The 2025-26 season has given rise to a future quiz question that might test the best of memories: which team lost in the semi-final and final of the play-offs in the same season?
The answer is, of course, Middlesbrough.
This will be added to a question that, for over three decades, has had Sunderland as its answer – which side was promoted despite losing the play-off final?
Back in 1990, Denis Smith’s Sunderland negotiated a tricky semi-final over two legs against our nearest and dearest and, in the
very first year that the play-offs were all to be hosted at Wembley, had to take on Ossie Ardiles’ Swindon Town in the Football League’s new flagship glamour fixture.
The rumours within football had been swirling around the rapid rise of Swindon Town for some time, and if you want to listen to the incredible full story of that investigation, we spoke to Bill Bradshaw, and you can listen to the whole story here.
The Football Association knew they had to act, but while the case rumbled on, Swindon were securing their place in the play-offs, which meant the FA were praying Blackburn Rovers would beat them in the semi-final, and when that didn’t happen, their hopes fell on Sunderland saving them from having a big decision to make.
Unfortunately for them, Sunderland didn’t turn up at Wembley and Swindon ran rings around us. Tony Norman stood between the game ending 1-0 as it did, and the result turning into a cricket score.
In the weeks to follow, it was decided that Swindon couldn’t be promoted, which meant a decision had to be made on who would replace them. Newcastle put their case forward, Sheffield Wednesday and Ron Atkinson made loud noises, but in the end, the obvious choice would be that Sunderland became a Division One side.
But even after this became official, the debate rumbled on whether or not the punishment on Swindon was fair and whether or not Sunderland were the right choice to replace them.
A Swindon Town supporter wrote the following open letter to the club as reported by the Sunderland Echo on this day in 1990:
An open letter to the management, players and supporters of Sunderland FC.
Firstly, I would like to thank the many Sunderland supporters who have sent letters of sympathy to Swindon Town FC and its supporters. They help to give us hope.
Everybody at Swindon felt that a special bond was formed between our supporters during that marvellous day at Wembley.
We attended as a family, from grandparents to grandchildren, and were proud to be there to find the supporters not being separated.
Our fans were united and your supporters were gracious in defeat and our supporters acknowledged that and applauded you for it. I only wish the TV and press coverage could have accurately reported the real atmosphere, because what they showed seems in retrospect not good news these days.
Now, the bitter pill of all that the League let us swallow has grown even larger, but the punishment for the support we obtained from people like the FFA, media and other League clubs gets greater.
It is to this end that I appeal to you on behalf of Swindon supporters.
Please refuse to take your place in the First Division.
We all know this would be the ultimate sacrifice and perhaps we should not ask.
But would it feel the same as if you had won at Wembley; would it feel right, being there “by default”?
If our appeal has some understanding and sympathy, please help us once again. We all wish you well — and hope it does not take us another 109 years to reach this position.
Please think on and help us in our plight.
Thank you.
Richard Blackmore, The Mews, Lydiard Millicent, Swindon, Wiltshire.
The Sunderland chairman, Bob Murray, responded to the open letter and other reports around the decisions made by the FA:
SUNDERLAND chairman Bob Murray today rejected a call for a Football League amnesty on “illegal payments” to players, to discover the extent of the scandal.
The call came from a Swindon supporters’ leader to prove the club’s claim that it had become a “scapegoat” for a practice which riddles the Football League.
Christopher Scott, chairman of Swindon Town Supporters Club, said: “In view of the Football League and League clubs and players, with the support of Swindon Town FC, we should submit evidence to the League and FA to prove that illegal payments have been made by other clubs.”
But Murray said: “We have no blemish on our record at Sunderland. We run our club as a sound business in the manner we should do. I’m very offended, both as chairman and as a man, by the suggestion that we should be included in this.”
“I would not support an amnesty. It would be an insult to those clubs who have run their affairs properly.”
Mr Murray said Swindon’s case was a “dead cause” and that the Football League had acted correctly in relegating them to Division Three.
He added: “The League has acted properly and fairly. It’s a sad case, but it’s finished now.”
