Ok so we will be talking about the top 10 EFL Championship playoff moments. There have been many iconic moments so let’s break down what we think are the top 10 in the competitions history.
#10. Mooy secures Huddersfield Dream
In 2017, Huddersfield Town also known as Hudderfield Town Association Football Club secured promotion back to the Premier League. Aaron Mooy was a massive part of this as the Australian maestro ran the midfield on that day. When the lights came up on the penalty shootout, Huddersfield town was promoted to the Premier League for the first time in their history.
#9. Windass Becomes Immortal
In 2008 Hull was playing Bristol City in the annual EFL Championship playoff final, in a very tight game, one man decided to live forever. Dean Windass got onto Frazier Campbell’s chip pass and scored one of the best playoff final goals in the competition’s history. This was the only goal in the game promoting Hull back to the Premier League for the first time in 102 years.
#8. Hero to Zero for Derby County
In 2007, Derby County reached the playoff final and grinded out a 1-0 victory to reach the promised land. It was an amazing achievement for the club but it would soon turn sour as the following season, Derby would get relegated back to the Championship after recording the Premier League’s smallest ever points tally.
#7. Swans Come To The Big Pond
In 2011 Swansea swept aside Reading in the EFL Championship playoff final to get promoted to the Premier League. The win was helped massively by a young Scott Sinclair bagging a hattrick in the game. Swansea would become the first Welsh team to play in the Premier League.
#6. Rotherham Take One Step Closer To Paradise
In 2014, Rotherham and Leyton Orient were battling it out for a place in the championship. After 180 minutes that couldn’t separate the teams it went to penalties. Adam Collins scoring the decisive penalty to send Rotherham to the championship.
#5. The Underdog Has It’s Day In The EFL Championship Playoff
Everyone loves a good underdog story and it’s just somewhat more special in football. Blackpool FC had to come back from behind twice in the game to get promoted. Brett Ormerod scoring the eventual winner and completing the fairytale to send Blackpool up.
#4. Harry Leads Another Team To Promotion
For a game that was fairly dominated by Derby possession, QPR took their chance and scored the only goal of the game. Harry brought Bobby Zamora on and told him to do something special, and that’s exactly what he did when the ball fell to his feet and he hit it on the volley into the bottom left corner. QPR’S only shot on target ended up in the net and they got themselves promoted.
#3. The Irons Get Promoted
West Ham is a club rich in history who were playing in England’s second-tier back in 2012, after narrowly missing out on automatic promotion. The Irons had intended to get promoted through the playoffs. Ricardo Vaz Te’s 87th-minute winner sent Wembley into a craze and secured Premier League football for the Irons.
#2. Preston Reach The Highest Of Highs
PLAY-OFF football increases the tension like nothing else as the season comes down to three games. This game was no different after 120 minutes the teams couldn’t be separated. It went to a penalty shootout in which Preston held their breath and ran out 4-2 winners to reach the golden gates of Premier League football.
#1. Watford And Leicester Play Out A Classic
Possibly the best 20 seconds of Football you will ever see. Anthony Knockaert stood over a penalty that would secure a 3-2 aggregate win for Leicester and take them to Wembley but then, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia saved his kick. Watford ran down the pitch and a cross from Hog and a finish from Troy Deeney sent the Watford crowd into disarray. This is the best playoff moment and I think you would have to ask a lot of people to find someone who would disagree.
