2012 Football League play-offs
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football league season
| competition=Football League play-offs
| season=2011–12
| winners=West Ham United
(Championship)
Huddersfield Town
(League One)
Crewe Alexandra
(League Two)
| biggest home win=West Ham 3–0 Cardiff
(Championship)
| biggest away win=Cardiff 0–2 West Ham
(Championship)
MK Dons 0–2 Huddersfield
(League One)
| highest scoring=Birmingham 2–2 Blackpool
Southend 2–2 Crewe
(4 goals)
| matches=15
| total goals=31
| highest attendance =78,523 – Blackpool v West Ham
(Championship final)
| lowest attendance =3,606 – Torquay v Cheltenham
(League Two semi-final)
| average attendance =22,195
| prevseason = 2011
| nextseason = 2013
}}
The Football League play-offs for the 2011–12 season (referred to as the npower Football League Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) were held in May 2012. All finals took place at Wembley Stadium in London.
The play-off semi-finals were 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 went through to the finals, with the winner of the final gaining promotion for the following season.
The semi-final matches were played from 3 to 17 May 2012. The finals were held between 19 and 27 May 2012.{{cite web |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/play-offs/news/20120416/play-off-dates-confirmed_2293328_2695272 |title=Play-off dates confirmed |publisher=The Football League |date=16 April 2012 |access-date=22 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420041743/http://www.football-league.co.uk/play-offs/news/20120416/play-off-dates-confirmed_2293328_2695272 |archive-date=20 April 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
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
{{main|2011–12 Football League Championship}}
| 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|West Ham United
|46 | 24 | 14 | 8 | 81 | 48 | +33 | 86 |
| 4 | align=left|Birmingham City
|46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 78 | 51 | +27 | 76 |
| 5 | align=left|Blackpool
|46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 79 | 59 | +20 | 75 |
| 6 | align=left|Cardiff City
|46 | 19 | 18 | 9 | 66 | 53 | +13 | 75 |
=Semi-finals=
;First leg
{{football box
|date=3 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Cardiff City
|score=0–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17881430 Report]
|team2=West Ham United
|goals2=Collison {{goal|9||41}}
|stadium=Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff
|attendance=23,029
|referee=Neil Swarbrick
}}
----
{{football box
|date=4 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Blackpool
|score=1–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17881437 Report]
|team2=Birmingham City
|goals1=Davies {{goal|45|o.g.}}
|stadium=Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
|attendance=13,832
|referee=Mark Halsey
}}
;Second leg
{{football box
|date=7 May 2012
|time=16:30
|team1=West Ham United
|score=3–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17890891 Report]
|team2=Cardiff City
|goals1=Nolan {{goal|15}}
Vaz Tê {{goal|41}}
Maynard {{goal|90}}
|stadium=Boleyn Ground, London
|attendance=34,682
|referee=Mike Dean
}}
West Ham United won 5–0 on aggregate.
----
{{football box
|date=9 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Birmingham City
|score=2–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17919423 Report]
|team2=Blackpool
|goals1=Žigić {{goal|64}}
Davies {{goal|73}}
|goals2=Dobbie {{goal|45}}
M. Phillips {{goal|48}}
|stadium=St Andrew's, Birmingham
|attendance=28,483
|referee=Chris Foy
}}
Blackpool won 3–2 on aggregate.
=Final=
{{main|2012 Football League Championship play-off final}}
{{football box
|date=19 May 2012
|time=15:00
|team1=Blackpool
|score=1–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18044378 Report]
|team2=West Ham United
|goals1=Ince {{goal|48}}
|goals2=Cole {{goal|35}}
Vaz Tê {{goal|87}}
|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London
|attendance=78,523
|referee=Howard Webb
}}
League One
{{main|2011–12 Football League One}}
| 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|Sheffield United
|46 | 27 | 9 | 10 | 92 | 51 | +41 | 90 |
| style="background:#addfad;"
|4 | align=left|Huddersfield Town
|46 | 21 | 18 | 7 | 79 | 47 | +32 | 81 |
| 5 | align=left|Milton Keynes Dons
|46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 84 | 47 | +37 | 80 |
| 6 | align=left|Stevenage
|46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 73 |
=Semi-finals=
;First leg
{{football box
|date=11 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Stevenage
|score=0–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17971363 Report]
|team2=Sheffield United
|stadium=Lamex Stadium, Stevenage
|attendance=5,802
|referee=Anthony Bates
}}
----
{{football box
|date=12 May 2012
|time=12:30
|team1=Milton Keynes Dons
|score=0–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17971381 Report]
|team2=Huddersfield Town
|goals2=Rhodes {{goal|32}}
Hunt {{goal|73}}
|stadium=Stadium mk, Milton Keynes
|attendance=11,893
|referee=Darren Deadman
}}
;Second leg
{{football box
|date=14 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Sheffield United
|score=1–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17980126 Report]
|team2=Stevenage
|goals1=Porter {{goal|85}}
|stadium=Bramall Lane, Sheffield
|attendance=21,182
|referee=Nigel Miller
}}
Sheffield United won 1–0 on aggregate.
----
{{football box
|date=15 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Huddersfield Town
|score=1–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17989104 Report]
|team2=Milton Keynes Dons
|goals1=Rhodes {{goal|18}}
|goals2=Powell {{goal|39}}
Smith {{goal|90+2}}
|stadium=Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield
|attendance=15,085
|referee=Scott Mathieson
}}
Huddersfield Town won 3–2 on aggregate.
=Final=
{{main|2012 Football League One play-off final}}
{{football box
|date=26 May 2012
|time=15:00
|team1=Huddersfield Town
|score=0–0
|aet=yes
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18127853 Report]
|team2=Sheffield United
|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London
|attendance=52,100
|referee=Roger East
|penalties1=Miller {{penmiss}}
Johnson {{penmiss}}
Lee {{penmiss}}
Clarke {{pengoal}}
Arfield {{pengoal}}
Rhodes {{pengoal}}
Roberts {{pengoal}}
Woods {{pengoal}}
Hunt {{pengoal}}
Morrison {{pengoal}}
Smithies {{pengoal}}
|penaltyscore=8–7
|penalties2={{penmiss}} Williamson
{{pengoal}} Collins
{{penmiss}} Lowton
{{penmiss}} Taylor
{{pengoal}} Porter
{{pengoal}} Quinn
{{pengoal}} Maguire
{{pengoal}} Doyle
{{pengoal}} O'Halloran
{{pengoal}} Hill
{{penmiss}} Simonsen
}}
League Two
{{main|2011–12 Football League Two}}
| 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|Southend United
|46 | 25 | 8 | 13 | 77 | 48 | +29 | 83 |
| 5 | align=left|Torquay United
|46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 63 | 50 | +13 | 81 |
| 6 | align=left|Cheltenham Town
|46 | 23 | 8 | 15 | 66 | 50 | +16 | 77 |
| style="background:#addfad;"
|7 | align=left|Crewe Alexandra
|46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 59 | {{0}}+8 | 72 |
=Semi-finals=
;First leg
{{football box
|date=12 May 2012
|time=17:30
|team1=Crewe Alexandra
|score=1–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17971420 Report]
|team2=Southend United
|goals1=Dugdale {{goal|50}}
|stadium=Alexandra Stadium, Crewe
|attendance=7,221
|referee=Michael Naylor
}}
----
{{football box
|date=13 May 2012
|time=12:00
|team1=Cheltenham Town
|score=2–0
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17973092 Report]
|team2=Torquay United
|goals1=McGlashan {{goal|27}}
Burgess {{goal|50}}
|stadium=Abbey Business Stadium, Cheltenham
|attendance=5,273
|referee=James Adcock
}}
;Second leg
{{football box
|date=16 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Southend United
|score=2–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18001648 Report]
|team2=Crewe Alexandra
|goals1=Harris {{goal|64}}
Barker {{goal|87}}
|goals2=Leitch-Smith {{goal|24}}
Clayton {{goal|86}}
|stadium=Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea
|attendance=8,190
|referee=Darren Drysdale
}}
Crewe Alexandra won 3–2 on aggregate.
----
{{football box
|date=17 May 2012
|time=19:45
|team1=Torquay United
|score=1–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18015756 Report]
|team2=Cheltenham Town
|goals1=Atieno {{goal|85}}
|goals2=McGlashan {{goal|75}}
Pack {{goal|87}}
|attendance=3,606
|referee=Andy D'Urso
}}
Cheltenham Town won 4–1 on aggregate.
=Final=
{{main|2012 Football League Two play-off final}}
{{football box
|date=27 May 2012
|time=15:00
|team1=Cheltenham Town
|score=0–2
|report=[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18135731 Report]
|team2=Crewe Alexandra
|goals2=Powell {{goal|15}}
Moore {{goal|82}}
|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London
|attendance=24,029
|referee=Craig Pawson
}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100706054406/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/Home Football League website]
- [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17288116 Football League Ups and downs]
{{Football League Championship play-off finals}}
{{Football League One play-off finals}}
{{Football League Two play-off finals}}
{{2011–12 in English football}}