The League One play-offs offer a chance to those who just missed out on automatic promotion, with four teams battling it out to see who can secure promotion to the Championship. With the winner getting the opportunity to gain more exposure and enjoy greater financial gains, as well as being just one step away from the bright lights of the Premier League, it’s a prize well worth fighting for.
The regular League One season has now concluded, with the fight for the play-offs finally coming to an end. With Portsmouth and Derby going up, one from the remaining four sides will join them in the second tier.
Bolton Wanderers will take on Oxford United for a place in the final after winning their respective semi-final matchups.
Football FanCast has taken a look ahead at the details concerning the upcoming 2024 EFL League One play-offs.
How the League One play-offs work
Just like all the EFL play-offs, the League One play-offs consist of two semi-finals: the team that finishes in third play the team finishing in sixth; the team finishing in fourth plays the team who finished fifth.
One team advances from each semi-final tie, which is settled over two legs home and away, with the team leading on aggregate after 180 minutes of football (or more) advancing to the final. The team who finished lower will be at home for the first leg, whilst the team who finished higher will be at home for the deciding return leg.
In the event of a tie after 180 minutes of football, the match will be settled via extra-time and penalties if the score is still level following an additional 30 minutes.
Wembley Stadium is the stage for the League One play-off final, with the winner lifting the trophy and securing promotion to the Championship. As usual, extra-time and penalties are required if both teams are tied at the end of normal time, with the losing team spending another season in League One.
Final League One standings
Teams placed from third to sixth make it into the League One play-offs, with the top two going up automatically.
Derby did their bit on the final day to join Portsmouth in the Championship, while Oxford United sneaked into fifth place ahead of Lincoln City, who lost to Pompey on the final day.
Bolton had to settle for third place ahead of last-day opponents Peterborough United, who they could yet face again at Wembley, while Barnsley also assured themselves a shot at promotion after a draw against Northampton Town at home.
|
Final League One table |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Pos |
Team |
P |
W |
D |
L |
GD |
PTS |
|
1st |
Portsmouth |
46 |
28 |
13 |
5 |
+37 |
97 |
|
2nd |
Derby |
46 |
28 |
8 |
10 |
+41 |
92 |
|
3rd |
Bolton |
46 |
25 |
12 |
9 |
+35 |
87 |
|
4th |
Peterborough |
46 |
25 |
9 |
12 |
+28 |
84 |
|
5th |
Oxford |
46 |
22 |
11 |
13 |
+23 |
77 |
|
6th |
Barnsley |
46 |
21 |
13 |
12 |
+18 |
76 |
|
7th |
Lincoln |
46 |
20 |
14 |
12 |
+26 |
74 |
|
8th |
Blackpool |
46 |
21 |
10 |
15 |
+17 |
73 |
2024 League One play-off dates
|
Date |
Fixture |
|---|---|
|
Friday, May 3rd |
Barnsley 1-3 Bolton |
|
Saturday, May 4th |
Oxford 1-0 Peterborough |
|
Tuesday, May 7th |
Bolton 2-3 Barnsley |
|
Wednesday, May 8th |
Peterborough 1-1 Oxford |
The 2024 League One play-off semi-finals took place in early May, with the final being held on Saturday 18th May 2024 at Wembley Stadium, with a 4.15pm kick-off.
|
League One play-off final 2024 |
|
|---|---|
|
Date |
Saturday 18th May |
|
Time |
4.15pm |
|
Venue |
Wembley Stadium |
|
Capacity |
90,000 |
Where to watch the 2024 League One play-offs on UK TV and live-stream
Fans will be able to watch the League One playoffs live on Sky Sports, as well as Sky Go if you’re looking for an online streaming platform.
If you’re from over the pond in the US, League One play-off games are available to watch and stream live on ESPN+ and the ESPN network.
How and where to buy League One play-off final tickets
Bolton Wanderers
The Trotters have been allocated 36,550 tickets for their trip to Wembley, in what is their first appearance at the national stadium since the 2011 FA Cup semi-finals. All tickets must be purchased online through this portal provided by the club.
Supporters can buy up to two tickets per client reference number, while a maximum of six tickets can be purchased in one transaction.
Tickets will be sold in phases, with full details shown on the club website. Buying in multiple phases is permitted for those that are eligible, but these seats won’t be located together. A breakdown can be seen in the table below.
|
Bolton Wanderers: Play-off final ticket sales |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Phase |
Date |
Time |
Tickets open to |
|
1 |
Thursday 9th May |
12pm |
2023/24 season ticket holders |
|
2 |
Saturday 11th May |
10am |
2023/24 season ticket holders and official Club members |
|
3 |
Monday 13th May |
10am |
General sale (supporters must have had a registered account as of 7th May) |
Oxford United
Oxford will unveil their ticketing process in due course.
How much the League One play-off final is worth
Of course, it may not be as glamorous as the potential £265m you can earn from securing promotion to the Premier League, but for a club advancing from League One to the Championship, a potential prize of £6-7m is still rather sweet.
Interestingly, clubs in the third tier receive around £1.4m, partly from a basic award and a solidarity payment. As a Championship club, there are plenty more riches to be had, with the same awards as a second-tier club totalling around £6-7m. That is due, in part, to the increased levels of TV revenue per live game as well as the money handed down from the Premier League to the EFL clubs.
Last year’s League One play-off final
Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 League One regular season, Peterborough United, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Bolton Wanderers all battled it out for a place in the Championship.
The Posh flew out the blocks and secured a 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the first leg, whilst Bolton and Barnsley played out a 1-1 draw.
Things really heated up in the second leg at Hillsborough, as the Owls did the impossible to overturn a four-goal deficit to win on penalties with the score standing at 5-1 in the match after extra time.
In the other semi-final, Barnsley made home advantage count as they booked their place in the final with a 1-0 win.
The final at Wembley was a rather nervy encounter for both sets of fans as the two sides couldn’t be separated after 90 minutes. It took 123 minutes of football for there to be a winner crowned, as Josh Windass popped up with an injury-time goal to send Sheffield Wednesday fans into a frenzy as promotion to the Championship was secured.
