2003 Football League play-offs


The Football League play-offs for the 2002–03 season were held in May 2003, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. The play-off semi-finals will be played over two legs and will be contested by the teams who finish in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League First Division and Football League Second Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Third Division table. The winners of the semi-finals will go through to the finals, with the winner of the matches gaining promotion for the following season.

Background

The Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places.
In the First Division, Sheffield United, who are aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 1994, finished 12 points behind second placed Leicester City, who in turn finished 6 points behind champions Portsmouth, who returned to the top flight for the first time since 1988. Reading who are aiming for a place in the top flight for the first time in their history, finished in fourth place in the table. Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are aiming to return to the top flight after nearly 20 years outside the top flight, finished in fifth place. Nottingham Forest finished 2 points behind Wolverhampton Wanderers and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1999.

First Division

Team
3Sheffield United462311127252+2080
4Reading46254176146+1579
5Wolverhampton Wanderers462016108144+3776
6Nottingham Forest462014128250+3274

Semi-finals

;First leg
----
;Second leg
Wolverhampton Wanderers won 3–1 on aggregate.
----
Sheffield United won 5–4 on aggregate.

Final

Second Division

Team
3Bristol City462411117948+3183
4Queens Park Rangers462411116945+2483
5Oldham Athletic46221686838+3082
6Cardiff City462312116843+2581

Semi-finals

;First leg
----
;Second leg
Cardiff City won 1–0 on aggregate.
----
Queens Park Rangers won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Third Division

Team
4Bournemouth462014126048+1274
5Scunthorpe United461915126849+1972
6Lincoln City461816124637+970
7Bury461816125756+170

Semi-finals

;First leg
----
;Second leg
Bournemouth won 3–1 on aggregate.
----
Lincoln City won 6–3 on aggregate.

Final