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      LEAGUE 2    2008/09
     
 

Leading League goalscorers:
Grant Holt
 (Shrewsbury Town)
&
Jack Lester
(Chesterfield)
 20  goals each

This was the season when the rule-book finally seemed to take over from the game itself with 4 clubs suffering points deductions.

Luton had 10 points docked after being found guilty by the Football Association of 15 charges of misconduct concerning payments to agents by irregular means.  Luton had another 20 points deducted for a breach of the Football League insolvency policy (failing to exit administration with a Company Voluntary Agreement - CVA).  Bournemouth and Rotherham United each had 17 points deducted for breaches of the same CVA rule - the differing punishments taking account of each clubs' past financial misdemeanours. Darlington had 10 points deducted after entering administration.

The points deductions resulted in both Darlington and Rotherham missing out on play-off places while Luton lost their place in the Football League.

Rotherham's financial problems had forced them to vacate their Millmoor ground - their home since 1907 - and start the season at the Don Valley athletics stadium in Sheffield.

Luton started the season as red-hot favourites to drop out of the League but a truer reflection of their strength was shown in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy - for League 1 and 2 clubs - which saw the Hatters defeat League 1promotion winners Scunthorpe in in front of a 55,378 Wembley final crowd. So they became the first club to win a Wembley final and be relegated from the League in the same season.

 

   P W D L F A Pts
    Results 1 Brentford 46 23 16 7 65 36 85 Promoted
    Results 2 Exeter City 46 22 13 11 65 50 79 Promoted
    Results 3 Wycombe Wanderers 46 20 18 8 54 33 78

Promoted
    Results 4 Bury 46 21 15 10 63 43 78 Play Off
    Results 5 Gillingham 46 21 12 13 58 55 75 Promoted
    Results 6 Rochdale 46 19 13 14 70 59 70 Play Off
    Results 7 Shrewsbury Town 46 17 18 11 61 44 69 Play Off
    Results 8 Dagenham & Redbridge 46 19 11 16 77 53 68
    Results 9 Bradford City 46 18 13 15 66 55 67
    Results 10 Chesterfield 46 16 15 15 62 57 63
    Results 11 Morecambe 46 15 18 13 53 56 63
    Results 12 Darlington 46 20 12 14 61 44 62

*
    Results 13 Lincoln City 46 14 17 15 53 52 59
    Results 14 Rotherham United 46 21 12 13 60 46 58 *
    Results 15 Aldershot Town 46 14 12 20 59 80 54
    Results 16 Accrington Stanley 46 13 11 22 42 59 50
    Results 17 Barnet 46 11 15 20 56 74 48
    Results 18 Port Vale 46 13 9 24 44 66 48
    Results 19 Notts County 46 11 14 21 49 69 47
    Results 20 Macclesfield Town 46 13 8 25 45 77 47
    Results 21 Bournemouth 46 17 12 17 59 51 46

*
    Results 22 Grimsby Town 46 9 14 23 51 69 41
    Results 23 Chester City 46 8 13 25 43 81 37 Relegated
    Results 24 Luton Town 46 13 17 16 58 65 26

*

 Relegated
   
   

*  Luton Town had 30 points deducted, Bournemouth and Rotherham United 17 points deducted and Darlington 10 points deducted (see left).

Left League Chester City and Luton Town were relegated from the League to the Conference, being replaced by Conference sides Burton Albion and Torquay United - 2008/09 Conference table and play-off results.

Full home and away table.

   
   
Play Off Semi-Finals    Play Off
1st Leg
Thu May 7 Rochdale 0 - 0 Gillingham
Thu May 7 Shrewsbury Town 0 - 1 Bury
2nd Leg
Sun May 10 Gillingham 2 - 1 Rochdale
Sun May 10 Bury 0 - 1 Shrewsbury Town
Aggregate scores
Gillingham 2 - 1 Rochdale
Shrewsbury Town 1 - 1 Bury
    (Shrewsbury won 4-3 on penalties)
Play Off Final (at Wembley)
Sat May

23

 Gillingham 1 - 0 Shrewsbury Town
Gillingham were promoted to League 1.
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   

 


Did You Know.....
...Forest spelt Forrest, Halifax spelt Hailfax, Millwall became Millwall Athletic, Gillingham became
Gillingham United, wrong dates......
just some of the mistakes on the front of programmes
Read more about this and other
programme facts and figures...

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