Playoffs - The Good, the Bad and the fecking heartbreaking

[yukon]

Never seen us in the play offs. Not much has really happened in my life time regarding Port Vale

Lucky blighter- I was at Wembley in '93 when Roger Milford sent Swanny off for not a lot and we ended up losing to West Brom 3-0 (after doing the double over them in the league that season).

The play-offs can piss right off

 

[Agombar stool]

1987 we beat Gillingham at Selhurst Park. I was too young to remember but Chalky White did the damage. Hurrah!

1990, my first visit to Wembley to see us wallop Sunderland 1-0 to achieve promotion to Div 1. Only for financial irregularities to see us demoted 2 leagues (appealed to just 1) A bit of good, bad and ugly all round there!

1993, fantastic semi win over Tranmere over 2 legs (Steve Vickers was at fault for 3 goals at the CG in the first 20 minutes of the first leg which more or less secured the tie and then an epic 4-3 (AET) win over Leicester to win promotion to the Premiership. I was at school in Scotland that day and listened to ET on my radio in my bedroom after sprinting home to see the latest score on ceefax.

2004. Lost the first leg of the semi against Brighton 1-0 at home but put in a superb performance at a soaking wet Withdean thanks to Sam Parkin to take the game to Extra Time. Rory Fallon then netted and we were seconds away from going to Wembley but for Adam Virgo to score with more or less the last kick of the game. Then to top it all off, we lost on penalties. I was in a deserted bar in Edinburgh that night, it seemed the loneliest place in the world.

2010. We were superb in the first leg against Charlton and Charlie Austin and Danny Ward gave us a 2-1 win. Second leg Simon Ferry scored a daft own goal and when Gordon Greer got sent off at 2-0 down it looked all over but Danny Ward equalised and it went to penalties which we won! Hurrah! I was in a deserted bar in Luxembourg that night and it seemed the busiest place in the world! We were knickers in the final against Millwall and Charlie Austin missed a sitter which could have changed things, but didn't and we lost.

2013. Bit of a story of last minute goals in this one. We were leading 1-0 thanks to Luongo's goal but Brentford get a 94th minute equaliser via the penalty spot. Second leg Brentford look to secure their place at Wembley by going 2-0 and 3-1 up but we fight back to 3-2 and then in the last minute of Injury time Aden Flint buries a bullet header in front of the away fans to send the game to Extra time, which we subsequently lose on penalties. I was in a pub by Clapham Junction and lost my Oyster Card on the (what felt like) long walk home.

2015. We beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Brammall lane thanks to a last second winner from Nathan Byrne. And I was at the second leg which was a ludicrous game of football, which we ended up drawing 5-5 after being 5-3 up with 6 minutes to play. I was in Cork for the final, and missed the first 10 minutes or so. I stepped into the bar as Preston went 2-0 up which was basically game over. Michael Smith missed a great chance to make it 2-1 but we were second best. The Guinness was amazing though!

 

[Indian Dan]

No Extra Time for that Leicester game.

Remember bumping into Leicester's Julian Joachim after the game and gave him some fearful stick. To his credit he took it well and told me to fuck off with a smile.

 

[Madejski]

1994/95 - Finished second in what is now the Championship. Beat Tranmere 3-1s in the Semis. 2-0 up against Bolton, miss a penalty, concede an equaliser in the 86th min and then lose 4-3 AET.

2000/01 - Finished third in what is now League One. Beat Wigan 2-1 AET in the Semis. Lose to Walsall 3-2 AET in the final, with a quite ridiculous own goal to put Walsall ahead.

2002/03 - Finished fourth in what is now the Championship. Lose 3-1 on aggregate to Wolves in the Semis. Nathan Tyson getting sent off.

2008/09 - Finish fourth in the Championship (in a three horse race) with a win at home on the last day getting automatics. Lose 3-0 on aggregate to Burnley in the Semis. Andre Bikey getting sent off.

2010/11 - Finish fifth in the Championship. Beat Cardiff 3-0 in the Semis. Go in at HT 3-0 down to Swansea, get two quick goals and then hit the post. Conceded two pens in the game. Eventually lose 4-2.

5 Playoffs, 3 Finals, No promotions.

 

[Sheffsteel]

Sheffield United
7 playoffs 4 finals, No promotions

4 defeats in the finals is a play-off record
And also the only club where it's happened at 3 different stadiums
The old Wembley, Millenium stadium in Cardiff and the New Wembley (twice).

Also in our 4 finals we failed to score a goal in normal time or extra time.
To think, 420 minutes of watching Sheffield United in the final and NOT a single goal to cheer.

 

[Posh Hammer]

Been in the play offs 4 times, won 3 of them:

1992: Beat Stockport 2-1 with an 89th minute winner by Ken Charlery. Promoted to Division 2.
2000: Beat Darlington 1-0 with Andy Clarke scoring the winner about 10 minutes from the end. Promoted to Division 2
2011: Beat Huddersfield 3-0 with all three goals in the last 15 minutes. Huddersfield were unbeaten in about 350 games and went into the game as massive favourites. Goals from Tommy Rowe, Craig Mackail Smith and Grant McCann. Promoted to the Championship
2014: Lost to Leyton Orient 3-2 on aggregate in the Semi Finals. Drew 1-1 at home before losing 2-1 away. We were utter shite that entire season and deserved to lose. Orient really should have been promoted that year but lost the final then got relegated the following season.

 

[Agombar stool]

No Extra Time for that Leicester game.

Remember bumping into Leicester's Julian Joachim after the game and gave him some fearful stick. To his credit he took it well and told me to fuck off with a smile.

Ah yes no extra time, my apologies.

 

[Madejski]

Sheffield United
7 playoffs 4 finals, No promotions

4 defeats in the finals is a play-off record
And also the only club where it's happened at 3 different stadiums
The old Wembley, Millenium stadium in Cardiff and the New Wembley (twice).

Also in our 4 finals we failed to score a goal in normal time or extra time.
To think, 420 minutes of watching Sheffield United in the final and NOT a single goal to cheer.

We've lost at 3 different stadiums too.

1995 - Old Wembley. 2001 - Millennium Stadium. 2011 - New Wembley.

11 goals conceded in those 3 finals too..

 

[Jamie_Posh]

We've never lost a play off final and never lost at wembley !!

2010/11 - League 1, Peterborough won the semi through cheating and dodgy refereeing

The first leg may have been a dodgy ref but the tie was won in the 2nd leg we absolutely annihilated you, wouldn't have mattered what happened first game we were always going to win with that atmosphere at London road.

 

[mozzavale]

In 12 years, I have never seen Walsall play or reach the play-offs.

This year will be the very 1st time. Be ironic if we didn't go to Wembley for 100 odd years, then did it twice in a row wouldn't it?

That kind of stuff ALWAYS happens.

We hadn't been to Wembley for over 100 years then went twice in one week in 93. Won one lost one.

 

[Etienne Vermeer]

We didn't get to Wembley until 1999, now it feels like a second home.

 

[DippyDon]

The first leg may have been a dodgy ref but the tie was won in the 2nd leg we absolutely annihilated you, wouldn't have mattered what happened first game we were always going to win with that atmosphere at London road.

Considering it wasn't a penalty, if the right decision had been given it would have most likely finished 3-1, and the second leg would have been a completely different game.
You deserved it overall though, 106 goals in a league season is no easy feat

 

[Mr Plow]

I'll never forget the moment above, was just incredible to witness although the realisation about 30 seconds afterwards that we'd have to watch a penalty shoot-out was a little sobering but all turned out well in the end.

 

[Destruction]

Considering how shit our playoff record is it's quite bizarre to look at last season and think in the 3 games we scored 8 goals, conceded 0 and won all 3 outright with Beckford scoring 6 (SIX) times.

 

[wiganmudhuts28]

i am glad we dont have to go threw this....we would lose in the play offs