendance5,782 – Bury v Bournemouth
(Third Division semi-final)
Average attendance24,964
← 2002
2004 →

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
Main article: 2002–03 Football League 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
Nottingham Forest1–1Sheffield United
Johnson  55' Report Brown  58' (pen.)
Attendance: 29,064
Wolverhampton Wanderers2–1Reading
Murty  75' (o.g.)
Naylor  84'		 Report Forster  25'
Attendance: 27,678
Referee: Alan Kaye
Second leg
Reading0–1Wolverhampton Wanderers
Report Rae  81'
Madjeski Stadium, Reading
Attendance: 24,060
Referee: Howard Webb

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–1 on aggregate.

Sheffield United4–3 (a.e.t.)Nottingham Forest
Brown  60'
Kabba  68'
Peschisolido  112'
Walker  117' (o.g.)		 Report Johnson  30'
Reid  58'
Page  119' (o.g.)
Attendance: 30,212
Referee: Peter Walton

Sheffield United won 5–4 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 2003 Football League First Division play-off Final
Sheffield United0–3Wolverhampton Wanderers
Report Kennedy  6'
Blake  22'
Miller  45'
Attendance: 69,473
Referee: Steve Bennett

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
Cardiff City1–0Bristol City
Thorne  74' Report
Attendance: 19,146
Referee: Howard Webb
Oldham Athletic1–1Queens Park Rangers
Eyres  28' Report Langley  47'
Attendance: 12,152
Referee: Steve Bennett
Second leg
Bristol City0–0Cardiff City
Report
Attendance: 16,307
Referee: Jeff Winter

Cardiff City won 1–0 on aggregate.

Queens Park Rangers1–0Oldham Athletic
Furlong  82' Report
Attendance: 17,201

Queens Park Rangers won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 2003 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Cardiff City1–0 (a.e.t.)Queens Park Rangers
Campbell  114' Report
Attendance: 66,096
Referee: Howard Webb

Third Division
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Bournemouth 462014126048+1274
5Scunthorpe United 461915126849+1972
6Lincoln City 4618161246370+970
7Bury 4618161257560+170

Semi-finals
First leg
Bury0–0Bournemouth
Report
Attendance: 5,782
Referee: Jeff Winter
Lincoln City5–3Scunthorpe 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
Bournemouth3–1Bury
O'Connor  21'
Hayter  38', 60'		 Report Preece  67'
Attendance: 7,945
Referee: Mick Fletcher

Bournemouth won 3–1 on aggregate.

Scunthorpe United0–1Lincoln City
Report Yeo  88'
Attendance: 8,295
Referee: Steve Bennett

Lincoln City won 6–3 on aggregate.

Final
Main article: 2003 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Bournemouth5–2Lincoln City
S. Fletcher  29'
C. Fletcher  45', 77'
Purches  56'
O'Connor  60'		 Report Futcher  35'
Bailey  75'
Attendance: 32,148
Referee: Alan Kaye
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