Best Playoff Finals

Division Two 1988

Middlesbrough 2 Chelsea 1

Chelsea are the only team to have been relegated from the top-flight via the play-offs. Under the system - used for this season only - the team finishing 18th in Division 1 played off against the 3rd, 4th and 5th placed teams in Division 2.

In the semis, Chelsea beat Blackburn 6-1 on aggregate, whilst Middlesbrough beat Bradford City 4-1.

Then in the first-leg of the final at Ayresome Park, Boro won 2-0 with goals by Trevor Senior and Bernie Slaven.

In the return leg, a Gordon Durie goal gave Chelsea a 1-0 win, but it wasn't enough as Middlesbrough were promoted.

A year later Chelsea were promoted as Division 1 champions, while Boro made a swift return to Division 2.

First Division 1993

Swindon Town 4 Leicester City 3

After a goalless first period Swindon got the second-half off to a flyer as goals from Glenn Hoddle, Craig Maskell and Shaun Taylor put them 3-0 up within nine minutes of the re-start.

Not to be outdone, Leicester responded with three quick-fire goals of their own -Julian Joachim, Steve Walsh and Steve Thompson the scorers in an eleven-minute spell.

Then, with five minutes remaining Swindon were awarded a penalty and Paul Bodin smashed the ball home to win it.

First Division 1995

Bolton Wanderers 4 Reading 3

Reading reached the top-flight for the first time in their history in 2006, but 11 seasons earlier they blew an excellent chance of promotion against Bolton Wanderers.

Leading 2-0 through Lee Nogan and Adrian Williams the Royals saw themselves pegged back by Owen Coyle, before a late Fabian de Freitas equalizer sent the game into extra-time.

In the added period Bolton seized control of the game with strikes from Mixu Paatelainen and De Freitas, although a Jimmy Quinn goal for Reading set up a nervy finish.

First Division 1996

Leicester City 2 Crystal Palace 1 (aet)

Another cracking play-off final saw Andy Roberts' give the Eagles and early lead which they held until the 76th minute.

Then Leicester were awarded a penalty, and Garry Parker stepped up to cooly level the contest.

With no further score the game went to extra-time, and looked to be heading for penalties when Steve Claridge won it with a late, late strike.

Eagles fans would only have to wait 12 months for play-off revenge when they edged out Sheffield United in heart-breaking fashion.

First Division 1997

Crystal Palace 1 Sheffield United 0

Having fallen at the death the previous year, Palace were back. The game itself was far from a classic, but the strike that won it was one of the best seen at Wembley.

With the game deadlocked, and extra-time beckoning, the ball fell to David Hopkin, some 20-yards out and he crashed in a superb, curling shot with virtually the last kick of the game.

Division Two 1999

Manchester City 2 Gillingham 2 (aet)
Manchester City won 3-1 on penalties

In the season that Manchester United produced a stunning late show to win the Champions League, City produced an equally amazing comeback - albeit at a less rarified level.

Entering the 89th minute of the play-off final, Gillingham had a comfortable and deserved 2-0 lead, when Kevin Horlock's long range effort pulled one back for City.

It looked a mere consolation, but 5 minutes later, with the Gills fans already celebrating their victory, Paul Dickov scored a second to send the match into extra- time.

With no further goals, the match went to a shoot-out with City winning to complete an amazing turnaround.

Division Two 2000

Gillingham 3 Wigan Athletic 2 (aet)

Having been denied in the cruelest of circumstances a year earlier, Gillingham were back at Wembley in 2000.

After the heartbreak of 1999, the Gills were in no mood to let this one slip, and they duly opened the scoring through Iffy Onoura. Back came Wigan, leveling through Simon Howarth's deft chip.

Extra-time, and Wigan, despite having Kevin Sharp sent off, took the lead through a Stuart Barlow penalty.

Gillingham fans must have feared the worst, but two goals in four minutes, from player-coach Steve Butler and then Andy Thomson, saw the Gills win promotion to the Championship for the first time in their history.

Second Division 2001

Walsall 3 Reading 2 (aet)

Having gone ahead through Jamie Cureton, the Royals saw their lead cancelled out by Don Goodman shortly after half-time.

Then, in extra-time, Reading were in front again, Martin Butler the scorer. But again, they couldn't hold their lead, with Tony Tougier's own goal and a strike by Darren Byfield winning it for Walsall.

Championship 2008

Hull City 1 Bristol City 0

The opening was tense and cagey with few chances for either side, but the game was turned on its head by a moment of magic from Hull's local hero, Dean Windass.

On 38 minutes, Windass received a pass from Frazier Campbell and rifled in an unstoppable right-foot volley from 18-yards.

The Robins came out fighting in the second-half and they came close when Michael Turner had to block Lee Trundle's shot on the line, but Hull held out for the win

The Tigers had never played in the top-flight throughout their 104 year history,so it was perhaps fitting that the winner should come from one of their own.