2008 Football League Championship play-off final

2008 Football League Championship play-off Final

The crests of Bristol City and Hull City, prior to the match
Bristol City Hull City 0 1
Date	24 May 2008
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Man of the Match	Dean Windass
Referee	Alan Wiley
Attendance	86,703
Weather	Sunny
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The 2008 Football League Championship play-off Final was an association football match which was played on 24 May 2008 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Hull City and Bristol City. The match was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football, to the Premier League. The top two teams of the 2007–08 Football League Championship season gained automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the clubs placed from third to sixth place in the table partook in play-off semi-finals; Hull City ended the season in third position while Bristol City finished fourth. The winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2008–09 season in the Premier League. Winning the game was estimated to be worth up to £60 million to the successful team.

The 2008 final, refereed by Alan Wiley, was watched by a crowd of more than 86,000 people, in sunny and bright conditions. The match was won by Hull City 1–0, with the only goal of the game coming from Dean Windass in the first half. It was the first time that Hull City would play in the top tier of English football in their club's 104-year history.

Hull City ended the next season in 17th place in the Premier League, one point above relegation. Bristol City finished the following season in 10th place, thirteen points outside the play-offs.

Route to the final

This was Bristol City's first Championship play-off final, but they had been losing finalists in the 1988 Football League Third Division play-off final, contested over two legs, and the 2004 Football League Second Division play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.^[7][8][9] Hull's only play-off experience came in the 2001 Third Division playoffs where they were eliminated in the semi-finals by Leyton Orient.^[10] During the regular season, the two sides played out a goalless draw at the KC Stadium in November 2007, while Bristol City won their home game 2–1.^[11] Bristol City had not lost a competitive match against Hull since 1985.^[12] Hull City had never played in the highest tier of English football, while Bristol City last featured in the top division during the 1979–80 Football League First Division season.^[13] Campbell was Hull's highest scorer with fifteen goals during the regular season, followed by Windass on eleven, while Dele Adebola was Bristol City's top marksman with ten.^[1] The match was reported to be worth around £60 million to the winning team.^[13]

The referee for the game was Alan Wiley of the Staffordshire Football Association. Before kick-off, both teams were presented to former Conservative Member of Parliament and Football League chairman Brian Mawhinney.^[13] Hull City's starting line-up remained unchanged from their semi-final second leg, while Bristol City's Jamie McCombe was ill and had to be replaced by Liam Fontaine.^[12]

First half

Hull City kicked the game off around 3 p.m. in front of a Wembley crowd of 86,703,^[14] in bright, sunny conditions. Their first attack saw Richard Garcia's shot fly high and wide of the Bristol City goal. At the other end, Adebola's shot was saved by Hull's goalkeeper Boaz Myhill. Bristol City were more dominant in the early stages and in the 17th minute, Adebola's pass found Nick Carle on the edge of the penalty area but his shot went narrowly wide. Garcia then headed a Sam Ricketts cross over Adriano Basso's goal. Midway through the half, Windass' chip from a Dawson cross landed on the roof of the net. In the 38th minute, Hull City took the lead. Adebola lost possession allowing Hull to counter attack, with Campbell's accurate cross being volleyed into the Bristol City goal from the edge of the area. A clash of head between Barmby and Bradley Orr resulted in a prolonged stop in play while the latter received treatment, including oxygen, for a suspected fractured cheekbone. Unable to continue, Orr was stretchered off with a neck brace in place, and substituted by Lee Johnson. After ten minutes of additional time, the referee Alan Wiley blew his whistle to signify the end of the first half, with Hull holding a 1–0 lead.^[12][13]

Second half

Bristol City got the second half underway and almost immediately, Carle's shot went wide. Soon after, Ricketts was adjudged to have handled the ball, allowing Noble a chance with a direct free kick but it was saved by Myhill. At the other end, a Garcia free kick was gathered by Bosso. McIndoe's free kick was deflected wide and the resulting corner was headed past the post by Trundle. In the 63rd minute, Bristol City made their second substitution of the afternoon, with Ivan Sproule coming on for Noble. Four minutes later, Hull made their first change of the match as Barmby was replaced by Craig Fagan and soon after Windass was substituted for Caleb Folan. In the 74th minute, Trundle's shot was saved by Myhill before a long-range strike from McIndoe was also stopped by the Hull goalkeeper. With 14 minutes of regular time remaining, Bristol City made their final change, with Darren Byfield replacing Carle. Sproule's foul on Fagan drew the first yellow card of the game in the 78th minute. Garcia's half-volley was struck straight at Bosso before Folan's shot was deflected. On 85 minutes, Myhill's weak punch allowed Trundle an opportunity to level the match but his shot was blocked by Michael Turner. Byfield then went close twice, but his header was over the Hull bar and his shot wide of the post. There were four minutes of additional time indicated, and with a minute remaining, Campbell received a booking for a foul on Fontain, before being replaced by Dean Marney. The game ended 1–0 to Hull who were promoted the top tier of English football for the first time in the club's 104-year history.^[12][13]

Details

24 May 2008

15:00

Bristol City	0–1	Hull City
	(Report)	Windass 38'

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 86,703

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

Bristol City

Hull City

GK 1 Adriano Basso RB 2 Bradley Orr  45+3' CB 6 Louis Carey (c) CB 4 Liam Fontaine LB 3 Jamie McAllister RM 8 David Noble  63' CM 25 Marvin Elliott CM 10 Nick Carle  76' LM 11 Michael McIndoe CF 35 Dele Adebola CF 23 Lee Trundle Substitutes: GK 13 Chris Weale DF 19 Tamás Vaskó MF 33 Lee Johnson  45+3' MF 29 Ivan Sproule  77'  63' FW 34 Darren Byfield  76' Manager: Gary Johnson

GK 1 Boaz Myhill RB 21 Sam Ricketts CB 15 Wayne Brown CB 6 Michael Turner LB 3 Andy Dawson RM 14 Richard Garcia CM 4 Ian Ashbee (c) CM 11 Bryan Hughes LM 8 Nick Barmby  67' CF 25 Fraizer Campbell  90+3'  90+3' CF 9 Dean Windass  71' Substitutes: GK 12 Matt Duke DF 2 Nathan Doyle MF 22 Dean Marney  90+3' FW 18 Caleb Folan  71' FW 23 Craig Fagan  67' Manager: Phil Brown

Statistics

Post-match

Hull City manager

Hull City ended the next season in 17th place in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone.^[18] Bristol City finished the following season in 10th place, thirteen points outside the play-offs.^[19]

References