2006 Football League play-offs
| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions |
Watford (Championship) Barnsley (League One) Cheltenham Town (League Two) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 31 (2.07 per match) |
| Biggest home win |
Grimsby 2–1 Lincoln (League Two) |
| Biggest away win |
Crystal Palace 0–3 Watford (Championship) |
| Highest scoring |
Hud'field 1–3 Barnsley Barnsley 2–2 Swansea (4 goals) |
| Highest attendance |
64,736 – Leeds v Watford (Championship final) |
| Lowest attendance |
5,936 – Wycombe v Cheltenham (League Two semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 22,720 |
|
← 2005 2007 → | |
The Football League play-offs for the 2005–06 season will be held in May 2006, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the last time. The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs and will contested by the teams who finish 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 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 Championship, Watford, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 2000, finished 9 points behind second placed Sheffield United, who in turn finished 16 points behind champions Reading, who were promoted to the top flight for the first time in the club's history. Preston North End who missed out on promotion from playoffs the season before and have not been in the top flight since 1961, finished in fourth place in the table. Leeds United who are aiming to bounce back to the Premier League at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished 3 points behind Leeds United and were looking for a place back in the Premiership after relegation on final day of last season.
Championship
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 81 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 80 |
| 5 | Leeds United | 46 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 78 |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
Leeds United win 3–1 on aggregate.
Watford won 3–0 on aggregate.
Final
21 May 2006 15:00 |
| Leeds United | 0–3 | Watford |
|---|---|---|
| Report | DeMerit  25'Sullivan 57' (o.g.) Henderson 84' (pen.) |
League One
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 76 |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 73 |
| 5 | Barnsley | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 72 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 78 | 55 | +23 | 71 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
Swansea City won 3–1 on aggregate.
15 May 2006 19:45 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1–3 | Barnsley |
|---|---|---|
| Worthington 65' |
Report | Hayes 58' (pen.) Reid 71'Nardiello 78' |
Barnsley won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
27 May 2006 15:00 |
| Barnsley | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Hayes 19' Nardiello 62' |
Report | Fallon 28' Robinson 40' |
| Penalties | ||
Hayes  McPhail Heckingbottom Kay |
4–3 | Trundle Britton Akinfenwa Tudur Jones Tate |
League Two
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 78 |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 72 |
| 6 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 72 | 56 | +16 | 71 |
| 7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 15 | 21 | 10 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 66 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
- Second leg
Grimsby Town won 3–1 on aggregate.
Cheltenham Town won 2–1 on aggregate.