1987 Football League Second Division play-off final
Peter Shirtliff then scored twice in the 113th and 117th minutes to give Charlton Athletic a 2–1 victory and to preserve their place in the top tier of English football.
[11] In the tenth minute, Ipswich's goalkeeper Paul Cooper made his fifth penalty save of the season after denying Colin Walsh's spot kick.
[12] The Charlton goalkeeper Bob Bolder made a save from Kevin Wilson before Jim Melrose hit the Ipswich crossbar.
Bolder then made a double save, first from Jason Dozzell and then denying the headed rebound from Tony Humes, and the match ended 0–0.
In the 85th minute, Ipswich midfielder Steve McCall scored after a shot from Mich d'Avray rebounded from the post, but Charlton Athletic qualified for the play-off final 2–1 on aggregate.
[18] After leading the club to 14th position in the league that season, Bremner made a number of changes to playing staff, including bringing in at least ten players.
Along with the fourth-place finish in the league, Bremner oversaw Leeds' run to the semi-final of the 1986–87 FA Cup where they lost to Coventry City.
[20] Their manager Lennie Lawrence had been moved into the caretaker role at the club in November 1982 after Ken Craggs was sacked with them fifth-from-bottom in the Second Division.
[22] The first leg of the play-off final was delayed from a scheduled Friday evening kick-off to a Saturday afternoon game to avoid traffic congestion at a supermarket local to Selhurst Park.
[26] The game was described in The Guardian by Michael Ralph as "an unending series of squabbles" in which both Charlton's Miller and Leeds' Aizlewood were booked.
[26] Charlton dominated the match but it took until the 87th minute when Melrose scored the opening goal of the afternoon, and his seventeenth of the season, to give them a 1–0 lead.
Charlton manager Lennie Lawrence said after the match, "I can't recall us having less room to play any time this season.
"[28] The replay was held at St Andrew's, the home of Birmingham City, on 29 May 1987 in front of a crowd of 15,841, and was refereed by Allan Gunn.
[22] The West Midlands Police had mobilised at least 300 officers, some mounted and some with dogs, in anticipation of the arrival of at least 13,000 Leeds United supporters.
Two years prior, Leeds United fans had rioted at St Andrew's, causing a wall to collapse and resulting in injuries to 96 policemen.
[37][38] Leeds United finished the following campaign in seventh place, eight points behind the play-off spots and it would not be until 1990 where they were automatically promoted into the top flight.
