2011 Football League Championship play-off final

2011 Football League Championship play-off final
Event2010–11 Football League Championship
Date30 May 2011
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchScott Sinclair (Swansea City)
RefereePhil Dowd
Attendance86,581
2010
2012

The 2011 Football League Championship play-off final was an association football match which was played on 30 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium, London, between Swansea City and Reading. The match was to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football, to the Premier League. The top two teams of the 2010–11 Football League Championship season gained automatic promotion to the Premier League, while the teams placed from third to sixth place in the table partook in play-off semi-finals; Swansea ended the season in third place while Reading had finished fifth. The winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2011–12 season in the Premier League. Winning the game was estimated to be worth up to £90 million to the successful team.

The 2011 final, refereed by Phil Dowd, was watched by a crowd of more than 86,000 people. Swansea took the lead in the first half with a Scott Sinclair penalty, who scored again a minute later. Before half-time, Stephen Dobbie added a third for a scoreline of 3–0. During half-time, Reading's Jay Tabb and their assistant manager were sent off for abusing the referee. An own goal early in the second half from Swansea's Joe Allen and a goal from Reading's Matt Mills made the score 3–2 but Sinclair completed his hat-trick, once again with a penalty, and Swansea won the match 4–2. It was their first top-tier play-off final win. Sinclair's hat-trick was the second in play-off final history, and he was named man of the match.

Swansea ended the next season in mid-table in the Premier League. Reading finished the following season as champions of the Football League Championship and were automatically promoted to the Premier League.