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The greatest Championship play-off finals

Friday 18 May 2012 13:31 BST

The greatest Championship play-off finals

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The greatest Championship play-off finals

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Charlton Athletic 2 Leeds United 1, 1987
In 1986 the play-off concept was given the green light with the intention of making the football league more interesting. And it was Charlton Athletic and Leeds United who found themselves in the first final. Two-legs couldn't separate the sides so a decider was arranged to take place at Birmingham's St Andrews Stadium. The score at 0-0, the game went into extra time and Billy Bremner's (pictured) Leeds drew first blood through John Sheridan. But the The Whites couldn't hold on and the game was won thanks to a double from Peter Shirtliff in the final minutes. With this enthralling battle, 1987 laid the precedent for the fantastic encounters that were to come.

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Reading 2 Swansea 4, 2011
Last year's final was a cracker, with Scott Sinclair's hat-trick for Swansea the highlight at Wembley. Sinclair (pictured) scored from the spot and then another from close range in as many minutes, before Stephen Dobbie (who will feature for Blackpool this weekend) added a third before the half-time whistle. It was all going wrong for Reading, who saw substitute Jay Tabb and assistant manager Nigel Gibbs red-carded at half-time for abusing referee Phil Dowd. Yet the Royals rallied in the second period, pulling two goals back and then saw Jem Karacan strike the Swansea post. 10 minutes from time the Swans were awarded a penalty, and Sinclair would complete his hat-trick from the spot as the Welsh outfit secured their first return to the top-flight since 1983.

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West Ham take on Blackpool this Saturday in the all-or-nothing Championship play-off final to determine who will be playing in the Premier League next season.

Since their inception in 1986, the promotion deciding matches have produced some classic encounters.

Here, we recount some of the best Championship play-off finals.

Click here or click 'VIEW GALLERY' to launch our guide.

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