1997 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Football League Second Division play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 25 May 1997, at the end of the 1996–97 season. It was the 11th play-off final in all at the third level of English football. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion
from Division Two
to Division One
, and was contested by Brentford
, who had finished fourth during the league season, and Crewe Alexandra
, who had finished sixth. Shaun Smith
scored the only goal of the game to give Crewe a 1-0 victory.
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Brentford:
|
GK
1
Kevin Dearden
RB
2
Gus Hurdle
LB
3
Ijah Anderson
CM
4
Carl Hutchings
CB
5
Jamie Bates
CB
6
David McGhee
CF
7
Carl Asaba
CM
8
Paul Smith
CF
9
Marcus Bent
CM
10
Brian Statham
CF
11
Robert Taylor
Substitutes:
GK
Tamer Fernandes
DF
Barry Ashby
MF
Scott Canham
Manager:
David Webb
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
to Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
, and was contested by Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
, who had finished fourth during the league season, and Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, who had finished sixth. Shaun Smith
Shaun Smith (footballer)
Gareth Shaun Smith is an English former footballer. Smith spent the majority of his career at Crewe Alexandra, playing in 399 League games and 400+ overall....
scored the only goal of the game to give Crewe a 1-0 victory.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | Crewe Alexandra: | ||
| GK | 1 |  Jason KeartonJason Kearton Jason Kearton is an Australian former professional football goalkeeper.-Career:He began his career in his native land, firstly with Coalstars and then with the Brisbane Lions... |
|
| RB | 2 | Lee Unsworth Lee Unsworth Lee Unsworth is a former footballer who played as a defender in the Football League in the 1990s and 2000s.-Playing career:... |
|
| LB | 3 | Shaun Smith Shaun Smith (footballer) Gareth Shaun Smith is an English former footballer. Smith spent the majority of his career at Crewe Alexandra, playing in 399 League games and 400+ overall.... |
|
| CB | 4 | Ashley Westwood Ashley Westwood Ashley Michael Westwood is an English footballer who plays as a central defender for Northampton Town on non-contract terms.... |
|
| CB | 5 | Steve Macauley Steve Macauley Steve Macauley is an ex-professional footballer, who played primarily at centre half. He began his career at Manchester City as a trainee. After a brief spell at local side Fleetwood, he joined Crewe Alexandra in March 1992 for a fee of £25,000... |
|
| CM | 6 | Phil Charnock Phil Charnock Philip Anthony Charnock is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Charnock began his career with Liverpool, and made his debut in 1992 in a Cup Winners' Cup game against Apollon Limassol... |
|
| CM | 7 |  Gareth WhalleyGareth Whalley Gareth Whalley is an English born footballer who qualifies to play for the Republic of Ireland under the parentage rule.-Career:... |
|
| RW | 8 | Colin Little Colin Little Colin Little is an English footballer currently playing for Witton Albion. He plays as a Striker.-Career:Little began his career in non-League football with Rossendale United before signing for Hyde United.... |
|
| CF | 9 |  Dele AdebolaDele Adebola Bamberdele "Dele" Adebola is a Nigerian footballer, who plays as a striker for Hull City.-Early life:... |
|
| AM | 10 | Danny Murphy |
|
| LW | 11 | Mark Rivers Mark Rivers Mark Rivers born 26 November 1975 in Crewe is an English former professional footballer who played as a forward from 1994 until 2006 notably for Crewe Alexandra and Norwich City.-Career:... |
|
| Substitutes: | |||
| GK | Ademola Bankole Ademola Bankole Ademola Bankole is a Nigerian professional footballer born in Lagos on 9 September 1969... |
||
| DF | Chris Lightfoot Chris Lightfoot (footballer) Chris Lightfoot was a professional footballer who played in the Football League for four clubs. He later managed in non-league football.... |
||
| MF | Steve Garvey Steve Garvey (footballer) Stephen Hugh Garvey is an English former professional footballer.Garvey, a winger, began his career as a trainee with Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra in 1991. He remained at Gresty Road for seven years, making 107 league appearances and scoring eight goals for the Railwaymen.In 1998, he moved to... |
||
| MF |  Robbie SavageRobbie Savage Robert William "Robbie" Savage is a football pundit and former Welsh professional footballer who played predominantly as a midfielder. During his career he captained Derby County, and also played for the Welsh national team. He now presents 606 on BBC Radio Five Live on Sunday evenings alongside... |
||
| MF | Seth Johnson Seth Johnson Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:... |
||
| Manager: | |||
| Dario Gradi Dario Gradi Dario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager... |
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Kevin DeardenKevin Dearden
Kevin Charles Dearden is an English former professional football who made more than 400 appearances in the Football League, playing as a goalkeeper for a large number of clubs. He later became a coach.-Playing career:...
Gus HurdleGus Hurdle
Augustus "Gus" Hurdle is a former Engish professional footballer who represented Barbados national football team. He played as a defender.-Early life:...
Ijah AndersonIjah Anderson
Ijah Massai Anderson is a footballer who plays as a defender.Anderson played in The Football League for Brentford, Wycombe Wanderers, Bristol Rovers and Swansea City...
Carl HutchingsCarl Hutchings
Carl Hutchings is an English retired professional association football who played as a defender. In a League career lasting from 1993 to 2003, Hutchings made 295 league appearances, scoring 16 goals, for five different sides.-Career:...
Jamie Bates David McGheeDavid McGhee
David McGhee is an English professional footballer, most noted for his spells at Brentford and Leyton Orient. He is a central defender who can deputise in midfield if required....
Carl AsabaCarl Asaba
Carl Edward Asaba is a former English professional football player who played as a striker.-Career:Asaba first came to prominence at Brentford, debuting in 1994 after joining the club from Dulwich Hamlet. His goalscoring soon attracted attention and Reading signed him for a club record £800,000...
Paul SmithPaul Smith (footballer born 1971)
Paul William Smith is an English professional footballer.Smith was born in East Ham, London and began his career as a trainee with Southend United, turning professional in 1990...
Marcus BentMarcus Bent
Marcus Nathan Bent is an English football striker who plays for Indonesian club Mitra Kukar. A former England under-21 international, the journeyman striker has played for fourteen different clubs, playing over 570 games and scoring 110 goals in the process.A England under-21 international, he...
Brian StathamBrian Statham (footballer)
Brian Statham is an English former professional association football player, best known for his spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford. He also represented the England under-21 team.-Career:...
Robert TaylorRobert Taylor (footballer)
Robert Anthony Taylor is an English retired association football player turned manager. He was appointed as manager of Diss Town of the Eastern Counties Football League on 25 April 2008.-Playing career:...
Tamer FernandesTamer Fernandes
Tamer Fernandes is a retired English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.-Career:Born in Paddington, Fernandes played league football for Brentford and Colchester United. He later played non-league football for Hemel Hempstead Town.-References:...
Barry AshbyBarry Ashby
Barry John Ashby is an English former professional footballer who played as a centre-half. He played for Watford, Brentford and Gillingham during a 17-year professional career....
Scott CanhamScott Canham
Scott Walter Canham is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a midfielder for Torquay United, Brentford and Leyton Orient. He went on to play for several years in non-League football.-Career:...
David WebbDavid Webb (footballer)
David James Webb is an English former professional footballer who made 555 appearances in the Football League playing for Leyton Orient, Southampton, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Leicester City, Derby County, A.F.C. Bournemouth and Torquay United. He became a manager, taking charge of A.F.C...
MATCH RULES
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