2005 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs
Season	2004–05
Champions	West Ham United; (Championship); Sheffield Wednesday; (League One); Southend United; (League Two)
Matches played	15
Goals scored	29 (1.93 per match)
Biggest home win	Preston 2–0 Derby; (Championship); Hartlepool 2–0 Tranmere; (League One); Tranmere 2–0 Hartlepool; (League One)
Biggest away win	Ipswich 0–2 West Ham; (Championship)
Highest scoring	Hartlepool 2–4 Sheffield Wednesday; (6 goals)
Highest attendance	70,275 – Preston v West Ham; (Championship final)
Lowest attendance	5,223 – Macclesfield v Lincoln; (League Two semi-final)
Average attendance	23,500
	← 2004 2006 →

The Football League play-offs for the 2004–05 season were held in May 2005, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. 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 and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the League Two table. The winners of the semi-finals progressed 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 Championship, Ipswich Town, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 2002, finished 2 points behind second placed Wigan Athletic, who in turn finished 7 points behind champions Sunderland, who returned to the top flight at the second attempt after relegation from the Premier League in 2003. Derby County who were also relegated along with Ipswich from the top flight in 2002, finished in fourth place in the table. Preston North End who have not been in the top flight since 1961, finished in fifth place. West Ham United finished 2 points behind Preston North End and were looking for a place back in the Premiership after 2 seasons outside the top division.

Championship

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Ipswich Town	46	24	13	9	85	56	+29	85
4	Derby County	46	22	10	14	71	60	+11	76
5	Preston North End	46	21	12	13	67	58	0+9	75
6	West Ham United	46	21	10	15	66	56	+10	73

Semi-finals

First leg

14 May 2005

12:15

West Ham United	2–2	Ipswich Town
Harewood 7' Zamora 13'	Report	Walker 45' (o.g.) Kuqi 74'

Upton Park, London

Attendance: 33,723

Referee: Uriah Rennie

15 May 2005

12:00

Preston North End	2–0	Derby County
Nugent 38' Cresswell 90'	Report

Deepdale, Preston

Attendance: 20,315

Referee: Andre Marriner

Second leg

18 May 2005

19:45

Ipswich Town	0–2	West Ham United
	Report	Zamora 61', 72'

Portman Road, Ipswich

Attendance: 30,010

Referee: Steve Dunn

West Ham United won 4–2 on aggregate.

19 May 2005

19:45

Derby County	0–0	Preston North End
	Report

Pride Park, Derby

Attendance: 31,310

Referee: Richard Beeby

Preston North End won 2–0 on aggregate.

Final

30 May 2005

15:00

Preston North End	0–1	West Ham United
	Report	Zamora 57'

Millennium Stadium, Cardiff

Attendance: 70,275

Referee: Mike Riley

League One

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
3	Tranmere Rovers	46	22	13	11	73	55	+18	79
4	Brentford	46	22	9	15	57	60	-3	75
5	Sheffield Wednesday	46	19	15	12	77	59	+18	72
6	Hartlepool United	46	21	8	17	76	66	+10	71

Semi-finals

First leg

12 May 2005

19:45

Sheffield Wednesday	1–0	Brentford
McGovern 12'	Report

Hillsborough, Sheffield

Attendance: 28,625

Referee: Mike Jones

13 May 2005

19:45

Hartlepool United	2–0	Tranmere Rovers
Boyd 32', 68'	Report

Victoria Park, Hartlepool

Attendance: 6,604

Referee: Brian Curson

Second leg

16 May 2005

19:45

Brentford	1–2	Sheffield Wednesday
Frampton 87'	Report	Peacock 27' Brunt 53'

Griffin Park, Brentford

Attendance: 10,823

Referee: Tony Leake

Sheffield Wednesday won 3–1 on aggregate.

17 May 2005

19:45

Tranmere Rovers	2–0 (a.e.t.)	Hartlepool United
Taylor 70' Beresford 87'	Report
Penalties
Taylor Hall Roberts Hume Dagnall Beresford Sharps	5–6	Strachan Tinkler Porter Robson Westwood Sweeney Humphreys