2003 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs

Season	2002–03
Champions	Wolverhampton Wanderers (First Division) Cardiff City (Second Division) Bournemouth (Third Division)
Matches played	15
Goals scored	41 (2.73 per match)
Biggest home win	Lincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe (Third Division)
Biggest away win	Reading 0–1 Wolves (First Division) Scunthorpe 0–1 Lincoln (Third Division)
Highest scoring	Lincoln 5–3 Scunthorpe (8 goals)
Highest attendance	69,473 – Sheffield United v Wolves (First Division final)
Lowest attendance	5,782 – Bury v Bournemouth (Third Division semi-final)
Average attendance	24,964
← 2002 2004 →

The Football League play-offs for the 2002–03 season were held in May 2003, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs and will be contested by the teams who finish 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 will go 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, Sheffield United, who are aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1994, finished 12 points behind second placed Leicester City, who in turn finished 6 points behind champions Portsmouth, who returned to the top flight for the first time since 1988. Reading who are aiming for a place in the top flight for the first time in their history, finished in fourth place in the table. Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 20 years outside the top flight, finished in fifth place. Nottingham Forest finished 2 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1999.

First Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Sheffield United	46	23	11	12	72	52	+20	80
4	Reading	46	25	4	17	61	46	+15	79
5	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	20	16	10	81	44	+37	76
6	Nottingham Forest	46	20	14	12	82	50	+32	74

Semi-finals

First leg

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Second leg

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–1 on aggregate.

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Sheffield United won 5–4 on aggregate.

Final

Second Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Bristol City	46	24	11	11	79	48	+31	83
4	Queens Park Rangers	46	24	11	11	69	45	+24	83
5	Oldham Athletic	46	22	16	8	68	38	+30	82
6	Cardiff City	46	23	12	11	68	43	+25	81

Semi-finals

First leg

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Second leg

Cardiff City won 1–0 on aggregate.

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Queens Park Rangers won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Third Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
4	Bournemouth	46	20	14	12	60	48	+12	74
5	Scunthorpe United	46	19	15	12	68	49	+19	72
6	Lincoln City	46	18	16	12	46	37	0+9	70
7	Bury	46	18	16	12	57	56	0+1	70

Semi-finals

First leg

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Second leg

Bournemouth won 3–1 on aggregate.

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Lincoln City won 6–3 on aggregate.

Final

External links

• Football League website