Play Off Records

Sheffield United

Similar to Preston the Blades have reached the Championship / Division One play off final twice in three attempts, losing both their finals.

1997 - They finished fifth with 73 points and after beating Wolves 4-3 on aggregate they lost to sixth place Crystal Palace 1-0 in the final.

1998 - They gained one point more than the previous season with 74 points as they finished sixth. They lost 3-2 to third place Sunderland on aggregate, who were defeated by fourth place Charlton in the final.

2003 - As with this season the Blades finished in third place with 80 points but were 12 points behind runners-up Leicester. After a 5-4 aggregate win against Nottingham Forest. Sheffield United lost 3-0 to Wolves in the final.

Sheffield United did play in the 1988 play-offs when they finished third bottom of Division two and were relegated following a 2-1 defeat against Bristol City who finished fifth in Division Three.

Reading

Reading has played in one second tier and one third tier final, losing both of them.

1995 - The Royals did finish runners up to Middlesbrough with 79 points but due to the reformatting for the Premier League from 22 to 20 teams only the winners were automatically promoted.

After beating fifth place Tranmere 3-1 on aggregate they were narrowly beaten 4-3 after extra time against Bolton in the final.

2001 - Finished third in Division Two and won after beating Wigan 2-1 in the semi-final on aggregate, the Royals lost 3-2 after extra time to fourth place Walsall.

Burnley

Following the Clarets highest position in 33 years they are making their Championship play off debut after nine seasons in the division, although they are the only team to win a play off final of the four teams still left in.

1991 - After finishing sixth in Division Four, Burnley was beaten by seventh place Torquay by 2-1 on aggregate in the Semi Final

1994- Fifteen years ago Burnley won the Division Two play off final when they beat Stockport 2-1 in the final. Burnley who had finished sixth had beaten third place Plymouth 3-1 on aggregate.