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The Football League play-offs for the 2003–04 season were held in May 2004, 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, Sunderland, who are aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished 7 points behind second placed West Bromwich Albion, who in turn finished 8 points behind champions Norwich City, who returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1995. West Ham United who are also along with Sunderland aiming to return to the top flight after relegation last season, finished in fourth place in the table. Ipswich Town who are looking for a place back in the top flight at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished level on points with Ipswich Town and were looking for a place back in the Premiership for the first time since 1998.

First Division

Semi-finals

First leg

Crystal Palace	3–2	Sunderland
Shipperley 52' Butterfield 64' Johnson 87'	Report	Stewart 51' (pen.) Kyle 85'

Ipswich Town	1–0	West Ham United
Bent 57'	Report

Second leg

Sunderland	2–1 (a.e.t.)	Crystal Palace
Kyle 42' Stewart 45'	Report	Powell 90'
Penalties
Oster Smith Babb Robinson Breen McAteer Whitley	4–5	Johnson Freedman Shipperley Popovic Derry Routledge Hughes

Sunderland 4–4 Crystal Palace on aggregate. Crystal Palace won 5–4 on penalties.

West Ham United	2–0	Ipswich Town
Etherington 50' Dailly 71'	Report

West Ham United won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

Crystal Palace	1–0	West Ham United
Shipperley 62'	Report

Second Division

Semi-finals

First leg

Hartlepool United	1–1	Bristol City
Porter 74'	Report	Rougier 5'

Swindon Town	0–1	Brighton & Hove Albion
	Report	Carpenter 72'

Second leg

Bristol City	2–1	Hartlepool United
Goodfellow 88' Roberts 90'	Report	Sweeney 63'

Bristol City won 3–2 on aggregate.

Brighton & Hove Albion	1–2 (a.e.t.)	Swindon Town
Virgo 120'	Report	Parkin 81' Fallon 97'
Penalties
Carpenter Iwelumo Piercy Virgo	4–3	Parkin Heywood Mooney Fallon Gurney

Brighton & Hove Albion 2–2 Swindon Town on aggregate. Brighton & Hove Albion won 4–3 on penalties.

Final

Brighton & Hove Albion	1–0	Bristol City
Knight 84' (pen.)	Report

Third Division

Semi-finals

First leg

Lincoln City	1–2	Huddersfield Town
Taylor-Fletcher 51'	Report	Onuora 5' Mirfin 72'

Northampton Town	0–2	Mansfield Town
	Report	Day 40' Mendes 67'

Second leg

Huddersfield Town	2–2	Lincoln City
Schofield 60' (pen.) Edwards 83'	Report	Butcher 38' Bailey 39'

Huddersfield Town won 4–3 on aggregate.

Mansfield Town	1–3 (a.e.t.)	Northampton Town
Curtis 68'	Report	Richards 36' Hargreaves 42' Smith 46'
Penalties
Corden Lawrence MacKenzie D'Jaffo Larkin	5–4	Reeves Smith Reid Sabin Willmott

Mansfield Town 3–3 Northampton Town on aggregate. Mansfield Town won 5–4 on penalties.

Final

Huddersfield Town	0–0 (a.e.t.)	Mansfield Town
	Report
Penalties
Edwards Schofield Carss Fowler	4–1	Corden Lawrence MacKenzie

External links

• Football League website

• 2004 Football League play-offs
• English Football League play-offs
• 2003–04 Football League
• May 2004 sports events in the United Kingdom