When referee George Tyson blew his whistle at Elland Road on Thursday 14 May 1987, little did the footballing world know the true drama that was about to engross a captivated audience.
Leeds United, aiming to secure promotion from the Second Division, eventually won the first ever English Football League play-off 1-0 against Oldham Athletic thanks to Keith Edwards’ 89th minute goal.
Since its inception, 96 teams have competed in the play-offs – from Maidstone United in 1990, to Manchester City in 1999. There have been moments of pure jubilation amongst fans and players alike, and there have been scenes of utter anguish and despair too.
In celebration of three decades of the play-offs, I am counting down the 30 greatest ever encounters. Here are 30-26:
30. SIMONSEN PAYS THE PENALTY
2012 League One play-off final: Huddersfield Town 0-0 Sheffield United (8-7 on penalties)
Sheffield United were looking for an immediate return to the Championship after finishing a lowly 23rd the previous season. Huddersfield, meanwhile, were competing in their third successive League One play-off campaign having lost out to Brentford in the semi-final in 2010 and Peterborough United in the final in 2011. To get to this stage, the Blades had beaten Stevenage 1-0 on aggregate courtesy of Chris Porter's strike five minutes from time in the second leg at Bramall Lane. Town overcame Milton Keynes Dons 3-2 on aggregate, winning the first leg 2-0 at Stadium MK.
This is perhaps not one of the more enthralling play-off finals ever contested, but the nail-biting drama of an incredible penalty shoot-out that went down to the goalkeepers is enough for this match to warrant a place in the top 30. The Yorkshire rivals slugged it out for 120 minutes without breaking the deadlock, and when Roger East blew his final whistle it was time for the contest to be settled in the cruellest way imaginable.
The score was 1-1 with four penalties taken each in the shoot-out. Steve Simonsen had pulled off two saves to deny Lee Miller and Alan Lee, while opposite number Alex Smithies had also thwarted Lee Williamson and Matthew Lowton as it looked as though one of the goalkeepers would prove to be the hero. Twelve successful spot kicks later and Smithies stepped up to put the Terriers in pole position for promotion. With the eyes of 52,000 fans firmly locked on him, Simonsen blazed his penalty into the Wembley crowd to condemn United to at least another campaign in League One.
Huddersfield, who had been in Division Three just eight years previously, had returned to the England's second tier for the first time since 2001. It was manager Simon Grayson's second success in this final, having previously led Blackpool to promotion in 2007.
29. HE’S NOT HAD THE BEST NIGHT
2007 Championship play-off semi-final, second leg: Derby County 2-3 Southampton (4-4 aggregate) (4-3 on penalties)
Defeat for Derby County at Crystal Palace on the penultimate game of the season meant they could no longer catch Birmingham City and Sunderland in the automatic promotion places. Birmingham their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, ending the Owls' play-off hopes in the process, while Southampton took advantage of Preston North End and Stoke City's inconsistent end of season form to clinch the last play-off spot.
After winning the first leg 2-1 at St. Mary's Stadium, County were firm favourites to see out the contest at Pride Park having finished nine points ahead of the Saints in the league. Darren Moore got the Rams off to the perfect start with a goal inside three minutes, but Jhon Viafara hit back moments later and added a second after the break to level the tie. Leon Best's own goal gave Derby the most slender advantage but Grzegorz Rasiak fired home for Southampton in the dying stages 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: 30-26
Article posted: 4 May 2017
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
I caught up with former Brentford and Gillingham striker Robert Taylor to discuss his play-off experience
2 May 2017
PLAY-OFFS AT 30
League One: Bradford City, Fleetwood Town, Millwall and Scunthorpe United all set to battle it out
3 May 2017
Alex Smithies coolly
converts his spot kick
Huddersfield Town
2012 League One play-off winners
Steve Simonsen blazes
his penalty over the bar
Grzegorz Raziak
forces extra time
Derby County players
celebrate reaching the final
Inigo Idiakez
after his missed penalty
With no more goals to come, the match went to penalties. Best's night continued to go from bad to worse as he failed to convert from twelve yards and four successful spot kicks from the hosts later, all the pressure was on former Ram’s midfielder Inigo Idiakez to keep the Saints in the contest. The Spaniard was unable to find the back of the net and County were in their first play-off final since 1994 - a 1-0 loss to Leicester City.
Derby went onto seal promotion to the Premier League courtesy of Stephen Pearson's solitary goal just after the hour mark against West Bromwich Albion.
28. BAMBER’S RIGHT FOOT
1991 Fourth Division play-off final: Blackpool 2-2 Torquay United (4-5 on penalties)
Torquay United were aiming to secure promotion to Division Three via the play-offs for the second time, having lost to Swansea City in the 1988 final. After finishing seventh in the league, the Gulls beat Burnley 2-1 on aggregate while Blackpool, who, like their Lancashire rivals, had missed out on automatic promotion by one point to Peterborough United, overcame Scunthorpe United to reach the final.
Led by the late Billy Ayre, the Seasiders got off to a flying start in front of 21,000 fans at the old Wembley as Paul Groves found the net inside seven minutes. But Torquay responded through Wes Saunders and a Dean Edwards penalty to ensure they led at the break. Chris Curran's own goal levelled the tie midway through the second half to send the game to extra-time and penalties - the first time a play-off final would be decided by a shoot-out.
Dave Bamber
Blackpool
Dave Bamber's
penalty miss
Gareth Howells
Torquay United
Mark Loram and Tony Rodwell both missed the opening spot kicks for Torquay and Blackpool respectively, and eight successful spot kicks later up stepped Gareth Howells. The Gulls goalkeeper duly converted and then watched on as Dave Bamber's effort flew past his post to send the Devon side into Division Three.
Torquay boss John Impey was sacked just two months into the following campaign having lost seven out of eight games, while Blackpool went onto win secure promotion via the play-offs in 1992. The Gulls also named their fanzine Bamber’s Right Foot, in mockery of the unfortunate striker.
27. BAGGIES CLAIM BRAGGING RIGHTS
2007 Championship play-off semi-final, first leg: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 West Bromwich Albion
Any derby in football is always going to be hotly contested, but when promotion is on the line the natives tend to get a tad more restless. Wolves and West Brom were basically inseparable all season, with identical records (W:22 D:10 L:14) - only the Baggies’ superior goal difference ensured they finished above their local rivals in the league.
Tony Mowbray's side had won 3-0 at the Hawthorns in the league earlier that season, while Mick McCarthy had masterminded a 1-0 victory for Wolves in the reverse fixture. With just short of 28,000 fans crammed into the Molineux for the first leg, the Black Country play-off derby got underway to a crescendo of noise.
Tackles fly in at
the Hawthorns
Kevin Phillips nets
in the second leg
A fiery encounter
threatens to boil over
Kevin Phillips, Wolves tormentor-in-chief, opened the scoring midway through the first half before Jody Craddock's equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Seyi Olifinjana put the hosts in front shortly after the break, but that man Phillips stepped up two minutes later to level the scores and silence the home crowd.
Senegalese forward Diomansy Kamara netted the winner for the Baggies, who took their lead back to the Hawthorns where Phillips - who else? - scored the only goal to send West Brom through to their first Championship play-off final. They would go onto lose 1-0 to Derby County, but eventually secured automatic promotion to the Premier League the following season as champions. Wolves weren't far behind their cross-city rivals, finding their way to the Promised Land in their 2009 title winning campaign.
26. EAGLES SOAR TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE
1997 Division One play-off final: Crystal Palace 1-0 Sheffield United
Crystal Palace were competing in their third play-off final - and second Division One final in succession, having lost to Leicester City the previous season. Steve Coppell's side had beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-final, with Dougie Freedman coming off the bench with 17 minutes remaining to score two goals at Selhurst Park. The Scottish striker netted his brace either side of Jamie Smith's strike for Wolves to seal a 3-1 win.
Sheffield United, meanwhile, had progressed to the final on away goals courtesy of a 3-3 aggregate draw with Ipswich Town. Following a 1-1 draw at Bramall Lane, the Blades were trailing 2-1 at Portman Road but Andy Walker struck with little over ten minutes remaining to send Howard Kendall's side to Wembley.
David Hopkin celebrates
his dramatic late winner
Crystal Palace
1997 Division One play-off winners
Crystal Palace
Premier League bound
The Eagles had agonisingly missed out on promotion in 1996 to Steve Claridge's 120th minute goal, and they dished out their own form of revenge on the distraught Yorkshire club as David Hopkin curled home a brilliant last-gasp winner to send Palace back to the top flight.
United would make the play-offs the following season, but lost out to eventual winners Charlton Athletic in the semi-final.
Read 25-21 here.