That’s it. The season has finally finished and it now all boils down to who can hold their nerve to secure promotion. As a neutral, you can sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that your team is already making preparations for the upcoming campaign.
For those fans who will now be chewing their fingernails down to the bone, the drama is just about to begin – or, in the case of League One, has already unfolded. We already know that Bradford City and Millwall are set to go head to head, but who from the Championship and League Two can clinch promotion?
The play-offs are entertainment central; a make or break lottery. My countdown of the greatest ever encounters in this thrilling end of season finale continues right here. You can recap 30-26, 25-21 and 20-16, but here are 15-11.
15. POOLS HUNG OUT TO DRY
2005 League One play-off final: Hartlepool United 2-4 Sheffield Wednesday
Having lost in the 2004 play-off semi-final to two late Bristol City goals, Hartlepool were aiming to go one step further and reach the second tier for the first time in the club's history. Wednesday, relegated from Division One in 2003, had suffered a transitional first season in the third tier, but mounted a serious promotion bid under Paul Sturrock in 2005.
Hartlepool's draw at Bournemouth on the final day meant they were able to fend off the Cherries and Bristol City - who beat the Owls 3-2 at Hillsborough - and keep hold of the final play-off position. Wednesday overcame Brentford in the semi-final, while the Pools required penalties to beat Tranmere Rovers and reach the Millennium Stadium final.
Jon-Paul McGovern gave Wednesday the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Eifion Williams levelled just two minutes after the interval. Jon Daly put Hartlepool ahead with 20 minutes remaining, and Martin Scott's side appeared to be on course for promotion until Chris Westwood conceded a penalty for a foul on Drew Talbot and was also dismissed. Steve MacLean converted the resulting spot-kick to send the game to extra time where the Owls made the extra man count. Glenn Whelan struck four minutes into the first period before Talbot added a fourth in the dying embers to seal Wednesday's return to the Championship.
The Pools were relegated the following season while Wednesday returned to the third tier in 2010 after four years in the Championship.
14. FOREST SLAPPED BY GLOVERS
2007 League One play-off semi-final, second leg: Nottingham Forest 2-5 Yeovil Town (4-5 on aggregate)
Trailing 2-0 after the first leg at Huish Park, Yeovil needed nothing short of a minor miracle to overcome a much-fancied Nottingham Forest side at the City Ground. The odds appeared to be against Russell Slade's men, who were the lowest scorers in the top six with just 55 goals all season. In fact, the Glovers had only scored three or more goals on five occasions.
Arron Davies fired home midway through the first half as Yeovil halved the deficit but Scott Dobie's goal two minutes after the break appeared to have Colin Calderwood's side on their way to Wembley. However, when Alan Wright put the ball through his own net with eight minutes remaining the Glovers sensed an upset. With the momentum firmly with the visitors, play-off veteran Marcus Stewart powered a header home three minutes from time to force extra time.
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
Celebrating 30 years of unbridled joy and inconsolable agony, a countdown of the greatest play-off matches: 15-11
Article posted: 11 May 2017
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
Celebrating 30 years of unbridled joy and inconsolable agony, a countdown of the greatest play-off matches: 20-16
9 May 2017
LIFE DOWN UNDER
Former Sheffield United midfielder Nick Montgomery talks about Australian football
10 May 2017
Jubilation for the
travelling Owls fans
Sheffield Wednesday players
celebrate their promotion
Drew Talbot wheels
away in celebration
Marcus Stewart sends the
game to extra time
Nathan Jones celebrates
a magnificent comeback
Aaron Davies scored what
proved to be the winner
The pendulum swung once more in Yeovil's favour as the hosts were reduced to ten men when David Prutton saw red in injury time. Lee Morris capitalised on Wes Morgan's error two minutes into extra time to make it 4-1 on the night and put the Glovers ahead on aggregate, but Grant Holt volleyed home moments later to level the tie once more. With the home crowd urging their team on for a winner, Yeovil broke and Davies added his second to seal an emphatic victory.
Slade's men went on to lose 2-0 to Blackpool in the final, but eventually claimed promotion to the Championship in 2013 - a decade after being crowned Conference champions. Forest won automatic promotion the following season, finishing second behind Swansea City.
13. FORSTER PROVIDES THE CURE
2001 Division Two play-off semi-final, second leg: Reading 2-1 Wigan Athletic (2-1 on aggregate)
Reading went into the play-offs as the division's great entertainers, having been involved in 138 goals throughout the campaign. Wigan, meanwhile, were participating in their third consecutive Division Two play-offs after losing in the 1999 semi-final to Manchester City and 2000 final to Gillingham.
The two sides had played out a dour 0-0 draw at the JJB Stadium three days earlier but, after Kevin Nicholls' goal midway through the first half, it looked like it might still be third time lucky for the Latics who had not only taken the lead, but scored a priceless away goal too. The onus was on Reading to attack and after an hour of relentless pressure, Martin Butler finally made the breakthrough four minutes from time as he prodded home an equaliser from six yards.
Action from a
thrilling encounter
Nicky Forster is mobbed
by Reading fans
The Royals celebrate
their victory
With extra-time looming, Jamie Forster raced clear and was brought down in the area by Kevin Sharp. Referee David Laws had no choice but to point to the spot, and when the ever-reliable Jamie Cureton stepped up there appeared to be only one outcome. But Roy Carroll guessed right and saved Cureton's penalty, only for the rebound to fall to Forester who made no mistake as he fired Reading to Wembley.
The Royals went on to lose 3-2 after extra time to Walsall, the second time they had lost in a play-off final. Wigan were promoted as champions two seasons later.
12. TAYLOR'S SUPER SUBS
2000 Division Two play-off final: Wigan Athletic 2-3 Gillingham
Both teams had been beaten by Manchester City in the 1999 play-offs, Wigan at the semi-final stage and Gillingham in the unforgettable final. Having finished third and fourth respectively, there was little to split the two sides who had beaten Stoke City and Millwall to reach Wembley.
The Gills, with eight players from their previous play-off heartache in the squad, went ahead when Pat McGibbon diverted Carl Asaba's cross past Derek Stillie despite the best efforts of Arjan De Zeeuw to prevent it from crossing the line. Simon Howarth then scored one of the finest Wembley goals when his magnificent lob looped over Vince Bartram and into the far corner to level the scores just before the hour mark.
Carl Asaba celebrates
the opening goal
No more heartache
for the Gills
Gillingham Division
One bound at last
Kevin Sharp was dismissed by Rob Styles with four minutes remaining for a second bookable offence before the game went to extra time. Gillingham's Barry Ashby conceded a penalty and Stuart Barlow calmly converted to put Wigan ahead as it looked like a case of deja vu for the Kent outfit. But goals from Steve Butler and Andy Thomson, brought on as substitutes by Peter Taylor, in the second period sent Gillingham to Division One.
The Gills spent five seasons in the second tier before being relegated in 2005. They have since slipped into the fourth tier twice, returning to League One as champions in 2013.
11. BANTAM WEIGHTS DELIVER KNOCK-OUT
1996 Division Two play-off semi-final, second leg: Blackpool 0-3 Bradford City (2-3 on aggregate)
Leading 2-0 from the first leg at Valley Parade, Blackpool were firm favourites to progress to the Division Two play-off final under Sam Allardyce. Bradford, meanwhile, had secured their place in the top six thanks to a 3-2 victory at Hull City on the final day, pipping Chesterfield to the post.
Both sides had won the corresponding home league fixtures during the campaign, and the Seasiders had narrowly missed out on automatic promotion by one point to Oxford United. Late goals from Mark Bonner and Tony Ellis had put Blackpool in a healthy position heading back to Bloomfield Road, but the Bantams had other ideas.
Mark Bonner's goal wasn't
enough for Blackpool
Sam Allardyce was eventually
sacked by the Seasiders
Bradford would go on
to clinch promotion
Carl Shutt halved the deficit six minutes before the interval before Des Hamilton levelled the tie midway through the second half. Mark Stallard then fired Bradford into the final with twelve minutes remaining and, in doing so, completed one of the greatest play-off turn arounds.
The Bantams went on to clinch promotion to Division One as goals from Hamilton and Stallard were enough to overcome Notts County at Wembley. Blackpool were relegated from the Division Two in 2000, having spent eight seasons in the third tier.