1992 Football League Third Division play-off final

1992 Football League Third Division play-off Final

1991–92 Football League Third Division
Peterborough United Stockport County 2 1
Date	24 May 1992
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Referee	Martin Bodenham
Attendance	35,087
← 1991 1993 →

The 1992 Football League Third Division play-off Final was an

, respectively, in the semi-finals.

The match was refereed by Martin Bodenham in front of 35,087 spectators. The first half ended goalless but in the 52nd minute, a corner from Bobby Barnes found Ken Charlery at the near post who beat two defenders to head the ball onto the frame of the goal from where it bounced down; the linesman ruled it had crossed the line and the goal was awarded, making it 1–0 to Peterborough. Fifteen minutes later, Kevin Francis scored with a header from an Andy Preece pass, but the linesman raised his flag to signify offside and the goal was disallowed. With three minutes of the match remaining, Francis scored when Peterborough goalkeeper Fred Barber failed to catch a 15-yard (14-metre) strike from Preece. Peterborough took the lead back within two minutes, with Charlery scoring his second. A long pass from Marcus Ebdon was headed on by Charlery who ran past Tony Barras and shot past Neil Edwards in the Stockport goal.

Peterborough ended their following season in tenth position in League Division 1 (the renamed Second Division). Stockport finished their next season in sixth place in League Division 2 (the renamed Third Division) and qualified for the 1993 Football League play-offs, where they lost 2–1 on aggregate to Port Vale.

Route to the final

Stockport's opposition for their play-off semi-final was

Peterborough United faced Huddersfield Town in their semi-final, with the first leg at London Road in Peterborough on 11 May 1992. Iffy Onuora put the visitors ahead in the 28th minute from close range after Peterborough goalkeeper Fred Barber had made a double-save. Ken Charlery equalised 15 seconds after half-time and midway through the second half, Huddersfield again took the lead as David Robinson an own goal after deflecting a Phil Starbuck cross past Barber. In the final minute, Mick Halsall scored the equaliser with a shot from around 18 yards (16 metres) which went in off the underside of the crossbar; the match ended 2–2.^[5][6] The second semi-final leg was played at Leeds Road in Huddersfield three days later. Starbuck scored with a volley from a Ronnie Robinson cross to give the home side the lead in the second minute before Worrell Sterling equalised mid-way through the second half. After coming on as substitute, Steve Cooper scored a late winner for Peterborough after he dived to head in a cross from Bobby Barnes, to see them win 2–1 and progress to the final 4–3 on aggregate. The match was marred by a late pitch invasion coupled with violence outside the stadium, during which around 30 Huddersfield fans were arrested.^[7][8]

Match

Background

Stockport County had featured in the play-offs once before, a 6–0 aggregate loss to

The referee for the match was Martin Bodenham.^[14] Before the match, Halsall spoke confidently of Peterborough's chances, saying that "Wembley will suit our style ... We can run all day and hopefully run Stockport into the ground ... But they won't want to lose at Wembley twice running".^[15] Stockport's Gannon suggested the experience would stand them in good stead: "We had a chance to take in the atmosphere last week. Now it's time to play some football. We learned plenty in our first visit; it's up to us to put that into practice".^[15] Before the kick off, the Parachute Regiment's Red Devils demonstration team landed in the centre circle.^[16]

As a result of the foundation of the Premier League for the beginning of the 1992–93 football season, the lower three tiers of English football were re-branded accordingly: the Second Division became the Third Division, the Third Division was renamed the Second Division and the Fourth Division retitled the Third Division.^[17] Consequently, the winners of the final would be promoted from the Third Division to the "new" First Division.^[16]

Summary

The match kicked off around 3 p.m. on 24 May 1992 at Wembley Stadium in front of 35,087 spectators.^[14] Five minutes into the game, a cross from Barnes was headed on by Sterling, then controlled by Charlery with his chest; his shot went over the Stockport crossbar. Before half-time, Stockport's 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)-tall striker Kevin Francis won a number of corners, one of which was headed wide of the Peterborough goal by Tony Barras. The first half ended goalless.^[16]

Neither side made any changes to their personnel during the interval. In the 52nd minute, a corner from Barnes found Charlery at the near post. Charlery outjumped two defenders and headed the ball towards the goal, where it ricocheted off the top of the frame and bounced down;^[16][18] the linesman ruled it had crossed the line and the goal was awarded, making it 1–0 to Peterborough. Fifteen minutes later, Francis scored with a header from an Andy Preece pass, but the linesman deemed him offside and disallowed the goal. In the 75th minute, Peterborough made the first substitution of the game with Lee Howarth coming on to replace Steve Welsh, and a minute later, Stockport's Paul Wheeler was brought on in place of Ward. With three minutes of the match remaining, Preece struck the ball from 15 yards (14 metres). The ball went through the hands of Peterborough goalkeeper Fred Barber, and was struck by Francis to level the game. Within two minutes, however, Charlery scored his second to take the lead back for Peterborough. A long pass from Marcus Ebdon was headed on by Charlery, who ran past Barras and shot past Neil Edwards in the Stockport goal. The match ended 2–1 and Peterborough secured promotion to the newly branded League Division 1.^[16]

Details

1 Fred Barber 2 Noel Luke 3 Ronnie Robinson 4 Mick Halsall (c) 5 David Robinson 6 Steve Welsh  75' 7 Worrell Sterling 8 Marcus Ebdon 9 Tony Adcock 10 Ken Charlery 11 Bobby Barnes Substitutes: 12 Lee Howarth  75' Manager: Chris Turner

1 Neil Edwards 2 Darren Knowles 3 Lee Todd 4 David Frain 5 Tony Barras 6 Bill Williams 7 Jim Gannon 8 Peter Ward  76' 9 Kevin Francis 10 Chris Beaumont 11 Andy Preece Substitutes: 12 Paul Wheeler  76' Manager: Danny Bergara

Post-match

The Peterborough

With regard to Francis' disallowed goal, Bergara suggested the linesman had "seen a ghost ... There is no way [Francis] is offside."[11] Keith Blackmore, writing in The Times, described the match as "one of the most dramatic and controversial matches since the play-off finals moved to Wembley in 1990".^[11] Turner said: "It's a lovely thought that next year we will be playing teams like Derby and West Ham. Fifteen or sixteen months ago we were nothing. Now the Premier League is only one division away."^[11] Bergara suggested that a review system should be put in place: "I'm not criticising the referee ... he had a difficult job and everyone makes mistakes ... I think it's time we tried television replays."^[11]

Peterborough ended their following season in tenth position in League Division 1 (the renamed Second Division).^[19] Stockport finished their next season in sixth place in League Division 2 (the renamed Third Division), qualifying for the 1993 Football League play-offs, where they lost 2–1 on aggregate to Port Vale.^[20][21]

References

Bibliography

• Foster, Richard (2015). The Agony & The Ecstasy (A Comprehensive History of the Football League Play-Offs). Ockley Books.
  ISBN 978-1-910906-00-2
  .