1989 Football League Second Division play-off final
The 1989 Football League Second Division play-off Final was an association football match played over two legs between Blackburn Rovers and Crystal Palace on 31 May 1989 and 3 June 1989. The final was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the Football League Second Division, the second tier of English football, to the First Division. The top two teams of the 1988–89 Football League Second Division season gained automatic promotion to the First Division, those placed from third to sixth in the league table competed play-off semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals played against each other for the final place in the First Division for the 1989–90 season. Crystal Palace ended the season in third position, two places ahead of Blackburn Rovers, while Swindon Town and Watford were the other semi-finalists. The first leg of the final took place at Blackburn's Ewood Park on 31 May 1989. Midway through the first half, Simon Garner flicked on a cross from Scott Sellars and Howard Gayle scored to make it 1–0 to Blackburn. In the 27th minute, Gayle doubled his side's lead with a half-volley from just outside the Palace penalty area. In the 70th minute, Jeff