English Football League / Mike Norman / 22 May 2008 /

Mike Norman's sofa is going to take a battering this weekend - he loves those play-offs and there's a feast on offer as Leeds battle Doncaster to make the Championship, Stockport and Rochdale scrap for League One status and the two Citys, Hull and Bristol, face off in the £60m match

It's the morning after - the head hurts, the front room is a mess, and the edge of my settee looks considerably more used than the part that is designed to be sat on.

It was a cracker wasn't it? An end-to-end game that had it all - Manchester United prevailing 50 years after the Munich air disaster, with Ryan Giggs scoring the penalty that ultimately won the trophy, on the night he broke Sir Bobby Charlton's club appearance record. There are moments in sport that are spine tingling - last night was one such moment.

As much as I love a season of league football, as last night proves there is nothing better than a one-off 'winner takes all' football match. The drama, theatre, and intensity of such an occasion is scarcely rivalled by other sporting events. Thankfully for me, my fix of adrenalin didn't end with Edwin van der Sar's spot-kick save. Saturday sees the start of three 'winner takes all' divisional play-off finals that threaten to get me on the edge of my seat once again.

The play-offs have undeniably been a welcome addition to the modern game. In a division that contains 24 clubs there are always likely to be two or three that pull away from the others, so those extra four play-off positions are a huge carrot for most clubs.

Twenty or so years ago, mid-table at Christmas, 30 points behind an automatic promotion place, meant your season was as good as over. Now, mid-table at Christmas, 15 points behind the final play-off place, means you still have a realistic target. Crystal Palace this season were a perfect example of this. When Neil Warnock took over his only target was to avoid relegation, but by Christmas they were mid-table and within sight of a play-off place (which they achieved) without ever being in contention for an automatic promotion slot.

Managers can start the season with one target in mind, but they can adjust as the weeks go by as they become safer from relegation and sixth or seventh place becomes a distinct possibility. It can work the other way also - just take Watford as an example. You can be in a promotion place all season, but then hit a terrible run of form and fail to get promoted by just a few points. At least the play-offs have afforded those teams the luxury of a second chance.

The play-offs are a huge asset to our game, with no fewer than 89 teams being involved since they were introduced 22 years ago. Charlton Athletic were the big winners back then, retaining their place in England's top league with a 2-1 replay victory over Leeds United.

From Aldershot Town to York City, and with such famous teams as Chelsea, Leeds and Newcastle, they've all sampled the excitement and lottery that is the end of season climax. Bolton, Ipswich and Preston hold the record for the most appearances in the play-offs (seven), while Bolton and Preston are the only two teams that have been involved in the play-offs across all three divisions.

Blackpool, Crystal Palace and Swindon Town are the teams that have been promoted most (three), though Swindon were famously demoted in 1990 after being found guilty of financial irregularities - beaten finalists Sunderland replaced them in the top division.

When it comes to excitement and memorable games then look no further than some play-off finals. Many will remember Swindon's 4-3 victory over Leicester City in 1993 or the two late goals by Manchester City that saw them snatch a draw with Gillingham before winning the penalty shoot-out.

But perhaps the most memorable game in play-off history was the 4-4 draw between Sunderland and Charlton in 1998, with Charlton eventually winning a dramatic penalty shoot-out 7-6. It was memorable in more ways than one for me and a few of my Boro supporting friends. We watched the game in a packed Sunderland pub, and after a few beers thought it would be entertaining to sing "Cheer Up Peter Reid" on the karaoke later that evening. Suffice to say it didn't go down too well - but that's what the play-offs (and a few beers) do to you!

This weekend you can watch some cracking matches whilst having a flutter on Betfair. Hull City are marginal favourites at [1.72] to gain promotion to the Premiership on Saturday in what is now regarded as the £60m final - Bristol City are [2.34]. Leeds United are [1.76] to get promoted ahead of Doncaster Rovers ([2.3]) on Sunday, while it's Stockport who are more fancied at [1.78] to gain promotion instead of Rochdale ([2.24]) on Monday.

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