.jpg) The match took place at Wembley Stadium. | |||||||
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| Date | 1 June 1991 | ||||||
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| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Referee | Keith Hackett (Sheffield) | ||||||
| Attendance | 30,217 | ||||||
| Weather | Cool | ||||||
The 1991 Football League Third Division play-off final was an association football match which was played on 1 June 1991 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Tranmere Rovers and Bolton Wanderers. It was to determine the fourth and final team to gain promotion from the Football League Third Division, the third tier of English football, to the Second Division. The top three teams of the 1990–91 Football League Third Division, Cambridge United, Southend United and Grimsby Town, gained automatic promotion, while the teams placed from fourth to seventh place took part in play-off semi-finals; the winners then competed for the final place in the Second Division for the 1991–92 season. Bolton and Tranmere beat Bury and Brentford, respectively, in the semi-finals.
The referee for the match, which was played in front of 30,217 spectators, was Keith Hackett. In the 14th minute, Tranmere's Scottish centre forward Jim Steel was injured and substituted for Chris Malkin. The first half ended scoreless despite several close chances for Tranmere, including a disallowed headed goal by Malkin. He hit the crossbar early in the second half but the match ended 0–0 and headed into extra time. Nine minutes into the first period of additional time, Ged Brannan's shot rebounded to Malkin, who scored to put Tranmere ahead. No further goals were scored and the match ended 1–0, with Tranmere being promoted to the Second Division for the first time in 52 years.
Tranmere's next season ended with them in fourteenth position in the Second Division. Bolton ended their following season in thirteenth position in the Third Division.