| Season | 2008–09 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Burnley (Championship) Scunthorpe United (League One) Gillingham (League Two) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 23 (1.53 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Gillingham 2–1 Rochdale (League Two) |
| Biggest away win | Reading 0–2 Burnley (Championship) |
| Highest scoring | Millwall 2-3 Scunthorpe (5 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 80,518 – Burnley v Sheffield United (Championship final) |
| Lowest attendance | 4,450 – Rochdale v Gillingham (League Two semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 25,298 |
← 2008 2010 → | |
The Football League play-offs for the 2008–09 season were held in May 2009, with the finals taking place at Wembley Stadium in London. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Championship and League One tables, and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in League Two. The semi-final winners progressed to the finals, with the winner of each match earning promotion for the following season.
Burnley and Sheffield United contested the Championship play-off final, having defeated Reading and Preston North End respectively in the semi-finals. Burnley secured promotion to the Premier League with a 1–0 victory, courtesy of a goal from Wade Elliott. In the League One final, Scunthorpe United won 3–2 against Millwall; Leeds United and MK Dons were the other teams to reach the play-offs. In League Two, Gillingham won their semi-final against Rochdale and then secured promotion with a 1–0 victory against Shrewsbury, who had beaten Bury in their semi-final.
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 Championship, Sheffield United, who had been relegated from the Premier League under controversial circumstances in 2007, finished 3 points behind second placed Birmingham City, who in turn had finished 7 points off the champions Wolverhampton Wanderers. Reading - who were aiming to return to the Premier League at the first attempt - were in fourth place in the table. Burnley and Preston North End were only a couple of points further back on 76 and 74 respectively. Neither of the latter had played in the Premier League before, with Preston's last spell in the top division ending in 1961. Burnley were relegated from in the top flight in 1976.
Championship
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Sheffield United | 46 | 22 | 14 | 10 | 64 | 39 | +25 | 80 |
| 4 | Reading | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 72 | 40 | +32 | 77 |
| 5 | Burnley | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 72 | 60 | +12 | 76 |
| 6 | Preston North End | 46 | 21 | 11 | 14 | 66 | 54 | +12 | 74 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Preston North End | 1–1 | Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
St Ledger  21' |
Report | Howard 46' |
- Second leg
Sheffield United won 2–1 on aggregate.
Burnley won 3–0 on aggregate.
Final
| Burnley | 1–0 | Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
| Elliott 13' |
Report |
League One
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Milton Keynes Dons | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 83 | 47 | +36 | 87 |
| 4 | Leeds United | 46 | 26 | 6 | 14 | 77 | 49 | +28 | 84 |
| 5 | Millwall | 46 | 25 | 7 | 14 | 63 | 53 | +10 | 82 |
| 6 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 82 | 63 | +19 | 76 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Millwall | 1–0 | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Harris 71' |
Report |
- Second leg
| Leeds United | 1–1 | Millwall |
|---|---|---|
| Becchio 53' |
Report | Abdou 74' |
Millwall won 2–1 on aggregate.
Milton Keynes Dons 1–1 Scunthorpe United on aggregate. Scunthorpe United won 7–6 on penalties.
Final
League Two
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Bury | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 63 | 43 | +20 | 78 |
| 5 | Gillingham | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 58 | 55 | +3 | 75 |
| 6 | Rochdale | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 70 | 59 | +11 | 70 |
| 7 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 17 | 18 | 11 | 61 | 44 | +17 | 69 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Shrewsbury Town | 0–1 | Bury |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Ashton 81' (o.g.) |
- Second leg
| Bury | 0–1 (a.e.t.) | Shrewsbury Town |
|---|---|---|
| Report | McIntyre 88' |
|
| Penalties | ||
Barry-Murphy  Jones Racchi  Bennett Bishop |
3–4 | Davies Ashikodi McIntyre Worrall |
Bury 1–1 Shrewsbury Town on aggregate. Shrewsbury Town won 4–3 on penalties.
Gillingham won 2–1 on aggregate.