2006 Football League play-offs

Football league season
Football League play-offs
Season2005–06
ChampionsWatford
(Championship)
Barnsley
(League One)
Cheltenham Town
(League Two)
Matches played15
Goals scored31 (2.07 per match)
Biggest home winGrimsby 2–1 Lincoln
(League Two)
Biggest away winCrystal Palace 0–3 Watford
(Championship)
Highest scoringHud'field 1–3 Barnsley
Barnsley 2–2 Swansea
(4 goals)
Highest attendance64,736 – Leeds v Watford
(Championship final)
Lowest attendance5,936 – Wycombe v Cheltenham
(League Two semi-final)
Average attendance22,720
← 2005
2007 →

The Football League play-offs for the 2005–06 season were held in May 2006, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the last time. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the League Two table. The winners of the semi-finals advanced to the finals, with the winners of these 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 Championship, Watford, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 2000, finished 9 points behind second placed Sheffield United, who in turn finished 16 points behind champions Reading, who were promoted to the top flight for the first time in the club's history. Preston North End who missed out on promotion from playoffs the season before and have not been in the top flight since 1961, finished in fourth place in the table. Leeds United who are aiming to bounce back to the Premier League at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished 3 points behind Leeds United and were looking for a place back in the Premiership after relegation on final day of last season.

Championship

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Watford 46 22 15 9 77 53 +24 81
4 Preston North End 46 20 20 6 59 30 +29 80
5 Leeds United 46 21 15 11 57 38 +19 78
6 Crystal Palace 46 21 12 14 67 48 +19 75

Semi-finals

First leg
Leeds United1–1Preston North End
Lewis 74' Report Nugent 48'
Attendance: 35,239
Referee: Phil Crossley

Crystal Palace0–3Watford
Report King 46'
Young 67'
Spring 85'
Attendance: 22,880
Referee: Mike Jones
Second leg
Preston North End0–2Leeds United
Report Hulse 56'
Richardson 61'
Attendance: 20,383
Referee: Mike Thorpe

Leeds United win 3–1 on aggregate.


Watford0–0Crystal Palace
Report
Attendance: 19,041
Referee: Steve Tanner

Watford won 3–0 on aggregate.

Final

Leeds United0–3Watford
Report DeMerit 25'
Sullivan 57' (o.g.)
Henderson 84' (pen.)
Attendance: 64,736
Referee: Mike Dean

League One

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Brentford 46 20 16 10 72 52 +20 76
4 Huddersfield Town 46 19 16 11 72 59 +13 73
5 Barnsley 46 18 18 10 62 44 +18 72
6 Swansea City 46 18 17 11 78 55 +23 71

Semi-finals

First leg
Barnsley0–1Huddersfield Town
Report Taylor-Fletcher 85'
Attendance: 16,127
Referee: Paul Taylor

Swansea City1–1Brentford
Ricketts 87' Report Tabb 29'
Attendance: 19,060
Referee: Keith Stroud
Second leg
Brentford0–2Swansea City
Report Knight 8', 15'
Attendance: 10,652
Referee: Graham Laws

Swansea City won 3–1 on aggregate.


Huddersfield Town1–3Barnsley
Heckingbottom 65' (o.g.) Report Hayes 58' (pen.)
Reid 71'
Nardiello 78'
Attendance: 19,223
Referee: Chris Foy

Barnsley won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

Barnsley2–2 (a.e.t.)Swansea City
Hayes 19'
Nardiello 62'
Report Fallon 28'
Robinson 40'
Penalties
Hayes soccer ball with check mark
McPhail soccer ball with check mark
Heckingbottom soccer ball with check mark
Kay soccer ball with check mark
4–3 soccer ball with check mark Trundle
soccer ball with check mark Britton
soccer ball with red X Akinfenwa
soccer ball with check mark Tudur Jones
soccer ball with red X Tate
Attendance: 55,419
Referee: Lee Mason

League Two

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Grimsby Town 46 22 12 12 64 44 +20 78
5 Cheltenham Town 46 19 15 12 65 53 +12 72
6 Wycombe Wanderers 46 18 17 11 72 56 +16 71
7 Lincoln City 46 15 21 10 65 53 +12 66

Semi-finals

First leg
Lincoln City0–1Grimsby Town
Report Jones 22'
Attendance: 8,037
Referee: Lee Mason

Wycombe Wanderers1–2Cheltenham Town
Mooney 90' Report Finnigan 43'
Guinan 75'
Attendance: 5,936
Referee: Andy Hall
Second leg
Grimsby Town2–1Lincoln City
Futcher 60'
Jones 82'
Report Robinson 27'
Attendance: 8,062
Referee: Mike Dean

Grimsby Town won 3–1 on aggregate.


Cheltenham Town0–0Wycombe Wanderers
Report
Attendance: 6,813
Referee: Nigel Miller

Cheltenham Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Cheltenham Town1–0Grimsby Town
Guinan 63' Report
Attendance: 29,196
Referee: Paul Taylor

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