1998 Football League Second Division play-off Final

The 1998 Football League Second Division play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium, London on 24 May 1998 at the end of the 1997–98 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from Second Division to the First Division, and was contested by Grimsby Town, who finished third during the league season, and Northampton Town, who finished fourth. The teams reached the final by defeating Fulham and Bristol Rovers respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.

1998 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Grimsby Town Northampton Town
1 0
Date24 May 1998
VenueWembley Stadium, London
RefereeTerry Heilbron
Attendance62,988

Grimsby won the final 1–0 thanks to a goal from Kevin Donovan in the 20th minute to seal their place in the second tier of English football.[1][2] Grimsby had to wait 120 years to reach Wembley and before this game had won the Football League Trophy earlier on in the season.

Route to the final
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Grimsby Town 461915125537+1872
4Northampton Town 461817115237+1571
5Bristol Rovers 4620101670640+670
6Fulham 462010166043+1770

Semi-finals
First leg
Fulham1–1Grimsby Town
Beardsley  45' (pen) Report Smith  53'
Attendance: 13,954
Referee: Terry Heilbron
Bristol Rovers3–1Northampton Town
Beadle  30' (pen.)
Bennett  37'
Hayles  46'		 Report Gayle  74'
Attendance: 9,173
Referee: Rob Harris
Second leg
Grimsby Town1–0Fulham
Donovan  81' Report
Attendance: 8,689
Referee: Clive Wilkes

Grimsby Town won 2–1 on aggregate.

Northampton Town3–0Bristol Rovers
Heggs  34'
Clarkson  61'
Warburton  77'		 Report
Attendance: 7,501
Referee: Mick Fletcher

Northampton Town won 4–3 on aggregate.

Match

Details
Grimsby Town1–0Northampton Town
Donovan  19' Report
Attendance: 62,988
Referee: Terry Heilbron
GKAidan Davison
DFJohn McDermott
DFTony Gallimore
DFMark Lever
DFPeter Handyside
MFWayne Burnett
MFPaul Groves
MFKevin Donovan
MFDavid Smith 66'
FWJack Lester
FWLee Nogan 60'
Substitutes:
MFKevin Jobling
MFKingsley Black 66'
FWSteve Livingstone 60'
Manager:
Alan Buckley
GKAndy Woodman
DFIan Clarkson
DFJohn Frain
DFColin Hill 60'
DFIan Sampson
DFRay Warburton
MFDean Peer
MFJames Hunt
FWJohn Gayle 56'
FWChris Freestone
FWCarl Heggs
Substitutes:
MFJason Dozzell
MFAli Gibb 60'
FWDavid Seal 56'
Manager:
Ian Atkins

Match rules:

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Maximum of three substitutions.

See also

References
  1. "Soccerbase football statistics". Soccerbase. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  2. "Grimsby bounce back to Division 1". BBC Sport. 24 May 1998. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
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