In 1987 the Football League play-offs were introduced as something of a temporary measure while the English football pyramid underwent a period of reconstruction, but over three decades later this “quick fix” is still going strong; often providing the highlight of what would otherwise be a dull and forgettable season.
Initially a two-season-long process designed to reduce the number of teams in the top tier from 22 to 20, while increasing the size of the lower divisions to form three divisions of 24 clubs, this end of season football fiesta has now become an integral part of the season, spicing up the dullest of campaigns and providing agony and ecstasy in equal measure.
But this wasn’t English football’s first flirtation with the play-off system. As early as 1892, just three years after the Football League was founded, the bottom three teams of Division One faced the top three in Division Two as the game’s founding fathers introduced radical new measures to decide relegation and promotion between the two fledgling leagues.
This resulted in a series of post-season games which would determine the future of the lowest finishers of the First Division and the best of the Second Division in what became known as “Test Matches” with Newton Heath (later to become Manchester United) being relegated and replaced by Liverpool in 1894 in one such high-profile encounter.
So as they had almost 100 years previously a similar system was adopted in 1987 with the four teams involved coming from the three that had finished directly below the automatic promotions positions, along with the club which finished directly above the automatic relegation places in the division above; with the winner either going up or avoiding the drop.
However, despite so much being at stake and the hopes and dreams of thousands of supporters on the line, not to mention the future of the clubs involved, the games were not shown on television and generally ignored by the written press who decided to pretty much ignore the games and give preferential coverage to the start of the new cricket season instead.
Having overcome Ipswich and Oldham respectively in their semi-finals Leeds United found themselves facing Charlton Athletic in the only game which would pit two teams from each division against each other in the ultimate battle of survival and after the two games finished level on aggregate the two sides would face each other once more in a replay at Birmingham’s St Andrew’s ground which Charlton won in extra-time to secure their First Division safety.
Other victors that season would see Swindon, who won a replay against Gillingham to gain promotion from the Third Division and Aldershot overcome Wolves to secure a place in the third-tier for the following season in a series of epic games which went largely unnoticed by the media and the majority of football fans alike.
Still not convinced by the new system Swindon manager Lou Macari made his feelings quite clear at the time despite winning the tie and securing promotion for the Robins. “I never want to go through a night like that again,” he said. The play-offs are unfair and should be scrapped.”
The format remained the same the following season with three sides battling for promotion and one to avoid relegation though it didn’t necessarily favour the so-called better teams from the division above.
Of the six teams involved from higher leagues in those first two years, five ultimately went down, most notably Chelsea, who dropped out of the First Division after losing 2-1 on aggregate to Middlesbrough in a game which was marred by crowd trouble at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps as a result the following season saw four teams from each division battling it out for promotion in the same way that they do now; except that the final was still played over two-legs on a home and away basis as Crystal Palace, Bristol Rovers and Wrexham all tasted success.
Probably the biggest change came in 1990 when a one-off final at Wembley was introduced to be played between the two victorious semi-finalists and the play-offs as we know them today were born.
And who could forget such epic clashes as Swindon Town’s 4-3 win over Leicester in 1993, Manchester City’s late, late show against Gillingham in 1999 and Charlton’s epic 4-4 draw with Sunderland in 1998 which was finally decided after 14 spot kicks?
From their introduction in 1987 to this day the play-offs have divided opinion among managers, players and fans as often the sides who have finished higher in the table are denied promotion by a side significantly worse off over the season who have found a rich vein of form just at the right time.
“We finished seven points clear of Leeds. So to go out to them means there is something unjust,” said Oldham boss Joe Royle following his side’s semi-final defeat in 1987. “I welcomed the play-offs but possibly hadn’t considered the long-term ramifications.”
While despite his side losing in 2001, Leyton Orient Chairman Barry Hearn was still able to acknowledge that the play-offs were: “the best invention ever.”
Whatever your position, there’s no denying that the drama and excitement provided by this mini-tournament in May often eclipses anything that is seen during the regular season, or even the showpiece finals which take place at the end of each campaign; not to mention becoming an integral part of the English footballing calender in the process.
And that’s why, for now at least, it appears they are here to stay.
