2009 Football League Trophy Final
Encyclopedia
The 2009 Football League Trophy Final was the 26th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from Football Leagues One
and Two
, the Football League Trophy
. The final was played at Wembley Stadium
in London
on 5 April 2009, the second time that the final had been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt. The match was contested between Luton Town
and Scunthorpe United
. Luton won the match 3–2 with Claude Gnakpa
scoring the winner five minutes into extra-time.
Luton's victory was a single positive note in an otherwise terrible season for the club. They started the season with a 30-point deduction imposed by The Football League
and Football Association for various financial irregularities, despite the fact that these misdemeanours were carried out by the club's previous owners who had not been in charge since January 2008. Despite accumulating enough points to mathematically remain in League Two
, they were twelve points from safety when the final was played and were ultimately relegated out of The Football League. They became the first club to win the trophy and suffer relegation from The Football League in the same season. As the competition is usually only contested by teams from Leagues One and Two, it was uncertain whether Luton could defend their trophy. On 15 June 2009, Luton's request to play in the competition in 2009–10
was denied by The Football League.
and claim the Football League Trophy in the same season. Luton, on the other hand, were bottom of The Football League having been given a 30-point deduction at the beginning of the season for financial irregularities. Both teams were playing in their first Football League Trophy final.
style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center">
SCUNTHORPE UNITED:
|
GK
1
Joe Murphy
DF
6
Cliff Byrne
(c)
DF
26
Krystian Pearce
DF
15
David Mirfin
DF
3
Marcus Williams
MF
7
Matt Sparrow
MF
31
Henri Lansbury
MF
17
Grant McCann
FW
23
Kevan Hurst
FW
10
Gary Hooper
FW
9
Paul Hayes
Substitutes:
MF
18
Sam Togwell
GK
22
Josh Lillis
MF
16
Martyn Woolford
MF
24
Andrew Wright
FW
30
Ben May
Manager:
Nigel Adkins
was widely booed, among other less savoury chants, for his part in the club's demise.
|width=50% valign=top|
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|Round 1 (South)||colspan=4 align=center|received bye
|-
|Round 2 (South)||align=right|Luton Town
||2–2||Brentford
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(Luton Town won 4–3 on penalties)
|-
|Quarter-finals (South)||align=right|Walsall
||0–1||Luton Town
|-
|Semi-finals (South)||align=right|Luton Town
||1–0||Colchester United
|-
|Final (South, 1st leg)||align=right|Brighton & Hove Albion
||0–0||Luton Town
|-
|Final (South, 2nd leg)||align=right|Luton Town
||1–1||Brighton & Hove Albion
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(1–1 on aggregate. Luton Town won 4–3 on penalties)
|}
|width=50% valign=top|
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|Round 1 (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
||2–1||Notts County
|-
|Round 2 (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
||2–1||Grimsby Town
|-
|-
|Quarter-finals (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
||1–0||Rochdale
|-
|Semi-finals (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
||2–1||Tranmere Rovers
|-
|Final (North, 1st leg)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
||2–0||Rotherham United
|-
|Final (North, 2nd leg)||align=right|Rotherham United
||0–1||Scunthorpe United
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(Scunthorpe United won 3–0 on aggregate)
|}
paid tribute to his players, saying "The players knew when they came to the club that they could be non-league players next season. They put their necks on the line. Today their camaraderie, spirit and togetherness was there for all to see." He also praised the "special" Luton fans, saying "They've had it tough down the years, with [the club] being in and out of administration and having sanctions put upon them. We have the second-highest league attendance in League Two and the highest away following, and they've turned out again today."
Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins
congratulated Luton on their victory but also lamented his own side's shortcomings, saying after the match "Credit to Luton. I congratulate Mick Harford but we have to learn from this negative experience and use it in a positive way. I will make sure [the players] will remember this because it's not nice... We will draw a line under it and make sure we come back to Wembley in the play-off final - and make sure we win."
Luton were relegated on 13 April 2009, only a week after their Football League Trophy victory. Their relegation was confirmed when they could only manage a draw against Chesterfield
, while the only club they could catch, Grimsby Town
, won against Notts County
. Cliff Byrne
secured a place in the League One play-offs for Scunthorpe at the expense of Tranmere Rovers
with a goal two minutes from the end of their final game. They returned to Wembley for the League One play-off Final
and won promotion in May, beating Millwall
3–2.
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
and Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
. The final was played at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 5 April 2009, the second time that the final had been staged at the stadium since it was rebuilt. The match was contested between Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
. Luton won the match 3–2 with Claude Gnakpa
Claude Gnakpa
Claude Gnakpa Johouri is a French footballer of Ivorian descent who plays for Walsall. He usually plays as a winger, but began his career primarily as a central defender and right-back....
scoring the winner five minutes into extra-time.
Luton's victory was a single positive note in an otherwise terrible season for the club. They started the season with a 30-point deduction imposed by 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...
and Football Association for various financial irregularities, despite the fact that these misdemeanours were carried out by the club's previous owners who had not been in charge since January 2008. Despite accumulating enough points to mathematically remain in League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, they were twelve points from safety when the final was played and were ultimately relegated out of The Football League. They became the first club to win the trophy and suffer relegation from The Football League in the same season. As the competition is usually only contested by teams from Leagues One and Two, it was uncertain whether Luton could defend their trophy. On 15 June 2009, Luton's request to play in the competition in 2009–10
2009–10 Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy 2009–10, known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy 2009–10 for sponsorship reasons, is the 26th Football League Trophy, a knockout competition for English football clubs in Leagues One and Two, the third and fourth tiers of English football.The format is similar to that which...
was denied by The Football League.
Background
Luton and Scunthorpe went into the match in vastly different positions. Scunthorpe were in the play-off positions in League One and hoping to secure both promotion to the Football League ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
and claim the Football League Trophy in the same season. Luton, on the other hand, were bottom of The Football League having been given a 30-point deduction at the beginning of the season for financial irregularities. Both teams were playing in their first Football League Trophy final.
Match details
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | LUTON TOWN: | |||
| GK | 1 | Dean Brill Dean Brill Dean Michael Brill is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Football League Two side Barnet. He plays as a goalkeeper.-Luton Town:... |
||
| DF | 15 | Michael Spillane |
||
| DF | 6 | George Pilkington George Pilkington George Edward Pilkington is an English footballer who captains Conference National club Luton Town, playing as a defender.... |
||
| DF | 20 | Ed Asafu-Adjaye Ed Asafu-Adjaye Edward Yaw Okyere "Ed" Asafu-Adjaye is an English professional footballer who plays for Luton Town.-Career:Born in Hammersmith, London, Asafu-Adjaye started his career at Luton Town as a scholar, he was sent on loan to Isthmian League Premier Division side Walton & Hersham, making his debut for... |
||
| DF | 11 | Lewis Emanuel Lewis Emanuel Lewis Emanuel is an English-born Irish professional footballer who most recently played for Luton Town. He is a left back who can also play left midfield.-Career:... |
||
| MF | 4 | Keith Keane Keith Keane Keith Francis Keane is an English-born Irish footballer who plays as either a defender or midfielder for Luton Town. He is a former academy player who graduated from the youth ranks at Luton... |
||
| MF | 8 | Kevin Nicholls Kevin Nicholls Kevin John Richard Nicholls is an English former footballer who played in midfield. He is currently a coach at Conference National side Rushden & Diamonds.... (c) |
||
| MF | 14 | Asa Hall Asa Hall Asa Philip Hall is an English footballer who plays for Oxford United as a midfielder.-Birmingham City:Born in West Bromwich, West Midlands, Hall was in the youth system at Wolverhampton Wanderers before moving to Birmingham City, where he signed his first professional contract at the age of 17,... |
||
| MF | 16 | Rossi Jarvis Rossi Jarvis Ross Anthony "Rossi" Jarvis is an English professional footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder. He currently plays for Cambridge United in the Conference National.-Norwich City:... |
||
| FW | 18 | Chris Martin Chris Martin (footballer) Christopher Hugh Martin is an English footballer who is on loan to Crystal Palace from Norwich City as a striker.-Norwich City:... |
||
| FW | 24 | Tom Craddock Tom Craddock Thomas "Tom" Craddock is an English footballer who plays for Oxford United as a striker.-Middlesbrough:Born in Darlington, County Durham, Craddock came through the youth system at Middlesbrough, and was a member of their FA Youth Cup winning side in 2003–04... |
||
| Substitutes: | ||||
| DF | 2 |  Claude GnakpaClaude Gnakpa Claude Gnakpa Johouri is a French footballer of Ivorian descent who plays for Walsall. He usually plays as a winger, but began his career primarily as a central defender and right-back.... |
||
| GK | 35 | David Button David Button David Robert Edmund Button is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Leyton Orient on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. He has earned 31 caps for England in four separate age groups.-Playing career:... |
||
| FW | 9 | Sam Parkin Sam Parkin Samuel "Sam" Parkin is an English professional footballer who plays for St Johnstone.-Chelsea:... |
||
| DF | 3 | Sol Davis Sol Davis Sol Sebastian Davis is an English footballer who plays for Kettering Town.-Career:Born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, Davis is a left-back who played over 130 times for Swindon Town before being transferred to Luton Town in August 2002, bought by then manager Joe Kinnear.Davis was named Players'... |
||
| DF | 5 | Ian Roper |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Mick Harford Mick Harford Michael Gordon "Mick" Harford , is an English former football player turned manager. He is former manager of Rotherham and Luton Town and has also been caretaker manager of Nottingham Forest and QPR... |
||||
Joe Murphy Cliff ByrneCliff Byrne
Clifford "Cliff" Byrne is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Scunthorpe United.Born in Dublin, Byrne previously played for Sunderland.He took part in a UEFA 'B' coaching course in summer 2005....
(c)
Krystian PearceKrystian Pearce
Krystian Mitchell Victor Pearce is an English professional footballer who plays for Notts County as a central defender. He had an earlier spell on loan at Notts County, and also played in the Football League for Port Vale, Scunthorpe United, Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town...
David MirfinDavid Mirfin
David Matthew Mirfin is an English footballer who plays as a centre back for Football League Championship club Watford.-Huddersfield Town:...
Marcus WilliamsMarcus Williams (footballer)
Marcus Vincent Williams is an English professional footballer who plays for Sheffield United on loan from Reading of the Football League Championship.-Scunthorpe United:...
Matt SparrowMatt Sparrow
Matthew Ronald "Matt" Sparrow is an English footballer currently contracted to Football League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion...
Henri LansburyHenri Lansbury
Henri George Lansbury is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United, on loan from Arsenal.-Arsenal:Lansbury was born in Enfield, London and grew up in Potters Bar. In 1999, he joined Arsenal as a schoolboy from the books of Norwich City. He has featured regularly for both the club's...
Grant McCannGrant McCann
Grant Samuel McCann is a Northern Irish international footballer who currently plays for Peterborough United who play in The Championship in England where he is the captain.-Club career:...
Kevan HurstKevan Hurst
Kevan James D. Hurst is a footballer who currently plays for Walsall FC.A versatile player, he can play all across the midfield or forward line though his preferred position is left-wing...
Gary HooperGary Hooper
Gary Hooper is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish Premier League club Celtic.Hooper started his career at non-League Grays Athletic in 2003. While there he won the 2004-05 Conference South, as well as the FA Trophy twice in 2005 and 2006. After this Championship club...
Paul HayesPaul Hayes
Paul Edward Hayes is an English footballer who plays for Charlton Athletic.-Scunthorpe United:Born in Dagenham, London, Hayes grew up in East London and went to Barclay Junior School in Leyton, where he captained the school football team from the age of 7...
Sam TogwellSam Togwell
Samuel James "Sam" Togwell is an English football player who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for League One side Scunthorpe United....
Josh LillisJosh Lillis
Joshua Mark "Josh" Lillis is an English footballer who plays for Scunthorpe United as a goalkeeper. He is the son of former Scunthorpe United player and assistant manager Mark Lillis.-Scunthorpe United:...
Martyn WoolfordMartyn Woolford
Martyn Paul Woolford is an English footballer who plays for Bristol City as a winger.Woolford started his career with Glasshoughton Welfare after progressing through their youth system. After three seasons at Glasshoughton, he moved to the Northern Premier League with Frickley Athletic and scored...
Andrew WrightAndrew Wright (footballer)
Andrew David Wright is an English footballer who plays for Scunthorpe United as a midfielder.-Career:Born in Liverpool, Merseyside, Wright began his career at his hometown club Liverpool as a youth team player, however he was released from the Anfield club in 2004 and subsequently joined American...
Ben MayBen May
Ben Steven May is an English footballer who plays for League One side Stevenage as a striker.May began his career at Southampton's youth academy in 1998, before playing at Fulham's centre of excellence for a year. In 2000, he moved once again, this time joining Millwall's youth set-up...
Nigel AdkinsNigel Adkins
Nigel Howard Adkins is a former footballer and is the current manager of Championship Club Southampton.-Playing career:As a player, Adkins was goalkeeper for Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Bangor City...
MATCH OFFICIALS
|
MATCH RULES
|
Protests
During the match, many of Luton's 40,000 fans unfurled flags featuring the slogans "Thanks for Sweet FA" and "The FA & Football League - Killing Small Clubs Since 1992" in protest at the actions taken against the club from the footballing authorities. Football League chairman Lord MawhinneyBrian Mawhinney
Brian Stanley Mawhinney, Baron Mawhinney PC is a British Conservative Party politician. He was a member of the Cabinet from 1994 until 1997 and a Member of Parliament from 1979 until 2005.-Early life:...
was widely booed, among other less savoury chants, for his part in the club's demise.
Luton Town
{|width=100%|width=50% valign=top|
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|Round 1 (South)||colspan=4 align=center|received bye
|-
|Round 2 (South)||align=right|Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
||2–2||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....
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(Luton Town won 4–3 on penalties)
|-
|Quarter-finals (South)||align=right|Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
||0–1||Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
|-
|Semi-finals (South)||align=right|Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
||1–0||Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
|-
|Final (South, 1st leg)||align=right|Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
||0–0||Luton Town
|-
|Final (South, 2nd leg)||align=right|Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
||1–1||Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(1–1 on aggregate. Luton Town won 4–3 on penalties)
|}
Scunthorpe United
{|width=100%|width=50% valign=top|
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
|Round 1 (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
||2–1||Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
|-
|Round 2 (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
||2–1||Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
|-
|-
|Quarter-finals (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
||1–0||Rochdale
|-
|Semi-finals (North)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
||2–1||Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
|-
|Final (North, 1st leg)||align=right|Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
||2–0||Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
|-
|Final (North, 2nd leg)||align=right|Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
||0–1||Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
|-
| ||colspan=4 align=center|(Scunthorpe United won 3–0 on aggregate)
|}
Post-match
Luton manager Mick HarfordMick Harford
Michael Gordon "Mick" Harford , is an English former football player turned manager. He is former manager of Rotherham and Luton Town and has also been caretaker manager of Nottingham Forest and QPR...
paid tribute to his players, saying "The players knew when they came to the club that they could be non-league players next season. They put their necks on the line. Today their camaraderie, spirit and togetherness was there for all to see." He also praised the "special" Luton fans, saying "They've had it tough down the years, with [the club] being in and out of administration and having sanctions put upon them. We have the second-highest league attendance in League Two and the highest away following, and they've turned out again today."
Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins
Nigel Adkins
Nigel Howard Adkins is a former footballer and is the current manager of Championship Club Southampton.-Playing career:As a player, Adkins was goalkeeper for Tranmere Rovers, Wigan Athletic and Bangor City...
congratulated Luton on their victory but also lamented his own side's shortcomings, saying after the match "Credit to Luton. I congratulate Mick Harford but we have to learn from this negative experience and use it in a positive way. I will make sure [the players] will remember this because it's not nice... We will draw a line under it and make sure we come back to Wembley in the play-off final - and make sure we win."
Luton were relegated on 13 April 2009, only a week after their Football League Trophy victory. Their relegation was confirmed when they could only manage a draw against Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, while the only club they could catch, Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, won against Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
. Cliff Byrne
Cliff Byrne
Clifford "Cliff" Byrne is an Irish footballer, currently playing for Scunthorpe United.Born in Dublin, Byrne previously played for Sunderland.He took part in a UEFA 'B' coaching course in summer 2005....
secured a place in the League One play-offs for Scunthorpe at the expense of Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
with a goal two minutes from the end of their final game. They returned to Wembley for the League One play-off Final
2009 Football League One play-off Final
The 2009 Football League One play-off Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 24 May 2009, at the end of the 2008–09 season. The match determined the third and final team to gain promotion from League One to the Championship, and was contested by Millwall, who finished fifth during...
and won promotion in May, beating Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
3–2.