1997 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Encyclopedia
The 1997 Football League Third Division play-off final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 24 May 1997, to determine the fourth and final team to gain promotion
from the Third Division
to the Second Division
of The Football League
in the 1996–97
season. It was contested by Northampton Town
, who had finished fourth during the league season, and Swansea City
, who had finished fifth. The teams reached the final by defeating Cardiff City
and Chester City
respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
With the game heading for extra time, John Frain
stepped up to score a retaken free kick
past the Swansea City
goalkeeper Roger Freestone
in the third minute of stoppage time.
finished the season in fourth place in the Third Division table with 72 points, fourteen points short of the automatic promotion places. In the play-off semi-final they faced seventh placed Cardiff City
, with the first leg away at Ninian Park
on 11 May 1997 finishing 1–0 to Northampton. In the second match at Sixfields Stadium
three days later, John Gayle
scored the winning goal as Northampton won 3–2 to reach the final.
Swansea City
finished the season in fifth place; one place and one point behind Northampton. Swansea faced sixth placed Chester City
in the play-off semi-final, who they played away form home at the Deva Stadium in the first leg, and drew 0–0. Their progression to the final was confirmed with a 3–0 victory at the Vetch Field
, which ended the tie with an aggregate score of 3–0.
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Swansea City:
|
GK
1
Roger Freestone
DF
2
Dave Penney
DF
5
Christian Edwards
DF
6
Keith Walker
DF
3
Joao Moreira
MF
7
Kwame Ampadu
MF
8
Jan Mølby
MF
24
Jonathan Coates
MF
11
Steve Torpey
FW
9
Carl Heggs
FW
29
Dai Thomas
Substitutes:
FW
27
Linton Brown
Manager:
Jan Mølby
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 the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
to the Second Division
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...
of The Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in the 1996–97
1996-97 in English football
The 1996–1997 season was the 117th season of competitive football in England.Arrival into the league and exit out of the league returns in the fourth tier for the first time after its 3 season absence with only 1 relegation spot.- Premier League :...
season. It was contested by Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
, who had finished fourth during the league season, and Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
, who had finished fifth. The teams reached the final by defeating Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
With the game heading for extra time, John Frain
John Frain
John William Frain is a former English professional footballer who played for Birmingham City and Northampton Town. He played in all four divisions of the Football League, making nearly 500 league appearances for his two clubs....
stepped up to score a retaken free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
past the Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
goalkeeper Roger Freestone
Roger Freestone
Roger Freestone is a former Wales international Goalkeeper.-Club career:Born in Caerleon, near Newport, Monmouthshire, Freestone began his career at Newport County as a trainee before moving to Chelsea in 1987 for £95,000...
in the third minute of stoppage time.
Route to the final
Northampton TownNorthampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
finished the season in fourth place in the Third Division table with 72 points, fourteen points short of the automatic promotion places. In the play-off semi-final they faced seventh placed Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, with the first leg away at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
on 11 May 1997 finishing 1–0 to Northampton. In the second match at Sixfields Stadium
Sixfields Stadium
Sixfields Stadium is a 7,653-capacity all-seater sports stadium in Northampton, England. It has been the home ground of Northampton Town Football Club following their move from the County Ground in October 1994....
three days later, John Gayle
John Gayle (footballer)
John Gayle is an English former professional footballer, who played as a striker. He is most recently manager of defunct Devon County Football League side Newton Abbot.-Career:...
scored the winning goal as Northampton won 3–2 to reach the final.
Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
finished the season in fifth place; one place and one point behind Northampton. Swansea faced sixth placed Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
in the play-off semi-final, who they played away form home at the Deva Stadium in the first leg, and drew 0–0. Their progression to the final was confirmed with a 3–0 victory at the Vetch Field
Vetch Field
The Vetch Field was a multi-purpose stadium in Swansea, Wales. It was used mostly for football matches and was the home ground of Swansea City until the Liberty Stadium opened in 2005. Opened in 1912, the ground held around 12,000 at the time of its closure, but upwards of 30,000 at its peak...
, which ended the tie with an aggregate score of 3–0.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | Northampton Town: | |||
| GK | 1 | Andy Woodman Andy Woodman Andrew John "Andy" Woodman is an English football coach and former player. He is currently goalkeeping coach at Newcastle United... |
||
| DF | 2 | Ian Clarkson Ian Clarkson Ian Stewart Clarkson is an English former professional footballer who made nearly 400 appearances in the Football League playing as a defender for Birmingham City, Stoke City, Northampton Town and Kidderminster Harriers.-Playing career:... |
||
| DF | 5 | Ray Warburton Ray Warburton Raymond "Ray" Warburton is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Warburton started his career at hometown club Rotherham United, before moving on to York City in August 1989. At York he helped the club win promotion form the Third Division in 1992–93... |
||
| DF | 4 | Ian Sampson Ian Sampson Ian Sampson is an English former footballer and manager. He played as a defender for Goole Town, Sunderland, Northampton Town and Tottenham Hotspur... |
||
| DF | 3 | John Frain John Frain John William Frain is a former English professional footballer who played for Birmingham City and Northampton Town. He played in all four divisions of the Football League, making nearly 500 league appearances for his two clubs.... |
||
| MF | 6 | David Rennie David Rennie (footballer) David Rennie in Edinburgh) is a retired Scottish footballer who played as a defensive midfielder or defender. He made more than 400 appearances in the Football League, playing for Leicester City, Leeds United, Bristol City, Birmingham City, Coventry City, Northampton Town and Peterborough... |
||
| MF | 7 | Sean Parrish Sean Parrish Sean Parrish is a Welsh footballer who played as a central midfielder.Parrish began his career at Shrewsbury Town but played only a handful of games before joining non-league club Telford United... |
||
| MF | 11 | Roy Hunter Roy Hunter Roy Hunter is an English footballer, currently playing for Teesside Athletic F.C. He started his career at West Bromwich Albion, before moving Northampton Town where he made 177 Football League appearances... |
||
| FW | 9 | John Gayle John Gayle (footballer) John Gayle is an English former professional footballer, who played as a striker. He is most recently manager of defunct Devon County Football League side Newton Abbot.-Career:... |
||
| FW | 8 | Neil Grayson Neil Grayson Neil Grayson is an English footballer who currently plays for Carlton Town in the position of striker.Grayson's first club was local outfit Rowntree Mackintosh, playing in the Northern Counties East Football League Division One. He was snapped up by Doncaster Rovers in March 1990 where he stayed... |
||
| FW | 10 | Christian Lee Christian Lee Christian Lee is an English professional footballer. He made over 140 appearances in Football League and Football Conference between 1995 and 2005.-Career:... |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| MF | 27 | Dean Peer Dean Peer Dean Peer is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder for a variety of Midlands clubs... |
||
| MF | 14 | Ali Gibb Ali Gibb Alistair Gibb is a footballer, who plays for Almondsbury Town. He joined Bath after his release from Hartlepool United in 2008. The former Norwich City player was signed by Hartlepool on transfer deadline day in August 2006.... |
||
| FW | 12 | Jason White Jason White (footballer born 1971) Jason Gregory White is an English former professional footballer. He played as a striker.-Career:White began his career with Derby County in 1990, but after failing to break into the Rams first team, he left to join Scunthorpe United the following year... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Ian Atkins Ian Atkins Ian Leslie Atkins is a former English professional footballer who became a manager later in his career, and now works as a coach with Sunderland. During a 20-year playing career he had eight clubs, including two spells with Sunderland and Birmingham City and playing more than 200 games with his... |
||||
Roger FreestoneRoger Freestone
Roger Freestone is a former Wales international Goalkeeper.-Club career:Born in Caerleon, near Newport, Monmouthshire, Freestone began his career at Newport County as a trainee before moving to Chelsea in 1987 for £95,000...
Dave Penney Christian EdwardsChristian Edwards
Christian Edwards is a Welsh professional footballer. He plays in the centre of defence and has also played on the right...
Keith Walker Joao MoreiraKwame Ampadu
Patrick Kwame Ampadu is a former Irish footballer who played for numerous clubs.-Career:Ampadu first played in Irish youth football for Sherrads United and Belvedere before joining Arsenal in July 1988...
Jan MølbyJan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
Jonathan CoatesJonathan Coates
Jonathan Coates is a Welsh former professional footballer who played as a left winger.-Career:Coates made 280 appearances in the Football League in two spells for Swansea City, and also spent time with Barry Town, Cheltenham Town, Woking, Carmarthen Town, Newport County, Aberystwyth Town, Port...
Steve Torpey Carl HeggsCarl Heggs
Carl Heggs is a former professional footballer, and past-manager of King's Lynn. He was most recently manager of League One side Notts County after Paul Ince was sacked.-West Bromwich Albion:...
Dai Thomas Linton BrownLinton Brown
Linton Brown is an English former footballer who scored 27 goals from 155 games in the Football League playing as a forward for Halifax Town, Hull City, Swansea City and Scarborough....
Jan MølbyJan Mølby
Jan Mølby is a Danish former international footballer who spent much of his professional football career at English club Liverpool.- Club career :...
MATCH RULES
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