The 1997 Football League First Division play-off final was an association football match played between Crystal Palace and Sheffield United on 26 May 1997 at Wembley Stadium, London, England. The game was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the second tier Football League First Division to the Premier League, the highest tier of English league football. The top two teams of the 1996–97 Football League First Division season gained automatic promotion, while clubs placed from third to sixth in the league table competed in play-offs. The winners of the play-off semi-finals played against each other for the final place in the Premier League for the 1997–98 season. Sheffield United ended the season in fifth position, one place ahead of Crystal Palace. Winning the final was estimated to be worth up to £10million.
The game was played in front of a crowd of 64,383 and refereed by Neale Barry. Crystal Palace played with five midfielders in a 3–5–2 formation while their opponents played 4–4–2. Both goalkeepers were called into action in the first half with Crystal Palace's Carlo Nash clearing a Pyotr Kachura shot at goal, and Simon Tracey intercepting a cross from Bruce Dyer. Sheffield United made an early change when Kachura was replaced by Gareth Taylor midway through the first half. They were then forced to substitute Don Hutchison just before half-time after he seriously injured his shoulder. After a goalless first half, both sides had further chances to score in the second half. However, as the game appeared to be heading into extra time, the Crystal Palace captain David Hopkin scored the winning goal in the last minute of regular time with a curling strike from around , described variously as "inspired", a "glorious Brazilian bender" and "one of the finest goals in Palace history."
Crystal Palace's victory was the first time a club from London had won a play-off final. However, in their following season, they finished bottom of the 1997–98 Premier League and were relegated back to the First Division. Sheffield United finished their next season in sixth place in the First Division, qualifying for the 1998 Football League play-offs where they lost to Sunderland in the semi-final.
Route to the final
Sheffield United finished the regular 1996–97 season in fifth place in the Football League First Division – the second tier of the English football league system – one place and two points ahead of Crystal Palace. Both missed out on the two automatic places for promotion to the Premier League and instead took part in the play-offs, along with Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves) and Ipswich Town, to determine the third promoted team. Sheffield United finished seven points behind Barnsley (who were promoted in second place) and twenty-five behind league winners Bolton Wanderers.
Crystal Palace faced Wolves in their play-off semi-final, with the first match of the two-legged tie taking place at Crystal Palace's home ground Selhurst Park in London on 10 May 1997. After a goalless first half, Neil Shipperley put Palace into the lead midway through the second half with a header. With a minute remaining, Dougie Freedman scored with a left-footed strike from to double the lead, but Jamie Smith pulled one back for Wolves almost immediately. Freedman then scored his second with a chip over Mike Stowell in the Wolves goal to secure a 3–1 first leg victory. The second leg of the semi-final was played four days later at Molineux in Wolverhampton. Mark Atkins put the home side ahead after half an hour with a low shot through Carlo Nash's legs in the Palace goal. David Hopkin equalised midway through the second half before Ady Williams made it 2–1 to Wolves with five minutes remaining. No further goals were scored and the game ended 4–3 on aggregate to Palace.
Sheffield United played Ipswich Town in their semi-final; the first leg was played at Bramall Lane in Sheffield on 10 May 1997. The home side took the lead in the 40th minute when Jan Åge Fjørtoft who held off Chris Swailes to shoot past Richard Wright in the Ipswich goal. With twelve minutes remaining, Mick Stockwell took advantage of a defensive mix-up to shoot into an empty net and the match ended level at 1–1. The return leg took place at Portman Road in Ipswich four days later. Pyotr Kachura put the visitors ahead on eight minutes with a rising shot which hit the underside of the bar before being adjudged to have crossed the goal line. James Scowcroft levelled the tie with a 32nd-minute header before Niklas Gudmundsson gave Ipswich a 2–1 lead in the 73rd minute. Their advantage lasted just four minutes until Andy Walker made it 2–2, the final score. With the aggregate scores level at 3–3, half an hour of extra time was played. No further goals were scored, and Sheffield United advanced to the final as they had scored more away goals than Ipswich.
Match Background
This was Crystal Palace's third appearance in a second tier play-off final, having won the 1989 final (played over two legs) against Blackburn Rovers and losing the previous season's final in extra time against Leicester City. Sheffield United were making their first appearance in a play-off final, and were aiming to return to the top tier of English football after being relegated from the Premier League in the 1993–94 season. Crystal Palace were also seeking a quick return to the top flight, having been relegated two seasons prior. Sheffield United had won both matches between the sides during the regular season: 1–0 at Selhurst Park in December 1996 and 3–0 at Bramall Lane the following April. Four of Crystal Palace's players had scored ten or more goals during the league campaign: Bruce Dyer (17), Hopkin (13), Shipperley (12) and Freedman (11). Kachura, his club's player of the year,CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:19:53 and Walker were joint leading marksmen for Sheffield United with 12 league goals each, while Fjørtoft, signed from Middlesbrough in January for £1million, had scored 11 goals in 19 games.
Howard Kendall, the Sheffield United manager, was making his twelfth appearance at Wembley Stadium and opined: "It's a completely different situation to any of the other appearances there – but it's just as big, because of the prize which is at stake." He recalled the 1984 FA Cup Final, the first of his managerial appearances at the national stadium, in which he led Everton to victory over Watford: "I enjoyed that cup final over Watford because we won it... that's the only way I will enjoy Monday. If we win." Ray Houghton, the Crystal Palace midfielder, had suffered defeat in the previous season's play-off final but remained confident: "Obviously Sheffield United are a good side, you have to be to get this close to the Premiership. But we see ourselves winning this one." Steve Coppell was the caretaker manager of Crystal Palace, having taken over at the club in late February after Dave Bassett moved to Nottingham Forest.
Sheffield United were expecting to give a late fitness test to Alan Kelly who had aggravated a knee injury during the play-off semi-final against Ipswich. With no substitute goalkeeper on the bench, Kelly was forced to play on for a further 80 minutes. He had spent time during the week before the match in a diver's training bell to increase the oxygen flow in his bloodstream. The final was broadcast in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports 3. The match was estimated in the media to be worth £8–10million to the winning team. Neale Barry from Scunthorpe was the referee for the final.
First half Crystal Palace kicked off the match at 3p.m. in front of a Wembley Stadium crowd of 64,383.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:13:21 They adopted a 3–5–2 formation with Dyer and Shipperley leading the attack, while their opponents played 4–4–2, with Kachura and Fjørtoft up front. Simon Tracey was selected in goal for Sheffield United instead of the injured Kelly. Two minutes in, Dyer was fouled deep in Sheffield United territory by Dane Whitehouse and although the resulting free kick from Simon Rodger found Shipperley, his header was cleared.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:15:07 In the fifth minute, Fjørtoft received the ball on the half-way line and sent Kachura clear on goal but Nash reacted quickly, running out of his area to kick the ball into touch.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:18:00 Eleven minutes later, Kevin Muscat won the ball which then fell to Dyer; his cross was too close to Tracey who gathered it in the Sheffield United goal.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:28:30 On 18 minutes, Dyer was brought down by Roger Nilsen but the resulting free kick was over-hit by Hopkin and bounced harmlessly out of touch.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:30:22 David Holdsworth then went down with a knee injury after landing awkwardly but played on after receiving treatment on the pitch.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:31:56 In the 21st minute, Andy Roberts volleyed the ball from the edge of the penalty area. His shot was deflected behind by Don Hutchison who was injured in the process. The game continued while he received medical attention off the pitch and he returned shortly after with a heavily strapped wrist.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:33:28
A pass from Roberts down the left wing in the 25th minute set Hopkin free, but his cross was cut out and deflected back to him. His second cross was cleared behind by Holdsworth.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:37:07 From the resulting corner, Shipperley headed just over the crossbar from .CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:37:44 Sheffield United made their first substitution of the match in the 26th minute: Kachura was replaced by Gareth Taylor, whose first contribution was to direct a looping header straight to Nash.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:39:01 In the 31st minute, Andy Linighan was caught in the face by Taylor's hand as they both jumped for the ball and had to receive treatment for a cut.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:44:18 Seven minutes later, Shipperley received the first yellow card of the game after fouling David White; the resulting free kick was cleared over his own bar by Linighan.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:50:51 In the 40th minute, Rodger became the second Crystal Palace player to be booked after a heavy challenge on Hutchison was deemed a foul.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:53:18
With a minute of regular time remaining in the first half, Rodger's pass into the box was picked up by Dyer, but he was tackled by Carl Tiler while shooting and the ball was cleared across the Sheffield United penalty area and out for a throw-in.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:56:21 Hutchison then fell awkwardly after an aerial challenge with Holdsworth, injuring his right shoulder, and was stretchered off the pitch in visible pain;CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 00:58:32 Lee Sandford came on to replace him.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 01:00:27 After four minutes of additional time, the referee blew his whistle to bring the goalless first half to a close.CRY V SHU Play Off Final 1997, 01:02:33
Second half