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The Football League play-offs for the 2005–06 season were held in May 2006, with the finals taking place at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the last time. The play-off semi-finals were played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Championship and League One and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the League Two table. The winners of the semi-finals advanced to the finals, with the winners of these matches gaining promotion for the following season.
| Season | 2005–06 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Watford (Championship) Barnsley (League One) Cheltenham Town (League Two) |
| Matches played | 15 |
| Goals scored | 31 (2.07 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Grimsby 2–1 Lincoln (League Two) |
| Biggest away win | Crystal Palace 0–3 Watford (Championship) |
| Highest scoring | Hud'field 1–3 Barnsley Barnsley 2–2 Swansea (4 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 64,736 – Leeds v Watford (Championship final) |
| Lowest attendance | 5,936 – Wycombe v Cheltenham (League Two semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 22,720 |
← 2005 2007 → | |
The Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places.
In the Championship, Watford, who were aiming to return to the top flight for the first time since 2000, finished 9 points behind second placed Sheffield United, who in turn finished 16 points behind champions Reading, who were promoted to the top flight for the first time in the club's history. Preston North End who missed out on promotion from playoffs the season before and have not been in the top flight since 1961, finished in fourth place in the table. Leeds United who are aiming to bounce back to the Premier League at the second attempt, finished in fifth place. Crystal Palace finished 3 points behind Leeds United and were looking for a place back in the Premiership after relegation on final day of last season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Watford | 46 | 22 | 15 | 9 | 77 | 53 | +24 | 81 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 20 | 6 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 80 |
| 5 | Leeds United | 46 | 21 | 15 | 11 | 57 | 38 | +19 | 78 |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 21 | 12 | 14 | 67 | 48 | +19 | 75 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Leeds United | 1–1 | Preston North End |
|---|---|---|
Lewis  74' |
Report | Nugent 48' |
- Second leg
| Preston North End | 0–2 | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Hulse 56' Richardson 61' |
Leeds United win 3–1 on aggregate.
Watford won 3–0 on aggregate.
Final
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Brentford | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 76 |
| 4 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 72 | 59 | +13 | 73 |
| 5 | Barnsley | 46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 62 | 44 | +18 | 72 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 78 | 55 | +23 | 71 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Swansea City | 1–1 | Brentford |
|---|---|---|
| Ricketts 87' |
Report | Tabb 29' |
- Second leg
| Brentford | 0–2 | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Knight 8', 15' |
Swansea City won 3–1 on aggregate.
| Huddersfield Town | 1–3 | Barnsley |
|---|---|---|
| Heckingbottom 65' (o.g.) |
Report | Hayes 58' (pen.) Reid 71'Nardiello 78' |
Barnsley won 3–2 on aggregate.
Final
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 78 |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 72 |
| 6 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 72 | 56 | +16 | 71 |
| 7 | Lincoln City | 46 | 15 | 21 | 10 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 66 |
Semi-finals
- First leg
| Lincoln City | 0–1 | Grimsby Town |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Jones 22' |
| Wycombe Wanderers | 1–2 | Cheltenham Town |
|---|---|---|
| Mooney 90' |
Report | Finnigan 43' Guinan 75' |
- Second leg
| Grimsby Town | 2–1 | Lincoln City |
|---|---|---|
| Futcher 60' Jones 82' |
Report | Robinson 27' |
Grimsby Town won 3–1 on aggregate.
Cheltenham Town won 2–1 on aggregate.
Final
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