2004 Football League play-offs#First Division

{{Infobox football league season

| competition=Football League play-offs

| season=2003–04

| winners=Crystal Palace
(First Division)
Brighton & Hove Albion
(Second Division)
Huddersfield Town
(Third Division)

| biggest home win=West Ham 2–0 Ipswich
(First Division)

| biggest away win=Mansfield 1–3 Northampton
(Third Division)

| highest scoring=Crystal Palace 3–2 Sunderland
(5 goals)

| matches=15

| total goals=35

| highest attendance=72,523 – Crystal Palace v West Ham
(First Division final)

| lowest attendance=6,876 – Brighton v Swindon
(Second Division semi-final)

| average attendance=25,911

| prevseason=2003

| nextseason=2005

}}

The Football League play-offs for the 2003–04 season were held in May 2004, 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, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 7 points behind second placed West Bromwich Albion, who in turn finished 8 points behind champions Norwich City, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1995. West Ham United who are also along with Sunderland aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town who are looking for a place back in the top flight at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished level on points with Ipswich Town and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1998.

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	22	13	11	62	45	+17	79
4	align=left\|West Ham United \|46	19	17	10	72	61	+11	74
5	align=left\|Ipswich Town \|46	21	10	15	84	72	+12	73
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|6	align=left\|Crystal Palace \|46	21	10	15	72	61	+11	73

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=14 May 2004

|time=19:45

|team1=Crystal Palace

|score=3–2

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3710149.stm Report]

|team2=Sunderland

|goals1=Shipperley {{goal|52}}
Butterfield {{goal|64}}
Johnson {{goal|87}}

|goals2=Stewart {{goal|51|pen.}}
Kyle {{goal|85}}

|stadium=Selhurst Park, London

|attendance=25,287

|referee=Richard Beeby

}}

----

{{football box

|date=15 May 2004

|time=12:15

|team1=Ipswich Town

|score=1–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3713769.stm Report]

|team2=West Ham United

|goals1=Bent {{goal|57}}

|stadium=Portman Road, Ipswich

|attendance=28,435

|referee=Mark Clattenburg

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=17 May 2004

|time=20:00

|team1=Sunderland

|score=2–1

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3710227.stm Report]

|team2=Crystal Palace

|goals1=Kyle {{goal|42}}
Stewart {{goal|45}}

|goals2=Powell {{goal|90}}

|stadium=Stadium of Light, Sunderland

|attendance=34,536

|referee=David Pugh

|penalties1=Oster {{penmiss}}
Smith {{pengoal}}
Babb {{pengoal}}
Robinson {{pengoal}}
Breen {{pengoal}}
McAteer {{penmiss}}
Whitley {{penmiss}}

|penaltyscore=4–5

|penalties2={{pengoal}} Johnson
{{pengoal}} Freedman
{{pengoal}} Shipperley
{{pengoal}} Popovic
{{penmiss}} Derry
{{penmiss}} Routledge
{{pengoal}} Hughes

}}

Sunderland 4–4 Crystal Palace on aggregate. Crystal Palace won 5–4 on penalties.

----

{{football box

|date=18 May 2004

|time=19:45

|team1=West Ham United

|score=2–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3713951.stm Report]

|team2=Ipswich Town

|goals1=Etherington {{goal|50}}
Dailly {{goal|71}}

|stadium=Upton Park, London

|attendance=34,002

|referee=Neale Barry

}}

West Ham United won 2–1 on aggregate.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=29 May 2004

|time=15:00

|team1=Crystal Palace

|score=1–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3750773.stm Report]

|team2=West Ham United

|goals1=Shipperley {{goal|62}}

|stadium=Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

|attendance=72,523

|referee=Graham Poll

}}

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\|Bristol City \|46	23	13	10	58	37	+21	82
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|4	align=left\|Brighton & Hove Albion \|46	22	11	13	64	43	+21	77
5	align=left\|Swindon Town \|46	20	13	13	76	58	+18	73
6	align=left\|Hartlepool United \|46	20	13	13	76	61	+15	73

=Semi-finals=

;First leg

{{football box

|date=15 May 2004

|time=18:00

|team1=Hartlepool United

|score=1–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3713843.stm Report]

|team2=Bristol City

|goals1=Porter {{goal|74}}

|goals2=Rougier {{goal|5}}

|stadium=Victoria Park, Hartlepool

|attendance=7,211

|referee=Paul Taylor

}}

----

{{football box

|date=16 May 2004

|time=16:00

|team1=Swindon Town

|score=0–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3713897.stm Report]

|team2=Brighton & Hove Albion

|goals2=Carpenter {{goal|72}}

|stadium=County Ground, Swindon

|attendance=14,034

|referee=Neale Barry

}}

;Second leg

{{football box

|date=19 May 2004

|time=19:45

|team1=Bristol City

|score=2–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3713849.stm Report]

|team2=Hartlepool United

|goals1=Goodfellow {{goal|88}}
Roberts {{goal|90}}

|goals2=Sweeney {{goal|63}}

|stadium=Ashton Gate, Bristol

|attendance=18,434

|referee=Graham Poll

}}

Bristol City won 3–2 on aggregate.

----

{{football box

|date=20 May 2004

|time=19:45

|team1=Brighton & Hove Albion

|score=1–2

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3713901.stm Report]

|team2=Swindon Town

|goals1=Virgo {{goal|120}}

|goals2=Parkin {{goal|81}}
Fallon {{goal|97}}

|stadium=Withdean Stadium, Brighton

|attendance=6,876

|referee=Graham Laws

|penalties1=Carpenter {{pengoal}}
Iwelumo {{pengoal}}
Piercy {{pengoal}}
Virgo {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore=4–3

|penalties2={{pengoal}} Parkin
{{pengoal}} Heywood
{{penmiss}} Mooney
{{pengoal}} Fallon
{{penmiss}} Gurney

}}

Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4–3 on penalties.

=Final=

{{football box

|date=30 May 2004

|time=15:00

|team1=Brighton & Hove Albion

|team2=Bristol City

|score=1–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/3750777.stm Report]

|goals1=Knight {{goal|84|pen.}}

|stadium=Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

|attendance=65,167

|referee=Richard Beeby

}}

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}}
bgcolor=#ADDFAD \|4	align=left\|Huddersfield Town \|46	23	11	12	68	52	+16	81
5	align=left\|Mansfield Town \|46	22	9	15	76	62	+14	75
6	align=left\|Northampton Town \|46	22	9	15	58	51	{{0}}+7	75
7	align=left\|Lincoln City \|46	19	17	10	68	47	+21	74