2002 Football League play-offs
| Season | 2001–02 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Birmingham City (First Division) Stoke City (Second Division) Cheltenham Town (Third Division) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 35 (2.33 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Norwich 3–1 Wolves (First Division) |
| Biggest away win | Cardiff 0–2 Stoke (Second Division) |
| Highest scoring | Norwich 3–1 Wolves Rushden & Diamonds 2–2 Rochdale Cheltenham 3–1 Rushden & Diamonds (4 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 71,597 – Birmingham v Norwich (First Division final) |
| Lowest attendance | 6,015 – Rushden & Diamonds v Rochdale (Third Division semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 21,859 |
← 2001 → | |
The
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, Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 20 years, finished 3 points behind their Black Country rivals West Bromwich Albion, who finished second and thus gained automatic promotion. Albion ended the season 10 points behind champions Manchester City, who returned to the Premier League after being relegated the previous season. Millwall who were aiming for a place in the top flight for the first time since 1990, finished in fourth place in the table. Birmingham City, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1986, finished in fifth place. Norwich City finished 1 point behind Birmingham City and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1995.
First Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 76 | 43 | +33 | 86 |
| 4 | Millwall | 46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 69 | 48 | +21 | 77 |
| 5 | Birmingham City | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 70 | 49 | +21 | 76 |
| 6 | Norwich City | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 75 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | Millwall |
|---|---|---|
Hughes  56' |
Report | Dublin 80' |
| Norwich City | 3–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
|---|---|---|
| Rivers 56' McVeigh 73'Mackay 90' |
Report | Sturridge 22' |
- Second leg
Norwich City won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Millwall | 0–1 | Birmingham City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | John 90' |
Birmingham City won 2–1 on aggregate.
Final
| Birmingham City | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Norwich City |
|---|---|---|
| Horsfield 102' |
Report | Roberts 91' |
| Penalties | ||
John  Devlin Lazaridis Carter |
4–2 | Roberts Mulryne Sutch Easton |
Second Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 24 | 11 | 11 | 77 | 43 | +34 | 83 |
| 4 | Cardiff City | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 75 | 50 | +25 | 83 |
| 5 | Stoke City | 46 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 67 | 40 | +27 | 80 |
| 6 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 65 | 47 | +18 | 78 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Stoke City | 1–2 | Cardiff City |
|---|---|---|
| Burton 84' |
Report | Earnshaw 12' Fortune-West 59' |
| Huddersfield Town | 0–0 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
- Second leg
Brentford won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Cardiff City | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | Stoke City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | O'Connor 90' Oularé 115' |
Stoke City won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
Third Division
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 66 | 49 | +17 | 78 |
| 5 | Rochdale | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 65 | 52 | +13 | 78 |
| 6 | Rushden & Diamonds | 46 | 20 | 13 | 13 | 69 | 53 | +16 | 73 |
| 7 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 74 | 48 | +26 | 71 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Cheltenham Town |
|---|---|---|
| Williams 45' |
Report | Grayson 89' |
| Rushden & Diamonds | 2–2 | Rochdale |
|---|---|---|
| Wardley 34' Butterworth 73' |
Report | McEvilly 8' Simpson 57' |
- Second leg
| Cheltenham Town | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Hartlepool United |
|---|---|---|
| Williams 26' |
Report | Arnison 17' |
| Penalties | ||
| Grayson Lee Yates Duff Finnigan Alsop |
5–4 | |
Cheltenham Town 2–2 Hartlepool United on aggregate. Cheltenham Town won 5–4 on penalties.
Rushden & Diamonds won 4–3 on aggregate.
Final
| Cheltenham Town | 3–1 | Rushden & Diamonds |
|---|---|---|
| Devaney 27' Alsop 49'Finnigan 80' |
Report | Hall 28' |