2001 Football League play-offs#Third Division

{{Infobox football league season

| competition=Football League play-offs

| season=2000–01

| winners=Bolton Wanderers
(First Division)
Walsall
(Second Division)
Blackpool
(Third Division)

| biggest home win=Bolton 3–0 WBA
(First Division)

| biggest away win=Hartlepool 1–3 Blackpool
(Third Division)

| highest scoring=Walsall 4–2 Stoke
Blackpool 4–2 Leyton Orient
(6 goals)

| matches=15

| total goals=43

| highest attendance=54,328 – Bolton v Preston
(First Division final)

| lowest attendance=5,720 – Blackpool v Hartlepool
(Third Division semi-final)

| average attendance=21,183

| prevseason=2000

| nextseason=2002

}}

The Football League play-offs for the 2000–01 season were held in May 2001, 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, Bolton Wanderers, who are aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 3 seasons outside the top flight, finished 4 points behind second placed Blackburn Rovers, who in turn finished 10 points behind champions Fulham, who returned to the top flight for the first time since 1968. Preston North End who are aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1961, finished in fourth place in the table. Birmingham City, who are aiming to return to the top flight after 15 years outside the top division, finished in fifth place. West Bromwich Albion, who are also aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1986, finished 4 points behind Birmingham City and Preston North End in sixth place.

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}}
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|3	align=left\|Bolton Wanderers \|46	24	15	7	76	45	+31	87
4	align=left\|Preston North End \|46	23	9	14	64	52	+12	78
5	align=left\|Birmingham City \|46	23	9	14	59	48	+11	78
6	align=left\|West Bromwich Albion \|46	21	11	14	60	52	{{0}}+8	74

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=13 May 2001

|time=15:00

|team1=West Bromwich Albion

|score=2–2

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1325158.stm Report]

|team2=Bolton Wanderers

|goals1=Roberts {{goal|44}}
Hughes {{goal|55|pen.}}

|goals2=Bergsson {{goal|81}}
Frandsen {{goal|88|pen.}}

|stadium=The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

|attendance=18,167

|referee=David Laws

}}

----

{{football box

|date=13 May 2001

|time=15:30

|team1=Birmingham City

|score=1–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1325161.stm Report]

|team2=Preston North End

|goals1=Eaden {{goal|55}}

|stadium=St Andrew's, Birmingham

|attendance=29,072

|referee=David Pugh

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=17 May 2001

|time=19:45

|team1=Bolton Wanderers

|score=3–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1334714.stm Report]

|team2=West Bromwich Albion

|goals1=Bergsson {{goal|10}}
Ricketts {{goal|63}}
Gardner {{goal|90}}

|stadium=Reebok Stadium, Bolton

|attendance=23,515

|referee=Roy Pearson

}}

Bolton Wanderers won 5–2 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date=17 May 2001

|time=19:45

|team1=Preston North End

|score=2–1

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1334415.stm Report]

|team2=Birmingham City

|goals1=Healy {{goal|24}}
Rankine {{goal|90}}

|goals2=Horsfield {{goal|59}}

|stadium=Deepdale, Preston

|attendance=16,928

|referee=Paul Danson

|penalties1=Alexander {{pengoal}}
Healy {{pengoal}}
Gregan {{pengoal}}
Edwards {{penmiss}}
McKenna {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore=4–2

|penalties2={{penmiss}} Marcelo
{{penmiss}} Purse
{{pengoal}} Lazaridis
{{pengoal}} Eaden

}}

Preston North End 2–2 Birmingham City on aggregate. Preston North End won 4–2 on penalties.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=28 May 2001

|time=15:00

|team1=Bolton Wanderers

|score=3–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1352181.stm Report]

|team2=Preston North End

|goals1=Farrelly {{goal|17}}
Ricketts {{goal|89}}
Gardner {{goal|90}}

|stadium=Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

|attendance=54,328

|referee=Uriah Rennie

}}

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}}
3	align=left\|Reading \|46	25	11	10	86	52	+34	86
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|4	align=left\|Walsall \|46	23	12	11	79	50	+29	81
5	align=left\|Stoke City \|46	21	14	11	74	49	+25	77
6	align=left\|Wigan Athletic \|46	19	18	9	60	52	{{0}}+8	75

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=13 May 2001

|time=15:00

|team1=Stoke City

|score=0–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1325152.stm Report]

|team2=Walsall

|stadium=Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent

|attendance=23,689

|referee=Uriah Rennie

}}

----

{{football box

|date=13 May 2001

|time=15:00

|team1=Wigan Athletic

|score=0–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1325155.stm Report]

|team2=Reading

|stadium=JJB Stadium, Wigan

|attendance=12,638

|referee=Roy Pearson

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=16 May 2001

|time=19:45

|team1=Reading

|score=2–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1332366.stm Report]

|team2=Wigan Athletic

|goals1=Butler {{goal|86}}
Forster {{goal|90}}

|goals2=Nicholls {{goal|26}}

|stadium=Madjeski Stadium, Reading

|attendance=22,034

|referee=David Laws

}}

Reading won 2–1 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date=16 May 2001

|time=19:45

|team1=Walsall

|score=4–2

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1332523.stm Report]

|team2=Stoke City

|goals1=Ward {{goal|42|o.g.}}
Matías {{goal|47||61}}
Keates {{goal|50}}

|goals2=Kavanagh {{goal|31}}
Thorne {{goal|85}}

|stadium=Bescot Stadium, Walsall

|attendance=8,993

|referee=Eddie Wolstenholme

}}

Walsall won 4–2 on aggregate.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=27 May 2001

|time=15:00

|team1=Reading

|score=2–3

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/1352124.stm Report]

|team2=Walsall

|goals1=Cureton {{goal|31}}
Butler {{goal|91}}

|goals2=Goodman {{goal|48}}
Rougier {{goal|107|o.g.}}
Byfield {{goal|109}}

|stadium=Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

|attendance=50,496

|referee=Eddie Wolstenholme

}}

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}}
4	align=left\|Hartlepool United \|46	21	14	11	71	54	+17	77
5	align=left\|Leyton Orient \|46	20	15	11	59	51	{{0}}+8	75
6	align=left\|Hull City \|46	19	17	10	47	39	{{0}}+8	74
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|7	align=left\|Blackpool \|46	22	6	18	74	58	+16	72