2015 Football League play-offs

Football league season
Football League play-offs
Season2014–15
ChampionsNorwich City
(Championship)
Preston North End
(League One)
Southend United
(League Two)
Matches played15
Goals scored51 (3.4 per match)
Biggest home winMiddlesbrough 3–0 Brentford
(Championship)
Preston 3–0 Chesterfield
(League One)
Biggest away winPlymouth 2–3 Wycombe
(League Two)
Highest scoringSwindon 5–5 Sheffield United
(10 goals)
Highest attendance85,656 – Middlesbrough v Norwich
(Championship Final)
Lowest attendance5,183 – Stevenage v Southend United
(League Two semi-final)
Average attendance24,491
← 2014
2016 →

The Football League play-offs for the 2014–15 season (referred to as the Sky Bet Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) began in May 2015 with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London.

The play-offs began at the semi-final stage with all semi-finals being played over two legs, 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 then advanced to the finals, with the winner of the final 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.

Championship

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Norwich City 46 25 11 10 88 48 +40 86
4 Middlesbrough 46 25 10 11 68 37 +31 85
5 Brentford 46 23 9 14 78 59 +19 78
6 Ipswich Town 46 22 12 12 72 54 +18 78

Semi-finals

First leg

Brentford1–2Middlesbrough
Gray 54' BBC Report Vossen 26'
Amorebieta 90+3'
Attendance: 11,691
Referee: Jon Moss
Ipswich Town1-1Norwich City
Anderson 45' BBC Report Howson 41'
Attendance: 29,166
Referee: Anthony Taylor

Second leg

Middlesbrough3–0Brentford
Tomlin 23'
Kike 55'
Adomah 78'
BBC Report
Attendance: 33,266
Referee: Lee Mason

Middlesbrough won 5–1 on aggregate.

Norwich City3-1Ipswich Town
Hoolahan 50'
Redmond 64'
Jerome 76'
BBC Report Smith 60'
Attendance: 26,994
Referee: Roger East

Norwich City won 4-2 on aggregate.

Final

Middlesbrough0-2Norwich
BBC Report
Attendance: 85,656
Referee: Mike Dean

League One

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3 Preston North End 46 25 14 7 79 40 +39 89
4 Swindon Town 46 23 10 13 76 57 +19 79
5 Sheffield United 46 19 14 13 66 53 +13 71
6 Chesterfield 46 19 12 15 68 55 +13 69

Semi-finals

First leg

Chesterfield0–1Preston North End
BBC Report Beckford 6'
Attendance: 8,409
Referee: Mark Haywood
Sheffield United1–2Swindon Town
Freeman 19' BBC Report Ricketts 51'
Byrne 90+4'
Attendance: 20,890
Referee: Darren Bond

Second leg

Preston North End3–0Chesterfield
Beckford 38', 87'
Garner 62' (pen.)
BBC Report
Attendance: 15,641
Referee: Andy D'Urso

Preston North End won 4–0 on aggregate.

Swindon Town5–5Sheffield United
Gladwin 4', 10'
Smith 18', 59' (pen.)
Obika 84'
BBC Report Thompson 19' (o.g.)
Basham 38'
Davies 65'
Done 88'
Adams 90'
County Ground, Swindon
Attendance: 13,065
Referee: Keith Hill

Swindon Town won 7–6 on aggregate.

Final

Preston North End4–0Swindon Town
Beckford 3', 44', 57'
Huntington 13'
Report
Attendance: 48,236
Referee: Andrew Madley

League Two

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4 Wycombe Wanderers 46 23 15 8 67 45 +22 84
5 Southend United 46 24 12 10 54 38 +16 84
6 Stevenage 46 20 12 14 62 54 +8 72
7 Plymouth Argyle 46 20 11 15 55 37 +18 71

Semi-finals

First leg

Plymouth Argyle2–3Wycombe Wanderers
Ansah 86'
Banton 89'
BBC Report Hayes 10'
Amadi-Holloway 22'
Craig 52'
Attendance: 14,175
Referee: Peter Bankes
Stevenage1–1Southend United
Parrett 51' BBC Report Corr 60'
Attendance: 5,183
Referee: Keith Stroud

Second leg

Wycombe Wanderers2–1Plymouth Argyle
Hayes 7'
Mawson 35'
BBC Sport Brunt 70'
Attendance: 7,750
Referee: Nigel Miller

Wycombe Wanderers won 5–3 on aggregate.

Southend United3–1 (a.e.t.)Stevenage
Leonard 67'
McLaughlin 108'
Timlin 120'
BBC Sport Pett 55'
Attendance: 8,998
Referee: Graham Scott

Southend United won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

Southend United1–1 (a.e.t.)Wycombe Wanderers
Pigott 120+2' Report Bentley 95' (o.g.)
Penalties
Pigott soccer ball with check mark
Coker soccer ball with red X
Leonard soccer ball with check mark
Payne soccer ball with check mark
Timlin soccer ball with check mark
Barrett soccer ball with check mark
Weston soccer ball with check mark
Bolger soccer ball with check mark
7–6 soccer ball with check mark Murphy
soccer ball with check mark Mawson
soccer ball with check mark Hayes
soccer ball with red X Bloomfield
soccer ball with check mark Bean
soccer ball with check mark Jacobson
soccer ball with check mark Amadi-Holloway
soccer ball with red X Wood
Attendance: 38,252
Referee: Simon Hooper

References

  • "Dates for Sky Bet Football League Play-Offs confirmed". The Football League. 9 March 2015.
  • v
  • t
  • e
CompetitionsPlay-offsFinals
Championship
League One
League Two
  • v
  • t
  • e
Competitions
Play-offs
Finals
Championship
League One
League Two
  • v
  • t
  • e
Competitions
Play-offs
Finals
Championship
League One
League Two
  • v
  • t
  • e
National teams
League competitions
Level 1
Levels 2–4
Levels 5–6
Levels 7–8
Levels 9–10
Cup competitions
FA cups
Football League cups
Youth competitions
Under 21
Under 18
Women's competitions
Club seasons
Premier League
Championship
League One
League Two