The Football League play-offs for the 1988–89 season were held in May 1989, with the two-legged finals taking place at the finalists home stadiums. The play-off semi-finals were also played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place in the Football League Second Division and Football League Third Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th placed teams in the Football League Fourth Division table. The winners of the semi-finals progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches either gaining promotion or avoiding relegation for the following season.

Background

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. For the first three seasons the final was played over two legs but this was changed to a single match at Wembley Stadium from 1990.

Second Division

Semi-finals

First leg

21 May 1989

15:00

Swindon Town	1–0	Crystal Palace
Hopkins (o.g.)

County Ground, Swindon

Attendance: 16,658

Second leg

24 May 1989

19:45

Watford	1–1 (a.e.t.)	Blackburn Rovers
Redfearn		Garner

Vicarage Road, Watford

Attendance: 13,852

Watford 1–1 Blackburn Rovers on aggregate. Blackburn Rovers won on away goals.

24 May 1989

20:00

Crystal Palace	2–0	Swindon Town
Bright Wright

Selhurst Park, London

Attendance: 23,677

Crystal Palace won 2–1 on aggregate.

Final

First leg

31 May 1989

19:45

Blackburn Rovers	3–1	Crystal Palace
Gayle 21', 27' Garner 90'		McGoldrick 86'

Ewood Park, Blackburn

Attendance: 16,421

Referee: Joe Worrall

Second leg

3 June 1989

15:00

Crystal Palace	3–0 (a.e.t.)	Blackburn Rovers
Wright 17', 117' Madden 47' (pen.)

Selhurst Park, London

Attendance: 30,000

Referee: George Courtney

Crystal Palace won 4–3 on aggregate.

Third Division

Semi-finals

First leg

21 May 1989

15:00

Bristol Rovers	1–0	Fulham
Penrice

Twerton Park, Bath

Attendance: 9,029

22 May 1989

19:45

Preston North End	1–1	Port Vale
Jemson		Earle

Deepdale, Preston

Attendance: 14,321

Second leg

25 May 1989

19:30

Fulham	0–4	Bristol Rovers
		Clark Holloway Bailey Reece

Craven Cottage, London

Attendance: 10,188

Bristol Rovers won 5–0 on aggregate.

25 May 1989

19:30

Port Vale	3–1	Preston North End
Beckford		Patterson

Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent

Attendance: 13,416

Port Vale won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

First leg

31 May 1989

20:00

Bristol Rovers	1–1	Port Vale
Penrice		Earle 73'

Twerton Park, Bath

Attendance: 9,042

Referee: Allan Gunn

Second leg

3 June 1989

15:00

Port Vale	1–0	Bristol Rovers
Earle 52'

Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent

Attendance: 17,353

Referee: Keith Hackett

Port Vale won 2–1 on aggregate.

Fourth Division

Semi-finals

First leg

21 May 1989

12:00

Leyton Orient	2–0	Scarborough
Cooper

Brisbane Road, London

Attendance: 9,298

21 May 1989

14:00

Wrexham	3–1	Scunthorpe United
Wright Kearns		Cowling

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

Attendance: 5,449

Second leg

24 May 1989

19:30

Scarborough	1–0	Leyton Orient
Russell

McCain Stadium, Scarborough

Attendance: 4,377

Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.

25 May 1989

19:30

Scunthorpe United	0–2	Wrexham
		Russell

Glanford Park, Scunthorpe

Attendance: 5,516

Wrexham won 5–1 on aggregate.

Final

First leg

Second leg

3 June 1989

12:00

Leyton Orient	2–1	Wrexham
Harvey 45' Cooper		Bowden 47'

Brisbane Road, London

Attendance: 13,355

Referee: John Martin

Leyton Orient won 2–1 on aggregate.