What do you consider to be the best Championship play-off finals of all-time? There’s no denying, there has certainly been some absolute Wembley classics contested over the years.
And with that in mind, BetVictor News decides to take a trip back down memory lane and revisit 10 of the finest from England’s secondary football division. These games will feature hat-trick heroes, incredible comebacks, wonder goals and heartbreaking penalty misses.
And more often than not, the Championship play-off final delivers the drama football fans crave. Ahead of this year’s extravaganza, whereby our Hull vs Middlesbrough preview is tipping a Boro win, we take a look at the best of the best.
Ranking The 10 Best Championship Play-Off Finals
10. 1996 – Crystal Palace 1-2 Leicester (AET)
Both sides were looking for an immediate top-flight return but it was Leicester who would come up trumps. Andy Roberts gave Crystal Palace the lead with 15 minutes played before Gary Parker equalised from the spot.
No more goals followed in normal time so a further 30 minutes were required to determine a winner. With just seconds remaining in extra-time, Steve Claridge fired home for Martin O’Neil’s side to seal promotion at the first time of asking.
9. 2014 – Derby 0-1 QPR
It’s fair to assume that Derby had defied the Championship betting odds for large parts of the 2013-14 campaign but the Rams entered the play-off final in fine form. As for QPR – who boasted a stronger team on paper under the guidance of BetVictor’s Harry Redknapp – knew they had their work cut out.
The Rams were by far the better team and once Gary O’Neil was dismissed for the west Londoners, it appeared there would be only one winner. However, Bobby Zamora decided otherwise and capitalised on a horror mistake from Richard Keogh. “UN-BELIEVE-ABLE! From the very brink of elimination, Bobby Zamora has surely scored another playoff winner,” bellowed the Sky Sports commentator.
8. 2002 – Norwich 1-1 Birmingham (Birmingham won 4-2 on penalties)
As far as the best Championship play-off finals go, the Norwich vs Birmingham showdown in 2002 tends to go under the radar. The Blues would win via a penalty shootout having lost three successive semi-finals.
Local lad Darren Carter dispatched the all important final spot-kick to send Blues fans and manager Steve Bruce into raptures. Iwan Roberts gave Norwich the lead in extra-time before Geoff Horsfield levelled for Bruce’s side. Once penalties ensued, Carter wrote himself into Brummie folklore.
7. 1989 – Blackburn 3-4 Crystal Palace (AET)
The 1989 Championship play-off final is something of an anomaly. It was the very last time the showpiece was played over two legs. In the first meeting at Ewood Park, Blackburn secured a 3-1 win before it all went wrong at Selhurst Park.
Goals from Ian Wright and David Madden levelled the tie at 3-3 before the former scored in the 117th minute to gift the Eagles the win and with that, a return to the old First Division.
6. 2012 – Blackpool 1-2 West Ham
Having suffered relegation in the 2010-11 campaign, both Blackpool and West Ham were aiming for an immediate return to the Premier League. The Hammers – under the guidance of Sam Allardyce – went 1-0 up through Carlton Cole.
The Tangerines levelled the match thanks to a Tom Ince strike before Ricardo Vaz Te made his biggest contribution to English football by firing home a winner in the 87th minute. Ironically, the latest Premier League relegation odds make the east Londoners the favourites to drop back down to the Championship 14 years on from this success.
5. 2010 – Blackpool 3-2 Cardiff
Now we are getting into the business end of the best Championship play-off finals. 16 years ago, Blackpool and Cardiff served up a five-goal spectacular. And amazingly, every strike hit the back of the net before the half-time whistle.
Michael Chopra gave the Bluebirds the lead before Charlie Adam’s world class free-kick brought the Tangerines level. However, Joe Ledley would put the Welsh side back in front before Gary Taylor Fletcher and Brett Ormerod netted for the Lancastrians.
4. 2011 – Reading 2-4 Swansea
Our first hat-trick hero on the list is Scott Sinclair. The pacey winger hit a fine Wembley treble which helped Swansea reach the Premier League for the first time in their history. Sinclair scored twice with Stephen Dobbie also netting to give the Swans a comfortable 3-0 advantage.
The Royals hit back with two goals of their own but Sinclair ensured the matchball would be his when he put the game to bed. The former Premier League star scored 27 times in the 2010-11 campaign and helped Brendan Rodgers side maintain their top-flight status the following year.
3. 1995 – Bolton 4-3 Reading
In the 1994-95 campaign, Bolton had already suffered Wembley heartbreak when they lost the League Cup final to Liverpool. However, the Trotters weren’t going to taste defeat at the Home of Football twice in the same season.
This topsy-turvy classic saw Lee Nogan and Adrian Williams give Reading a 2-0 lead. It could have gotten better for the Royals but Stuart Lovell missed what turned out to be a vital penalty. And with 75 minutes on the clock, the comeback began as Owen Coyle and Fabian de Freitas forced the final into extra-time.
Mixu Paatelainen and De Freitas netted again before player-manager Jimmy Quinn pulled one back. To this day, the seven-goal thriller is easily considered one of the best Championship play-off finals.
2. 1993 – Swindon 4-3 Leicester
Two years prior to the Bolton vs Reading classic, the old Wembley played host to the original 4-3 extravaganza. Swindon – under the stewardship of player-manager Glenn Hoddle – took the lead through the Tottenham legend just before half-time.
After the interval, pure carnage ensued. Craig Maskell and Shaun Taylor increased the Robins lead to 3-0 before Leicester netted a trio of goals of their own via Julian Joachim, Steve Walsh and Steve Thompson. Nonetheless, Swindon had the last laugh when Paul Bodin netted an 84th minute penalty.
1. 1998 – Charlton 4-4 Sunderland (Charlton won 7-6 on penalties)
The Charlton vs Sunderland thriller in 1998 is widely considered the best Championship play-off final of all-time. This classic quite literally had it all. A hat-trick hero, incredible comebacks, slick goals and a penalty shootout heartbreak.
Boyhood Black Cats fan Clive Mendonca opened the scoring. Niall Quinn equalised before Kevin Phillips gave the North East giants the lead. Mendonca scored again before Quinn then helped himself to his brace. Towards the end of the match, Richard Rufus levelled for the Addicks.
Sunderland would take the lead once again in extra-time via Nicky Summerbee before Mendonca completed his hat-trick. In the penalty shootout, 13 perfect spot-kicks were dispatched before Sasa Ilic saved from Michael Gray to ensure the south Londoners would earn Premier League promotion.
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Any betting decisions should be made responsibly and there are no guarantees when it comes to match outcomes. All odds correct as of 11am May 21, 2026.
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