2016 Play-Off Finals – The Last Chance At Promotion

So this year’s season is wrapping up shortly – Leicester made the fairytale come true to win the Premier League, Burnley went straight back up with Middlesbrough returning after 7 years away, Wigan get back on the right path and head back to the Championship having only been in the top tier as recently as 2013 whereas Burton continue to surprise with automatic promotion in their first ever year in the third tier, and in League Two Northampton Town put financial worries aside to demolish the division, with Oxford United and Bristol Rovers joining them on the promotion ride to League One.

Meanwhile Cheltenham Town went straight back up to the Football League after a year away, and Grimsby Town took the play-off route to promotion. Leading us quite nicely on to our topic…

There’s three promotion places left – one in the Championship, one in League One and one in League Two. While it may not always work out well (Norwich (pictured) won promotion to the Premiership via last year’s Championship play-off, only to be relegated a few weeks ago), the opportunity can’t be missed.

Who’s in contention when the teams head to Wembley this weekend?

Both of Hull and Sheffield Wednesday’s games this season ended in draws: 1-1 and 0-0.

CHAMPIONSHIP PLAY-OFF FINAL: Hull (4th) vs. Sheffield Wednesday (6th)

Hull’s recent history puts them favourites in this one, and not just because they placed higher than Wednesday – after achieving the top flight of football for their first ever time less than 10 years ago, they’ve had two runs with the sport’s biggest names (2008-2010, 2013-2015) and now could be going for their third period in the Premier League if they can win this weekend.

They go up against Sheffield Wednesday – no stranger to the Premier League themselves, but considerably more desperate to return: a top-level name in English Football, Wednesday have spent a total of 66 years in the top flight but are currently in the longest period of time they’ve ever been away from it – having not been in the Premier League since 2000. Such has been the struggles for the team, this is actually their first opportunity to even get promoted back to the top flight since then (top 6 in the Championship).

Either way, the glory land awaits – and after Leicester’s triumph this year, both teams will want the opportunity to say “Never Say Never”.

Barnsley did the double over Millwall this year – a 3-2 win away and 2-1 at home.

LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL: Millwall (4th) vs. Barnsley (6th)

Millwall have spent the majority of their Football League career in the third tier, but only just (by two seasons) – this weekend, they get the chance to fight for a 41st season in the Championship (second division). It’s been a while now since the ultimate high of top-flight football (1988-1990), but an immediate return to the Championship having been relegated just last year will be exactly what they’re looking for.

The current Football League Trophy holders Barnsley will look to prevent that from happening – especially as a longer Championship (division two) mainstay than their opponents this weekend (76 seasons). They’ve been in League One for the past two seasons now, having been relegated from the Championship in 2014.

Whoever wins will be finishing a short stay in League One, and returning to better-known levels of competition.

Both teams won away this season: 3-2 for Plymouth, and 2-1 for Wimbledon.

LEAGUE TWO PLAY-OFF FINAL: Plymouth (5th) vs. AFC Wimbledon (7th)

With three automatic promotion places in League Two, we have a consistent across all three play-off finals: the teams that finished 2nd and 4th in their respective league play-off zones all made it through to the finals.

Only as recently as 2010, Plymouth Argyle were in the Championship – but successive relegations that year and in League One in 2011 mean that, for the past five seasons, the team have just hung on to being in the Football League (in 2011-12 they were 2 points from relegation, and 2012-13 just 1 point). Since then, Argyle have headed in the right direction – 10th, 7th (losing in the play-off semi finals to Wycombe Wanderers) and now 5th this season. A return to League One would be another celebration Argyle can have in recent years.

In their way are AFC Wimbledon – one of the youngest clubs in English Football, having been formed a mere 14 years ago in 2002. Fans consider the club a “phoenix” team, rising from the “ashes” of Wimbledon F.C. (now known as Milton Keynes Dons, having been moved to the town in 2003) and have been rampant since their beginnings. Starting in the ninth tier of English Football, they’ve already been promoted five times (and never looking back); in the process becoming the first team formed in the 21st century to reach the Football League. Should they be promoted, there’s a juicy carrot dangling right in front of them: MK Dons were relegated to League One this season, so they could end up in the same league very shortly…

Another interesting battle awaits – who’ll take the step up on Monday?

Ashley Redman
Still trying to win promotion himself