1999 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs
Season	1998–99
Champions	Watford; (First Division); Manchester City; (Second Division); Scunthorpe United; (Third Division)
Matches played	15
Goals scored	28 (1.87 per match)
Biggest home win	Scunthorpe 3–1 Swansea; (Third Division)
Biggest away win	None
Highest scoring	Ipswich 4–3 Bolton; (7 goals)
Highest attendance	76,935 – Gillingham v Manchester City; (Second Division final)
Lowest attendance	6,762 – Wigan v Manchester City; (Second Division semi-final)
Average attendance	24,837
	← 1998 2000 →

The Football League play-offs for the 1998–99 season were held in May 1999, with the finals taking place at the old Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and 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 went 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, Ipswich Town, who were aiming to return to the top flight after a 4-year absence, finished one point behind second placed Bradford City, who in turn finished 18 points behind champions Sunderland, who returned to the top flight after being relegated two seasons previously. Birmingham City, who were aiming to return to the top flight after 13 years outside the top division, finished in fourth place in the table. Watford, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1988, finished in fifth place. Bolton Wanderers, who were aiming to return to the top flight after relegation the previous season, finished one point behind Watford in sixth place.

First Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Ipswich Town	46	25	12	9	71	42	+29	87
4	Birmingham City	46	24	10	12	88	67	+21	82
5	Watford	46	22	11	13	65	44	+21	77
6	Bolton Wanderers	46	21	13	12	69	50	+19	76

Semi-finals

First leg

16 May 1999

13:00

Bolton Wanderers	1–0	Ipswich Town
Johansen 84'

Reebok Stadium, Bolton

Attendance: 18,295

Referee: Mark Halsey

16 May 1999

13:00

Watford	1–0	Birmingham City
Ngonge 5'

Vicarage Road, Watford

Attendance: 18,535

Referee: Clive Wilkes

Second leg

19 May 1999

19:45

Ipswich Town	4–3 (a.e.t.)	Bolton Wanderers
Holland 14', 116' Dyer 52', 90'		Taylor 51', 96' Frandsen 84'

Portman Road, Ipswich

Attendance: 21,755

Referee: John Kirkby

Ipswich Town 4–4 Bolton Wanderers on aggregate. Bolton Wanderers won on away goals.

20 May 1999

19:45

Birmingham City	1–0 (a.e.t.)	Watford
Adebola 2'	Report
Penalties
Furlong Grainger Rowett Bradbury Hughes Purse Poole Holland	6–7	Kennedy Palmer Johnson Bazeley Mooney Page Smart Hazan

St Andrew's, Birmingham

Attendance: 29,100

Referee: David Pugh

Birmingham City 1–1 Watford on aggregate. Watford won 7–6 on penalties.

Final

31 May 1999

15:00

Bolton Wanderers	0–2	Watford
	Report	Wright 38' Smart 89'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 70,343

Referee: Terry Heilbron

Second Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Manchester City	46	22	16	8	69	33	+36	82
4	Gillingham	46	22	14	10	75	44	+31	80
5	Preston North End	46	22	13	11	78	50	+28	79
6	Wigan Athletic	46	22	10	14	75	48	+27	76

Semi-finals

First leg

15 May 1999

14:00

Wigan Athletic	1–1	Manchester City
Barlow 1'		Dickov 76'

Springfield Park, Wigan

Attendance: 6,762

Referee: Alan Wiley

16 May 1999

15:00

Preston North End	1–1	Gillingham
Eyres 54'		Taylor 79'

Deepdale, Preston

Attendance: 18,584

Referee: John Kirkby

Second leg

19 May 1999

19:45

Gillingham	1–0	Preston North End
Hessenthaler 2'

Priestfield Stadium, Gillingham

Attendance: 10,105

Referee: Mark Halsey

Gillingham won 2–1 on aggregate.

19 May 1999

19:45

Manchester City	1–0	Wigan Athletic
Goater 27'

Maine Road, Manchester

Attendance: 31,305

Referee: Terry Heilbron

Manchester City won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

30 May 1999

15:00

Gillingham	2–2 (a.e.t.)	Manchester City
Asaba 82' Taylor 87'	Report	Horlock 90' Dickov 90+5'
Penalties
Smith Pennock Hodge Butters	1–3	Horlock Dickov Cooke Edghill

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 76,935

Referee: Mark Halsey

Third Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
4	Scunthorpe United	46	22	8	16	69	58	+11	74
5	Rotherham United	46	20	13	13	79	61	+18	73
6	Leyton Orient	46	19	15	12	68	59	0+9	72
7	Swansea City	46	19	14	13	56	48	0+8	71

Semi-finals

First leg

16 May 1999

12:30

Leyton Orient	0–0	Rotherham United

Brisbane Road, London

Attendance: 9,419

Referee: Terry Heilbron

16 May 1999

12:30

Swansea City	1–0	Scunthorpe United
Bound 44'

Vetch Field, Swansea

Attendance: 7,828

Referee: David Pugh

Second leg

19 May 1999

19:45

Rotherham United	0–0 (a.e.t.)	Leyton Orient

Penalties
Thompson Roscoe Hurst Williams	2–4	Smith Ling Morrison Lockwood

Millmoor, Rotherham

Attendance: 9,529

Referee: Clive Wilkes

Rotherham United 0–0 Leyton Orient on aggregate. Leyton Orient won 4–2 on penalties.

19 May 1999

19:45

Scunthorpe United	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Swansea City
Dawson 2' Sheldon 92', 102'		Bird 98'

Glanford Park, Scunthorpe

Attendance: 7,089

Referee: Alan Wiley

Scunthorpe United won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

29 May 1999

15:00

Leyton Orient	0–1	Scunthorpe United
	Report	Calvo García 6'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 36,985

Referee: Clive Wilkes

External links

Football League website

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