1997 Football League play-offs
Appearance
Season | 1996–97 |
---|---|
Champions | Crystal Palace (First Division) Crewe Alexandra (Second Division) Northampton Town (Third Division) |
Matches played | 15 |
Goals scored | 38 (2.53 per match) |
Biggest home win | Swansea 3–0 Chester (Third Division) |
Biggest away win | Bristol City 1–2 Brentford (Second Division) |
Highest scoring | Northampton 3–2 Cardiff (5 goals) |
Highest attendance | 64,383 – Crystal Palace v Sheffield United (First Division final) |
Lowest attendance | 5,104 – Chester v Swansea (Third Division semi-final) |
Average attendance | 21,403 |
← 1996 → |
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.
First Division
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 68 | 51 | +17 | 76 |
4 | Ipswich Town | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 74 |
5 | Sheffield United | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 75 | 52 | +23 | 73 |
6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 78 | 48 | +30 | 71 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
Crystal Palace | 3–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
---|---|---|
Shipperley ![]() Freedman ![]() |
Smith ![]() |
Sheffield United | 1–1 | Ipswich Town |
---|---|---|
Fjørtoft ![]() |
Stockwell ![]() |
- Second leg
Ipswich Town | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Sheffield United |
---|---|---|
Scowcroft ![]() Gudmundsson ![]() |
Walker ![]() |
Ipswich Town 3–3 Sheffield United on aggregate. Sheffield United won on away goals.
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2–1 | Crystal Palace |
---|---|---|
Atkins ![]() Williams ![]() |
Hopkin ![]() |
Crystal Palace won 4–3 on aggregate.
Final
Second Division
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Luton Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 59 | 41 | +18 | 78 |
4 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 56 | 43 | +13 | 74 |
5 | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 69 | 51 | +18 | 73 |
6 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 56 | 47 | +9 | 73 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
Bristol City | 1–2 | Brentford |
---|---|---|
Owers ![]() |
![]() |
Attendance: 15,581
Crewe Alexandra | 2–1 | Luton Town |
---|---|---|
Rivers ![]() Little ![]() |
Oldfield ![]() |
Attendance: 5,467
- Second leg
Brentford | 2–1 | Bristol City |
---|---|---|
Taylor ![]() Bent ![]() |
Barnard ![]() |
Brentford won 4–2 on aggregate.
Luton Town | 2–2 | Crewe Alexandra |
---|---|---|
Oldfield ![]() |
Little ![]() Smith ![]() |
Roy Pearson
Crewe Alexandra won 4–3 on aggregate.
Final
Brentford | 0–1 | Crewe Alexandra |
---|---|---|
Smith ![]() |
Third Division
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Northampton Town | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 44 | +23 | 72 |
5 | Swansea City | 46 | 21 | 8 | 17 | 62 | 58 | +4 | 71 |
6 | Chester City | 46 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 70 |
7 | Cardiff City | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 56 | 54 | +2 | 69 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
Cardiff City | 0–1 | Northampton Town |
---|---|---|
Parrish ![]() |
Attendance: 11,369
Chester City | 0–0 | Swansea City |
---|---|---|
Attendance: 5,104
- Second leg
Swansea City | 3–0 | Chester City |
---|---|---|
![]() |
Attendance: 10,027
Swansea City won 3–0 on aggregate.
Northampton Town | 3–2 | Cardiff City |
---|---|---|
Sampson ![]() Warburton ![]() Gayle ![]() |
Fowler ![]() Haworth ![]() |
Attendance: 7,302
Northampton Town won 4–2 on aggregate.