2003 Football League Third Division play-off Final
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| Date | 24 May 2003 | ||||||
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| Venue | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||
| Referee | Alan Kaye | ||||||
| Attendance | 32,148 | ||||||
The 2003 Football League Third Division play-off final was a football match played at the Millennium Stadium on 24 May 2003, to determine the fourth and final team to gain promotion from the Third Division to the Second Division of the Football League in the 2002–03 season. It was contested by Bournemouth, who finished fourth in the Third Division table, and Lincoln City, who finished sixth. The teams reached the final by defeating Bury and Scunthorpe United respectively in the two-legged semi-finals.
The 2002–03 season was the first time both teams had qualified for the Football League play-offs. Bournemouth won the match 5–2 to gain promotion back to the third tier of English football one season after being relegated, and they were the first team to score more than four goals in a play-off final. The seven goals in total makes it the highest scoring fourth tier final. The 1998 First Division play-off Final is the only final with more goals scored.
Bournemouth had finished the 2002–03 Football League season in fourth place in the Third Division, two places ahead of Lincoln. Therefore, both missed out on the three automatic promotion places and instead took part in the play-offs to determine who would join Rushden & Diamonds, Hartlepool United, and Wrexham as the fourth promoted team.
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