1998 Football League play-offs#First Division

{{Infobox football league season

| competition=Football League play-offs

| season=1997–98

| winners=Charlton Athletic
(First Division)
Grimsby Town
(Second Division)
Colchester United
(Third Division)

| biggest home win=Torquay 4–1 Scarborough
(Third Division)

| biggest away win=Scarborough 1–3 Torquay
(Third Division)

| highest scoring=Charlton 4–4 Sunderland
(8 goals)

| matches=15

| total goals=41

| highest attendance=77,739 – Charlton v Sunderland
(First Division final)

| lowest attendance=3,858 – Barnet v Colchester
(Third Division semi-final)

| average attendance=21,402

| prevseason=1997

| nextseason=1999

}}

The Football League play-offs for the 1997–98 season were held in May 1998, with the finals taking place at the old Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were 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, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 1 point behind second placed Middlesbrough, who in turn finished 3 points behind champions Nottingham Forest, who returned to the top flight after being relegated last season. Charlton Athletic, who are aiming to return to the top flight after 8 years outside the top division, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town, who are aiming to return to the top flight after 3 seasons outside the top division, finished in fifth place. Sheffield United, who are aiming to return to the top flight after a 4-year absence, finished 9 points behind Ipswich Town in sixth place. This means Sunderland and Sheffield United will play each other with Ipswich and Charlton playing each other just like in the 1987 playoffs only then Charlton were the First Division and Ipswich were in the Second Division.

First Division

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pos \| Position}} !width="175"\|Team !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pld \| Played}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| W \| Won}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| D \| Drawn}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| L \| Lost}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GF \| Goals for}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GA \| Goals against}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GD \| Goal difference}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pts \| Points}}
3	align=left\|Sunderland \|46	26	12	8	86	50	+36	90
style="background:#addfad;" \|4	align=left\|Charlton Athletic \|46	26	10	10	80	49	+31	88
5	align=left\|Ipswich Town \|46	23	14	9	77	43	+34	83
6	align=left\|Sheffield United \|46	19	17	10	69	54	+15	74

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=10 May 1998

|time=13:00

|team1=Ipswich Town

|score=0–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/90391.stm Report]

|team2=Charlton Athletic

|goals2=Clapham {{goal|12|o.g.}}

|stadium=Portman Road, Ipswich

|attendance=21,681

|referee=Mick Fletcher

}}

----

{{football box

|date=10 May 1998

|time=13:00

|team1=Sheffield United

|score=2–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/90391.stm Report]

|team2=Sunderland

|goals1=Marcelo {{goal|57}}
Borbokis {{goal|76}}

|goals2=Ball {{goal|17}}

|stadium =Bramall Lane, Sheffield

|attendance=23,800

|referee=Clive Wilkes

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=13 May 1998

|time=19:45

|team1=Charlton Athletic

|score=1–0

|report=

|team2=Ipswich Town

|goals1=Newton {{goal|36}}

|stadium=The Valley, London

|attendance=15,585

|referee=Eddie Wolstenholme

}}

Charlton Athletic won 2–0 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date=13 May 1998

|time=19:45

|team1=Sunderland

|score=2–0

|report=

|team2=Sheffield United

|goals1=Marker {{goal|21|o.g.}}
Phillips {{goal|38}}

|stadium=Stadium of Light, Sunderland

|attendance=40,092

|referee=Mick Pierce

}}

Sunderland won 3–2 on aggregate.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=25 May 1998

|time=15:00

|team1=Charlton Athletic

|score=4–4

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/football/100195.stm Report]

|team2=Sunderland

|goals1=Mendonca {{goal|23||71||103}}
Rufus {{goal|85}}

|goals2=Quinn {{goal|50||73}}
Phillips {{goal|58}}
Summerbee {{goal|99}}

|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London

|attendance=77,739

|referee=Eddie Wolstenholme

|penalties1=Mendonca {{pengoal}}
Brown {{pengoal}}
Jones {{pengoal}}
Kinsella {{pengoal}}
Bowen {{pengoal}}
Robinson {{pengoal}}
Newton {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore=7–6

|penalties2={{pengoal}} Summerbee
{{pengoal}} Johnston
{{pengoal}} Ball
{{pengoal}} Makin
{{pengoal}} Rae
{{pengoal}} Quinn
{{penmiss}} Gray

}}

Second Division

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pos \| Position}} !width="175"\|Team !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pld \| Played}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| W \| Won}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| D \| Drawn}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| L \| Lost}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GF \| Goals for}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GA \| Goals against}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GD \| Goal difference}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pts \| Points}}
style="background:#addfad;" \|3	align=left\|Grimsby Town \|46	19	15	12	55	37	+18	72
4	align=left\|Northampton Town \|46	18	17	11	52	37	+15	71
5	align=left\|Bristol Rovers \|46	20	10	16	70	64	{{0}}+6	70
6	align=left\|Fulham \|46	20	10	16	60	43	+17	70

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=9 May 1998

|time=15:00

|team1=Fulham

|score=1–1

|report=

|team2=Grimsby Town

|goals1=Beardsley {{goal|45|pen.}}

|goals2=Smith {{goal|53}}

|stadium=Craven Cottage, London

|attendance=13,954

|referee=Terry Heilbron

}}

----

{{football box

|date=10 May 1998

|time=15:00

|team1=Bristol Rovers

|score=3–1

|report=

|team2=Northampton Town

|goals1=Beadle {{goal|30|pen.}}
Bennett {{goal|37}}
Hayles {{goal|46}}

|goals2=Gayle {{goal|74}}

|stadium=Memorial Ground, Bristol

|attendance=9,173

|referee=Rob Harris

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=13 May 1998

|time=19:45

|team1=Grimsby Town

|score=1–0

|report=

|team2=Fulham

|goals1=Donovan {{goal|81}}

|stadium=Blundell Park, Cleethorpes

|attendance=8,689

|referee=Clive Wilkes

}}

Grimsby Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date=13 May 1998

|time=19:45

|team1=Northampton Town

|score=3–0

|report=

|team2=Bristol Rovers

|goals1=Heggs {{goal|34}}
Clarkson {{goal|61}}
Warburton {{goal|77}}

|stadium=Sixfields Stadium, Northampton

|attendance=7,501

|referee=Mick Fletcher

}}

Northampton Town won 4–3 on aggregate.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=24 May 1998

|time=15:00

|team1=Grimsby Town

|score=1–0

|report=

|team2=Northampton Town

|goals1=Donovan {{goal|19}}

|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London

|attendance=62,988

|referee=Terry Heilbron

}}

Third Division

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pos \| Position}} !width="175"\|Team !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pld \| Played}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| W \| Won}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| D \| Drawn}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| L \| Lost}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GF \| Goals for}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GA \| Goals against}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| GD \| Goal difference}} !width="30"\|{{Tooltip\| Pts \| Points}}
style="background:#addfad;" \|4	align=left\|Colchester United \|46	21	11	14	72	60	+12	74
5	align=left\|Torquay United \|46	21	11	14	68	59	{{0}}+9	74
6	align=left\|Scarborough \|46	19	15	12	67	58	{{0}}+9	72
7	align=left\|Barnet \|46	19	13	14	61	51	+10	70