2015 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 2014–15 season (referred to as the Sky Bet Play-Offs for sponsorship reasons) began in May 2015 with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London.

Football League play-offs

Season	2014–15
Champions	Norwich City (Championship) Preston North End (League One) Southend United (League Two)
Matches played	15
Goals scored	51 (3.4 per match)
Biggest home win	Middlesbrough 3–0 Brentford (Championship) Preston 3–0 Chesterfield (League One)
Biggest away win	Plymouth 2–3 Wycombe (League Two)
Highest scoring	Swindon 5–5 Sheffield United (10 goals)
Highest attendance	85,656 – Middlesbrough v Norwich (Championship Final)
Lowest attendance	5,183 – Stevenage v Southend United (League Two semi-final)
Average attendance	24,491
← 2014 2016 →

The play-offs began at the semi-final stage with all semi-finals being played over two legs, contested by the teams who finished 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 then advanced to the finals, with the winner of the final 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.

Championship

Main article: 2014–15 Football League Championship

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Norwich City	46	25	11	10	88	48	+40	86
4	Middlesbrough	46	25	10	11	68	37	+31	85
5	Brentford	46	23	9	14	78	59	+19	78
6	Ipswich Town	46	22	12	12	72	54	+18	78

Semi-finals

First leg

8 May 2015

19:45

Brentford	1–2	Middlesbrough
Gray 54'	BBC Report	Vossen 26' Amorebieta 90+3'

Griffin Park, London

Attendance: 11,691

Referee: Jon Moss

9 May 2015

12:15

Ipswich Town	1-1	Norwich City
Anderson 45'	BBC Report	Howson 41'

Portman Road, Ipswich

Attendance: 29,166

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Second leg

15 May 2015

19:45

Middlesbrough	3–0	Brentford
Tomlin 23' Kike 55' Adomah 78'	BBC Report

Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough

Attendance: 33,266

Referee: Lee Mason

Middlesbrough won 5–1 on aggregate.

16 May 2015

12:15

Norwich City	3-1	Ipswich Town
Hoolahan 50' Redmond 64' Jerome 76'	BBC Report	Smith 60'

Carrow Road, Norwich

Attendance: 26,994

Referee: Roger East

Norwich City won 4-2 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 2015 Football League Championship play-off final

25 May 2015

15:00

Middlesbrough	0-2	Norwich
	BBC Report

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 85,656

Referee: Mike Dean

League One

Main article: 2014–15 Football League One

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Preston North End	46	25	14	7	79	40	+39	89
4	Swindon Town	46	23	10	13	76	57	+19	79
5	Sheffield United	46	19	14	13	66	53	+13	71
6	Chesterfield	46	19	12	15	68	55	+13	69

Semi-finals

First leg

7 May 2015

19:45

Chesterfield	0–1	Preston North End
	BBC Report	Beckford 6'

Proact Stadium, Chesterfield

Attendance: 8,409

Referee: Mark Haywood

7 May 2015

19:45

Sheffield United	1–2	Swindon Town
Freeman 19'	BBC Report	Ricketts 51' Byrne 90+4'

Bramall Lane, Sheffield

Attendance: 20,890

Referee: Darren Bond

Second leg

10 May 2015

12:15

Preston North End	3–0	Chesterfield
Beckford 38', 87' Garner 62' (pen.)	BBC Report

Deepdale, Preston

Attendance: 15,641

Referee: Andy D'Urso

Preston North End won 4–0 on aggregate.

11 May 2015

19:45

Swindon Town	5–5	Sheffield United
Gladwin 4', 10' Smith 18', 59' (pen.) Obika 84'	BBC Report	Thompson 19' (o.g.) Basham 38' Davies 65' Done 88' Adams 90'

County Ground, Swindon

Attendance: 13,065

Referee: Keith Hill

Swindon Town won 7–6 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 2015 Football League One play-off final

24 May 2015

17:30

Preston North End	4–0	Swindon Town
Beckford 3', 44', 57' Huntington 13'	Report

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 48,236

Referee: Andrew Madley

League Two

Main article: 2014–15 Football League Two

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
4	Wycombe Wanderers	46	23	15	8	67	45	+22	84
5	Southend United	46	24	12	10	54	38	+16	84
6	Stevenage	46	20	12	14	62	54	+8	72
7	Plymouth Argyle	46	20	11	15	55	37	+18	71

Semi-finals

First leg

9 May 2015

19:45

Plymouth Argyle	2–3	Wycombe Wanderers
Ansah 86' Banton 89'	BBC Report	Hayes 10' Amadi-Holloway 22' Craig 52'

Home Park, Plymouth

Attendance: 14,175

Referee: Peter Bankes

10 May 2015

18:35

Stevenage	1–1	Southend United
Parrett 51'	BBC Report	Corr 60'

Lamex Stadium, Stevenage

Attendance: 5,183

Referee: Keith Stroud

Second leg

14 May 2015

19:45

Wycombe Wanderers	2–1	Plymouth Argyle
Hayes 7' Mawson 35'	BBC Sport	Brunt 70'

Adams Park, High Wycombe

Attendance: 7,750

Referee: Nigel Miller

Wycombe Wanderers won 5–3 on aggregate.

14 May 2015

19:45

Southend United	3–1 (a.e.t.)	Stevenage
Leonard 67' McLaughlin 108' Timlin 120'	BBC Sport	Pett 55'

Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea

Attendance: 8,998

Referee: Graham Scott

Southend United won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

Main article: 2015 Football League Two play-off final

23 May 2015

17:30

Southend United	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Wycombe Wanderers
Pigott 120+2'	Report	Bentley 95' (o.g.)
Penalties
Pigott Coker Leonard Payne Timlin Barrett Weston Bolger	7–6	Murphy Mawson Hayes Bloomfield Bean Jacobson Amadi-Holloway Wood

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 38,252

Referee: Simon Hooper

References

• "Dates for Sky Bet Football League Play-Offs confirmed". The Football League. 9 March 2015.