2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Georgia
Georgia was unable to score on the following drive, but freshman Tim Tebow fumbled on Florida's 10-yard line to give Georgia a shot at drawing within seven points. On third down from the 5-yard line, running back Kregg Lumpkin took a draw play and fought his way for a Georgia touchdown to bring the Bulldogs to within seven points. The Gators and the Bulldogs traded possessions, with the Gators getting the ball back with a little over three minutes in the game.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Georgia
Florida needed a first down on third and five to seal their victory and elected to give Andre Caldwell a carry off a reverse. The play was stopped well short, but Georgia was called for a controversial face mask penalty which gave Florida a first down. Running back DeShawn Wynn, who saw limited action in the game, was able to pick up another first down to seal Florida's seventh win of the season. The Gators have now won fifteen of the last eighteen against their hated rivals from Georgia. The win also moved the Gators into fourth place in the BCS rankings.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
The Gators clinched their trip to the SEC Championship Game with a sloppy win over Vanderbilt. Chris Leak struggled throughout the game, going 18 of 25 passing for 237 yards and one touchdown. Leak threw three interceptions, all of which came with the Gators controlling the flow of the game. Florida got very strong play from its defense and special teams, as they were able to block two punts and force an interception.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
Before the game, it was announced that star defensive lineman Marcus Thomas was kicked off the team for the remainder of the year. Coach Urban Meyer stated during the game that "Marcus did not meet his responsibilities and obligations to remain on the team."


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
In one of the most anticipated games of the season, former Gator coaching head coach and current Florida quality control assistant Steve Spurrier returned to The Swamp as South Carolina's head coach. Spurrier had made two well-received public visits to the stadium earlier in the year as a part of the national championship anniversary celebration and to be enshrined in the Gators' Ring of Honor.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
In a thrilling game, defensive lineman Jarvis Moss blocked an extra point and a field goal, including a potential game winning 48-yard field goal with only eight seconds remaining in the game to ensure a Gator victory. Ray McDonald also notably blocked a field goal earlier in the game.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, South Carolina
Leading the Gators on offense was Chris Leak, who with 258 yards passing in the game, eclipsed Danny Wuerffel as the All-Time passing yards leader in Gators history. DeShawn Wynn added 86 yards on the ground to help the Gators maintain a steady attack. Freshman Tim Tebow continued his strong season, rushing for a 13-yard touchdown which proved to be the game winning score. Tebow also converted a critical fourth down play inside Gator territory. Kicker Chris Hetland continued to struggle, missing a 28-yard field goal. He did, however, kick a 22-yard field goal.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Western Carolina
The third-ranked Gators had little trouble disposing of the 1-AA Western Carolina Catamounts 62–0. Chris Leak, who played in his final game at The Swamp, went 9–12 for 98 yards and one touchdown in the first half.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Western Carolina
Freshman Tim Tebow took over for the majority of the second half, going 10–12 passing, for 200 yards, and two touchdowns. Tebow added two touchdowns rushing along with 47 yards.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Western Carolina
The Gators used the game to give young players some playing time. A slew of freshmen played, including Jarred Fayson, who saw time at quarterback and wide receiver. Riley Cooper, yet another freshman, added three receiving touchdowns in the game. Freshman Mon Williams rushed for 97 yards on nine carries. Brandon James also added a 77-yard touchdown from a punt return. Overall, the Gators finished with more points(62) than the Catamounts had yards (59).


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Florida State
To beat the struggling Florida State Seminoles, Chris Leak threw for 283 yards and two touchdowns, Percy Harvin ran for a score and the fourth-ranked Gators won 21–14 on Saturday to stay in the national title hunt.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Florida State
Florida (11–1) won its third straight against Florida State and improved to 6–0 against its three main rivals—Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State—in Meyer's two seasons.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Game summaries, Florida State
The victory did not help much in the Bowl Championship Series standings, leaving the Gators looking for assistance to get to the title game, which would come the following weekend.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
The fourth ranked Gators took on the eighth ranked Arkansas Razorbacks in the 2006 SEC Championship Game. Both teams were looking to end their respective SEC Championship droughts, with Florida having not won the title since 2000, and the Razorbacks losing in their previous two title game appearances. The Gators came into the game favored by three points. Both teams traded three and outs before Florida exploded in the second quarter. Up 3–0, Chris Leak was called for a rare quarterback draw which he converted by fighting into the endzone, giving the Gators a 10–0 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
On the next Florida drive, Leak found game MVP Percy Harvin on a perfectly thrown 37-yard touchdown pass. However, the Razorbacks came back with a touchdown of their own. Razorbacks quarterback Casey Dick, who had struggled mightily in the past few games, threw a perfect pass to Marcus Monk who caught the pass for a 47-yard touchdown. The Gators led 17–7 heading into the half.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
At half time, in a stunning development, the second ranked USC Trojans lost in a shocking upset to rival UCLA. With this turn of events, Florida could give themselves a strong chance to overtake No. 2 Michigan and play in the BCS National Championship Game with a win. However, Arkansas came out firing in the second half. Using the unusual "Wildcat Formation", All American tailback Darren McFadden threw a quick two-yard touchdown to fellow tailback Felix Jones.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
On the next offensive series, Gators quarterback Chris Leak was intercepted on an attempted shovel pass which was returned by Antwain Robinson for a touchdown, giving the Razorbacks a stunning 21–17 lead. Florida regained the ball, but was stuffed by the Arkansas defense. Coach Urban Meyer decided to run a fake punt on his own 15-yard line, which proved to be a good call, as receiver Jemalle Cornelius scampered for a 16-yard gain. Even with this swing of momentum, the Gators were unable to capitalize and elected to punt from midfield. The momentum changed yet again, this time in Florida's favor. Punt returner Reggie Fish muffed the punt after trying to field it over his shoulder; the ball was recovered in the endzone by freshman Wondy Pierre-Louis, giving the Gators a 24–21 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
The Gators took the three-point lead into the fourth quarter knowing with a win, they will have made their case to play in the BCS National Championship Game. Explosive freshman Percy Harvin gave Florida a ten-point lead when he bolted through the Arkansas defense for a 67-yard touchdown. On the following Arkansas offensive series, the momentum of the game appeared to change yet again, when receiver Cedric Washington threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to tailback Felix Jones on a trick play.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
Knowing the field goal lead wouldn't be enough, the Gators came out firing on their offensive series. Florida drove to the Arkansas five-yard line, when freshman sensation Tim Tebow came into the game. Tebow appeared to be running yet again, but pitched the ball to wide receiver Andre Caldwell who then threw a touchdown pass to tight end Tate Casey which proved to give the Gators a big enough lead to win their first conference championship in six years.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Arkansas
The victory catapulted the Gators over second ranked Michigan in the BCS standings, giving the Gators the right to play Ohio State in the BCS National Championship Game.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The Florida Gators ended their season with a stunning 41–14 upset of the number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, giving them the school's second national championship in ten years. The national championship win also gives the University of Florida the distinction of being the only school to ever hold both the men's basketball national championship and football championship simultaneously.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The game did not start well for the Gators however. Florida won the toss and elected to defer the option to the second half, giving Ohio State the ball first. On the opening kickoff, Ted Ginn Jr. sprinted for a 93-yard kick off return for a touchdown, turning the largely Ohio State crowd into a frenzy and giving the Buckeyes a 7–0 lead 16 seconds into the game. However, Ginn injured his foot celebrating the touchdown, leaving the Buckeyes without his deep threat for the rest of the game.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Coach Urban Meyer, who was coaching in his first national championship game, took a timeout to compose his team after the inauspicious start. It appeared to work, as senior Chris Leak went 5–5 on the first drive of the game. Leak found three different receivers on the drive, which culminated with a lob pass to fellow senior Dallas Baker.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The Buckeyes then got their first offensive possession of the game. Led by Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, the Buckeye offense was widely considered to be the best offense in college football. The Gators, however, had one of the top defenses in the nation. The Gators blitzed Smith multiple times on the first drive, leading to a three and out, forcing Ohio State to punt.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Florida had great field position, following a personal foul penalty on Ohio State. Chris Leak led the Gators back on the field, starting from the Ohio State 35-yard line. Florida again used a variety of offensive looks to keep the Ohio State defense off balance, which also included using freshman phenom Tim Tebow as a power rusher. On second down and goal, from the Ohio State four-yard line, Florida ran an option play, in which Chris Leak pitched the ball to freshman star Percy Harvin who fought his way in for a four-yard touchdown. Harvin appeared to be down at the one-yard line, but after further review, it was determined that Harvin did reach the endzone. The score gave the Gators a surprising 14–7 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The Buckeyes came back on their next possession, trailing by a touchdown. Still, the Gator defense managed to put quarterback Troy Smith under heavy pressure. On third down, following a sack, the Gators blitzed, hit Smith as he threw the ball, and cornerback Reggie Lewis intercepted the pass.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Following the interception, the Gators continued to use unorthodox formations and plays to keep Ohio State off balance. Chris Leak remained extremely sharp, going four of five passing on the drive, for 44 yards. On the Ohio State 7-yard line, Tim Tebow came into the game and powered his way to the Buckeye 2-yard line. On the following play, running back DeShawn Wynn rumbled in for a two-yard touchdown, giving the Gators a stunning 21–7 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The Buckeyes however, remained composed. Using their power running game, and a 13-yard scramble from Troy Smith, the Buckeyes drove to the Gators' 18-yard line. Tailback Antonio Pittman weaved through the Gators' defense on the next play, for an 18-yard touchdown run, pulling the Buckeyes to within a touchdown.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Florida moved the ball with some success on their next possession, but were held for the first time all night by the Ohio State defense, forcing a Florida punt. Troy Smith and the Buckeyes marched back on the field, hoping to tie the game. However, Florida's stifling defensive line continued to put heavy pressure on Smith, forcing bad throws and incompletions, ultimately leading to a three and out.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
The Gators got the football back, hoping to restore their two touchdown lead. Florida did move the ball successfully, but was unable to move the ball inside the redzone. Much to the displeasure of many Gator fans, Florida elected to send kicker Chris Hetland on to attempt a 40-yard field goal. Hetland had missed 9 of 13 attempts on the season, but split the uprights, giving the Gators a 24–14 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Ohio State was now in a deep hole, trailing by ten with six minutes to go in the half. The Buckeyes attempted to establish a power running game with Antonio Pittman and Chris Wells, but the Gator defense was up to the task. In perhaps one of the most stunning decisions of the game, Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel decided to go for it on fourth and 1 from his own 29. The decision backfired, and Chris Wells was stopped short of the first down, giving the Gators great field position.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
With the swing in momentum, the Gators were again unable to score a touchdown and settled for another Chris Hetland 40-yard field goal, pushing the Gator lead to 27–14. The game changed for good, on the next Ohio State possession. Under extreme pressure yet again, Troy Smith attempted to scramble outside of the pocket, but was caught by defensive end and special teams hero Jarvis Moss, who stripped Smith of the football. Defensive game MVP Derrick Harvey recovered the fumble and returned it for 9 yards, to the Ohio State five-yard line.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
After two Tim Tebow runs up the middle, Florida faced a third down and goal on the Ohio State one-yard line. Florida used a timeout to draw up a play for Tebow, who remained in the game. Tebow faked his usual quarterback run up the middle, ran left and flipped an easy one-yard touchdown pass to a wide open Andre Caldwell. This score gave the Gators a shocking 34–14 halftime lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Leading 34–14 heading into the third quarter, the Gators appeared to be conservative on offense, which resulted in a quick three and out on the first possession of the half. The Gator defense, however, remained their brilliant play, in suffocating Troy Smith and pressuring him relentlessly and forcing him into bad decisions. The teams traded three and outs, and punts, throughout the third quarter, which gave the Gators a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Fifteen minutes from a national championship, the Gators were determined not to have a defensive lapse, like many had so often seen under former coach Ron Zook. The Gators again continued their relentless pressure on Troy Smith, sacking him several times, and pressuring him into bad throws.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
On their next offensive possession, the Gators were determined to put the game out of reach. Urban Meyer again used a balanced attack of rushing and passing to drive the Gators down to the Ohio State one-yard line. Faced with a fourth and 1 on the Ohio State 1-yard line, many fans knew what was coming. Tim Tebow was again brought into the game and powered his way off the right side for a touchdown, giving the Gators a commanding 41–14 lead.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Troy Smith continued to have the worst game of his Buckeye career, as he was sacked for a 14-yard loss on the drive, putting Ohio State into a 3rd and 29-hole. Ohio State ran a draw play on 3rd down, and punted on the following play.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
With 8 minutes remaining in the game, the Gators were determined to end the game and give the school a national championship. DeShawn Wynn, who was in Urban Meyer's doghouse early in Meyer's tenure at Florida, carried the ball 8 times on the drive, picking up several key first downs to keep the clock running. However, Wynn was stopped on a 3rd and 8 play, for only 2 yards. Coach Urban Meyer elected to go for it, and Chris Leak passed to Percy Harvin, who barely made the first down.


2006 Florida Gators football team, Postseason, Ohio State
Knowing this had sealed the win, Meyer began pumping his fist, and gesturing the Florida crowd to get noisy. Chris Leak took a final knee on fourth down, ending his illustrious career as a Gator on top of the college football world. Leak would later be named the game's most valuable player.


2006 Florida Marlins season
The 2006 Florida Marlins season was the 14th in Marlins franchise history; an American Major League Baseball team based in Miami Gardens, Florida. They finished the season in fourth place in the National League East Division. They are notable for greatly exceeding expectations and remaining close in the Wild Card race until September, despite having the lowest payroll in the Major Leagues and using primarily rookies and low priced veterans.


2006 Florida Marlins season
They also became the first team in MLB history to be at least 20 games under .500 (11-31), and end up at least a game over .500 (69-68) in the same season. The team ultimately fell short of a Wild Card berth, and failed to make the playoffs for the 3rd consecutive season.


2006 Florida Marlins season, Player stats, Offense
The team hit more home runs than the 2005 Marlins.


2006 Florida Marlins season, Player stats, Batting
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2006 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2006 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Florida. They were members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Atlantic Division.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team
The Seminoles finished with an overall record of 7–6, which was head coach Bobby Bowden's worst record since going 5–6 in 1976, his first year as Florida State's head coach. This record was later reduced to 2–6 after 5 wins from the season were vacated as punishment for violations of NCAA rules.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Pre-season
The Seminoles were picked by the ACC media as the preseason favorite to win the ACC's Atlantic Division. Sophomore quarterback Drew Weatherford finished fourth in voting for the ACC's Preseason Player of the Year.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Pre-season, Mid-season awards
Buster Davis named as a semi-finalist for The Lott Trophy.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Miami
Florida State played their season opener against the rival University of Miami Hurricanes on Labor Day for the third straight year. It was also the third time the team opened their Atlantic Coast Conference play with Miami. Much like the previous two Labor Day meetings, the 2006 edition of the game was a defensive struggle for both teams. The Seminoles trailed 3–10 at the half, but held Miami scoreless in the third and fourth quarters and took the lead with a 33-yard field goal late in the game. The 'Noles preserved the win when cornerback Michael Ray Garvin intercepted Miami quarterback Kyle Wright's pass with 29 seconds remaining.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Troy
After winning at Miami, the Seminoles returned home to Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium to take on the Troy Trojans. The Seminole offense continued to struggle, and the 'Noles found themselves shut out in the first half and down by three points to a team many expected them to blow out. After Troy scored early in the fourth quarter to take the lead, 17–10, ABC began to cut into their broadcast of #1 Ohio State at #2 Texas to update viewers on "the major upset brewing in Tallahassee." The Seminoles scored two touchdowns in the final 6:12 and avoided the upset, winning 24–17.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Clemson
Dubbed "Bowden Bowl VIII," Tommy Bowden's Clemson Tigers traveled to Doak Campbell Stadium for a pivotal ACC match-up with his father's Seminole team. Clemson had lost to ACC foe Boston College in overtime the week before, and was looking to reinsert themselves into the ACC Championship picture. Again, the Florida State offense struggled. The only points scored by the 'Noles in the first half of the game were scored by cornerback Tony Carter, who returned a blocked extra point for 2 points and a blocked field goal for a touchdown.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Clemson
With the game tied 20–20 late in the fourth quarter, Clemson switched to a no-huddle offense and running back James Davis gashed the unprepared Seminole defense for 47 yards, setting up a Clemson score with eight seconds left on the clock. Backup Seminole quarterback Xavier Lee entered the game and attempted a hail mary pass, but the ball was batted to the ground and Clemson left Tallahassee with a 27–20 win. It was the first time Clemson had won at Doak Campbell Stadium since 1989 and the third time Tommy Bowden had beaten his father since becoming Clemson's head coach in 1999.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Rice
The Seminoles rebounded from their loss to Clemson by routing the winless Rice Owls in front of one of the smallest crowds to attend a football game at Doak Campbell Stadium in years. For the first time in the 2006 season, FSU scored a touchdown on their opening drive. After a quick Rice touchdown tied the game, the 'Noles went on to score 48 unanswered points and earned a 55–7 victory. Backup quarterback Xavier Lee saw meaningful playing time for the first time in the season, and wide receiver Greg Carr caught two touchdowns. The Florida State running game, which had been anemic all season, exploded for 287 yards.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, NC State
Florida State traveled to Raleigh, NC to take on the North Carolina State Wolf Pack in a Thursday night game that was televised by ESPN. NC State, coached by former FSU assistant Chuck Amato, was seeking its second straight win over a ranked ACC opponent after suffering embarrassing losses to Akron and Southern Miss earlier in the season. FSU attempted to use more motion on offense and seemed determined to establish a running game, despite mixed results from running backs Lorenzo Booker and Antone Smith.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, NC State
After the Seminole defense stopped the Wolf Pack from scoring one yard away from the end zone, 'Nole quarterback Drew Weatherford led the offense on a 14-play, 99-yard scoring drive to give FSU a 20–10 lead in the third quarter. It was not enough, as NC State quarterback Daniel Evans led his team to two scores late in the game to put the Wolf Pack up 24–20. With one last chance, FSU began to drive down the field but Weatherford's pass was tipped and intercepted with 2:27 remaining. Utilizing the new NCAA clock rules to their fullest advantage, NC State was able to take three knees and run out the clock. With the win, Amato is now 4–3 against Bowden since becoming the head coach at NC State.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, NC State
The loss, Florida State's second to an unranked opponent in the 2006 season, caused the Seminoles to tumble out of polls and ignited a wave of criticism directed mostly at the FSU coaching staff. Fans on message boards around the Internet voiced their displeasure, and the downward spiral of the program was the subject of many newspaper articles and radio call-in shows for days after the game.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, NC State
When head coach Bobby Bowden was asked in an interview if he was rooting for ACC conference foe Wake Forest to beat Clemson that Saturday (thereby giving FSU a much better chance of returning to the ACC Championship game), he responded "I have to go with blood." This drew the ire of many fans who were already angry with Bowden for refusing to demote his son, FSU offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden, after six years of underachieving Florida State offensive performances.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Duke
FSU had no problem dispatching of the winless Duke Blue Devils, and used the game to get their younger players valuable experience. The 'Noles struck first early when linebacker Lawrence Timmons returned a Duke fumble 37 yards for a touchdown. After beginning the game with six straight incompletions, QB Drew Weatherford had his most solid performance of the season, going 16/18 for the remainder of time he was in the game. Weatherford threw four touchdown passes (three to WR Greg Carr) and had no interceptions. Backup QB Xavier Lee entered the game in the second quarter but struggled, throwing three picks. For the second time in the 2006 season, the Seminoles blocked an opponent's extra point attempt and returned it for two points.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Duke
Florida State continued to be hit hard by injuries. Linebacker Geno Hayes went down with an apparent knee injury in the first quarter, making him the fifth FSU linebacker this season to suffer a serious injury. Later tests revealed that Hayes sprained his MCL, and his status for the Boston College game is unknown. In addition, tight end Brandon Warren suffered a hamstring pull in the second quarter and is doubtful to play this week.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Boston College
Florida State lost another close ACC game at home against Boston College. The team wore special black uniforms and the fans wore black to honor the Seminole Tribe of Florida. A new statue, also honoring the Tribe was unveiled outside Doak Campbell Stadium on the day before the game. A special guest from the Seminole Tribe planted Chief Osceola's spear during the pre-game ceremony.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Maryland
Starting sophomore quarterback Xavier Lee for the injured Drew Weatherford, Florida State was unable to break out of its funk, losing its second straight game and fourth out of five. Lee was impressive in his start, completing 22 of 36 passes for 286 yards and 2 touchdowns. Receiver Chris Davis also had a good game, catching 8 passes for 132 yards and 1 touchdown. But it wasn't enough against a determined Maryland Terrapins squad. Trailing 27–24, the Seminoles had an opportunity to tie the game up in the final minute, but a 46-yard field goal attempt by kicker Gary Cismesia was blocked by Maryland, sealing the win for Maryland. The defeat dropped Florida State to 4–4 on the season and 2–4 in the ACC.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Virginia
Xavier Lee started for the second consecutive game, picking up his first win as a starter. Drew Weatherford played in the fourth quarter. Tony Carter's INT return for a TD was FSU's first since A.J. Nicholson accomplished the feat during last year's game against Boston College. This was FSU's first defensive shutout since blanking Notre Dame in South Bend, in 2003.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Wake Forest
Quarterbacks Xavier Lee and Drew Weatherford combined for 4 costly interceptions as Wake Forest beat Florida State for the first time in ACC play. The 30–0 loss was the worst in years for the Seminoles and was also the first time Bobby Bowden had been shut out in Tallahassee since he became the head coach of Florida State 31 years earlier. While Wake Forest moved to 9–1 and continued their Cinderella season, FSU fell to 5–5 and finished with a 3–5 record in the ACC – their first losing record since joining the conference in 1992. Three days after the game, Florida State offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden announced that he would be resigning at the end of the season. It was later revealed that Bowden will receive a $537,000 buyout from Seminole Boosters, Inc., in exchange for stepping down.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Western Michigan
Florida State beat Western Michigan 28–20 on a sunny afternoon in Tallahassee, allowing Florida State to become bowl eligible for the 25th consecutive season. The Homecoming game was watched by about 70,000 fans in Doak Campbell Stadium. Sophomore quarterback Drew Weatherford started but was relieved in the second quarter by Xavier Lee, who threw two touchdown passes to WR Greg Carr. RB Antone Smith started for the first time in his college career, but was lost for the remainder of the season when he dislocated his elbow on the Seminoles' first offensive series.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Western Michigan
Lorenzo Booker, who was originally going to be used as a slot receiver in the game, reclaimed the rushing duties from that point on. Florida State LB Lawrence Timmons broke open a close game in the third quarter when he scored on a 22-yard interception return. Western Michigan pulled to within eight points late in the fourth quarter and twice converted on 4th-and-10 during their last drive of the game. However, Broncos QB Ryan Cubit's pass into the end zone on 4th-and-29 as time expired was incomplete, and the Seminoles preserved the victory.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Florida
Florida State finished its regular season against archrival #4 Florida Gators. Florida took a 14–0 lead in the first half, but Florida State came back to tie the game at 14–14 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Florida scored the final touchdown of the game a few minutes later to win 21–14. The Gators extended their winning streak over FSU to three games with just their second win at Doak Campbell Stadium in the past 20 years. FSU entered the game unranked after having its worst season since the early 1980s. Former Seminole great Ron Simmons gave LB Buster Davis permission to wear his retired #50 jersey for the game.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, Game summaries, Emerald Bowl vs. UCLA
Florida State travelled to San Francisco, CA to take on and defeat (44–27) UCLA in the Emerald Bowl on December 27, 2006.


2006 Florida State Seminoles football team, NCAA probation
On March 6, 2009, Florida State was put on probation for four years by National Collegiate Athletic Association for major violations in its athletics program. The school was required to reduce scholarships and vacate records during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The violations included more than 60 student-athletes across 10 sports involving in the academic fraud, "as well as impermissible benefits, unethical conduct by three former academic support services staff members, and a failure to monitor by the university."


2006 Florida gubernatorial election
The 2006 Florida gubernatorial election took place on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Governor Jeb Bush was term-limited, and could not run for reelection to a third consecutive term. The election was won by then Republican Charlie Crist, the state's Attorney General. The election was notable in that for the first time, the state elected a Republican governor in three consecutive elections.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election
Turnout for the 2006 election was down 8.5% from 2002 and down 2.7% from 1998. With Republicans holding the seat, the state avoided the wave in which Democrats netted a gain of six governorships across the nation. As of 2021, this is the last time a victorious Florida gubernatorial candidate won an absolute majority of the vote. This also remains the last time that Charlie Crist won a statewide election in Florida as well as the last election Crist competed in as a Republican.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
Jim Davis won the Democratic primary on September 5. Davis was the Congressman from Florida's 11th congressional district and served in the Florida House of Representatives, where he also served as the Majority Leader. On September 13, Davis selected former State Senator and 2002 gubernatorial candidate Daryl Jones of Miami as his running mate.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
The Democratic primary turned heated as it approached primary day. Rod Smith attacked Jim Davis for a 1990 legislative vote denying restitution for two black men wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Davis countered that Smith was a "pawn" of the sugar industry, and that "big business" and special interests were funding many of Smith's attack ads.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, Republican primary
Charlie Crist, the Republican candidate, won the primary on September 5 with 64% of the vote. Crist was Florida's Attorney General at the time. Previously he was elected State Education Commissioner, and has served in the Florida Senate. He faced Bob Graham for his seat in the United States Senate in 1998. On September 13, 2006, Crist announced that State Representative Jeff Kottkamp of Cape Coral would be his running mate.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, Republican primary
The GOP primary did not end up being very competitive. Crist touted experience in statewide offices, and a strong fundraising capability. He portrayed himself as relatively moderate on social issues, which created some misgivings among conservative Republicans in the state, but not nearly enough to sway the vote to Tom Gallagher.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, General election results
Charlie Crist won by over 7 points, winning all Republican-leaning areas of Florida, as well as the notable "swing" region along the I-4 corridor (Daytona Beach, Orlando, Tampa/St. Petersburg). Davis performed well in the Democrat-leaning south Florida, Gainesville, and Tallahassee areas. Crist under-performed compared to his predecessor Jeb Bush, but still outpaced Davis, despite the low turnout. Reform Party candidate Max Linn received nearly 2% of the vote, but his sizeable haul of over 92,500 votes was still not enough to sway the election. Crist also won 18% of the African American, which outpaced previous Republicans' efforts in attracting this voting bloc in statewide elections.


2006 Florida gubernatorial election, General election results
Also on the ballot the same day was a constitutional amendment to raise the requirement for all future  ballot initiatives to a supermajority (60%). Previously, constitutional amendments put on the ballot required only a simple majority (50% +1) to be approved, and led to some controversial amendments being put on the ballot. Support and opposition for the amendment fell loosely along party lines with Democrats generally opposing its passage. Both Crist and Davis publicly opposed the measure, but it was passed anyway by the voters with a 55% margin - a higher margin than either candidate received.


2006 Florida state elections, Candidates
Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Incumbents appear in bold. Section links go to relevant pages on Florida government.


2006 Florida state elections, Judicial
Florida voters had to choose whether or not each of the following will remain in office.


2006 Florida state elections, Judicial, Florida District Courts of Appeal
Voters had to choose whether to retain any of the judges in their circuit court.


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 1: State Planning and Budget Process
Official summary: Proposing amendments to the State Constitution to limit the amount of nonrecurring general revenue which may be appropriated for recurring purposes in any fiscal year to 3 percent of the total general revenue funds estimated to be available, unless otherwise approved by a three-fifths vote of the Legislature; to establish a Joint Legislative Budget Commission, which shall issue long-range financial outlooks; to provide for limited adjustments in the state budget without the concurrence of the full Legislature, as provided by general law; to reduce the number of times trust funds are automatically terminated; to require the preparation and biennial revision of a long-range state planning document; and to establish a Government Efficiency Task Force and specify its duties. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 3: Requiring Broader Public Support for Constitutional Amendments or Revisions
Official summary: Proposes an amendment to Section 5 of Article XI of the State Constitution to require that any proposed amendment to or revision of the State Constitution, whether proposed by the Legislature, by initiative, or by any other method, must be approved by at least 60 percent of the voters of the state voting on the measure, rather than by a simple majority. This proposed amendment would not change the current requirement that a proposed constitutional amendment imposing a new state tax or fee be approved by at least 2/3 of the voters of the state voting in the election in which such an amendment is considered. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 4: Protect People Especially Youth, From Addiction, Disease, and Other Health Hazards of Using Tobacco
Official summary: To protect people, especially youth, from addiction, disease, and other health hazards of using tobacco, the Legislature shall use some Tobacco Settlement money annually for a comprehensive statewide tobacco education and prevention program using Centers for Disease Control best practices. Specifies some program components, emphasizing youth, requiring one-third of total annual funding for advertising. Annual funding is 15% of 2005 Tobacco Settlement payments to Florida, adjusted annually for inflation. Provides definitions. Effective immediately. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 6: Increased Homestead Exemption
Official summary: Proposing amendment of the State Constitution to increase the maximum additional homestead exemption for low-income seniors from $25,000 to $50,000 and to schedule the amendment to take effect January 1, 2007. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 7: Permanently Disabled Veterans' Discount on Homestead Ad Valorem Tax
Official summary: Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to provide a discount from amount of ad valorem tax on homestead of a partially or totally permanently disabled veteran who is age 65 or older who was a Florida resident at the time of entering military service, whose disability was combat-related, and who was honorably discharged, to specify percentage of the discount as equal to the percentage of veteran’s permanent service-connected disability; to specify qualification requirements for the discount; to authorize the Legislature to waive the annual application requirement in subsequent years by general law; and to specify that the provision takes effect December 7, 2006, is self-executing, and does not require implementing legislation. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Florida state elections, Amendments to the Florida Constitution, No. 8: Eminent Domain
Official summary: Proposing an amendment to the State Constitution to prohibit the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain to a natural person or private entity, providing that the Legislature may by general law passed by a three-fifths vote of the membership of each house of the Legislature permit exceptions allowing the transfer of such private property; and providing that this prohibition on the transfer of private property taken by eminent domain is applicable if the petition of taking that initiated the condemnation proceeding was filed on or after January 2, 2007. Vote Smart Analysis:


2006 Food City 500
The 2006 Food City 500 was an event held at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 26, 2006 as the fifth race in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.


2006 Food City 500, Qualifying
Qualifying was canceled due to extreme weather conditions, so the field was set with the top 35 owners points from 2005, the Champion's Provisional (for Terry Labonte) and seven others, based on qualifying attempts in 2006. As a result, 2005 champion Tony Stewart sat on the pole.


2006 Food City 500, Qualifying
* Denotes Raybestos Rookie of the Year candidate ** Denotes Owner Points required *** Denotes Past Champions Provisional Needed


2006 Food City 500, Race recap
Qualifying was cancelled on March 24 due to snow, sleet and rain, and the field was set with top 35 owners points from 2005, the Champion's Provisional (for Terry Labonte) and seven others, based on qualifying attempts in 2006. As a result, 2005 champion Tony Stewart sat on the pole.


2006 Food City 500, Race recap
The race featured 18 cautions, and over 100 of the 500 laps were run under the yellow flag. Points leader Jimmie Johnson made contact with the car of Reed Sorenson, which caused a flat tire and put the #48 car several laps down; this would lead to him finishing 30th. Lap 188 saw the most notable wreck of the first half of the race, where Clint Bowyer spun Dave Blaney, causing a chain reaction collecting David Stremme, Brian Vickers, and Michael Waltrip. This brought out a red flag to cleanup.


2006 Food City 500, Race recap
Jeff Gordon spun Martin Truex, Jr. out on lap 415, collecting Jeff Burton, Robby Gordon, and J. J. Yeley. Kurt Busch, who had made up two laps lost earlier in the day due to tire problems, used the "bump-and-run" to nudge Matt Kenseth out of the lead with four laps to go. Gordon used the same tactic to take third but on the final lap, Kenseth used the bump and run to spin Gordon out as Busch raced to victory. Gordon finished 21st and was involved in a shoving match with Kenseth on pit road after the race, for which he was put on probation and fined $10,000 by NASCAR.


2006 Food City 500, Race recap
Besides the dyed between Gordon and Kenseth, there also was bitter rivalry shown between Busch and Kevin Harvick following contact last week at Atlanta. During the pre-race ceremonies and in the drivers meeting, Harvick spent his time taunting Busch for no good reason. Busch ignored his insults and dismissed reporters. Harvick had been complaining about Busch all week and once retorted that Roger Penske (Busch's team owner) would make a fool of himself in hiring Busch. NASCAR warned Busch and Harvick that if they got into a feud on the track, they would get penalized. Busch later won the race and Harvick ended up second. When interviewed, Kevin was not finished and said "I am glad for my second-place spot but seeing Kurt [Busch] up there is terrible. I hate to see him win. He is a big whiner."


2006 Food City 500, Race recap
The win was Busch's fifth in 11 career races at the track and the fifteenth in his career. It was Dodge's first win at Bristol since Richard Petty in 1975.


2006 Food City 500, Race results
Failed to make field: Chad Chaffin (#34), Mike Skinner (#37), Mike Garvey (#51), Derrike Cope (#74), Kenny Wallace (#78), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Chad Blount (#92).


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final
The 2006 Football League Championship play-off Final was an association football match which was played on 21 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, between Leeds United and Watford. 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 FA Premiership. Reading and Sheffield United, the top two teams of the 2005–06 Football League Championship season, gained automatic promotion to the Premiership, while the clubs placed from third to sixth place in the table took part in play-off semi-finals.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final
Third-placed Watford defeated sixth-placed Crystal Palace in the first semi-final, while fifth-placed Leeds United beat fourth-placed Preston North End. The winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2006–07 season in the Premiership. Winning the final was estimated to be worth up to £40 million to the successful team.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final
The final was refereed by Mike Dean and was watched by a crowd of 64,736. It was the last play-off final to be held at the Millennium Stadium, as the new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2007 final. Watford won the match 3–0, with opening goalscorer Jay DeMerit named man of the match. Leeds goalkeeper Neil Sullivan scored an own goal to make the score 2–0 to Watford after 60 minutes, and the final goal was a penalty kick scored by Darius Henderson.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final
The following season, Leeds's manager Kevin Blackwell was sacked in September, with the club second from bottom, and was replaced by Dennis Wise. The club went into administration the following May and were deducted ten points; they finished the season bottom of the league and they were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in the club's history. Watford struggled in the Premiership and they were relegated back to the Championship after ending the season bottom of the league, ten points below safety.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Route to the final
Watford finished the regular 2005–06 season in third place in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system, two places and three points ahead of Leeds United. Both therefore missed out on the two automatic places for promotion to the Premiership and instead took part in the play-offs, along with Preston North End and Crystal Palace, to determine the third promoted team. Watford finished nine points behind Sheffield United (who were promoted in second place) and twenty-five behind league winners Reading.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Route to the final
Leeds had won just one of their final ten league games. Their play-off semi-final opponents were Preston North End with the first leg taking place at Elland Road, Leeds, on 5 May 2006. The match ended 1–1: Preston took the lead with a goal from David Nugent in the 48th minute before Eddie Lewis equalised for Leeds with a free kick in the 74th minute. Billy Davies, the Preston manager, commented after the match: "it is tremendous to come here in front of their biggest crowd of the season and get what is a fantastic result.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Route to the final
It is a case of job done." The second leg took place three days later at Deepdale, Preston's home ground. After a goalless first half, a header from Rob Hulse and a low strike from Frazer Richardson saw Leeds secure a 2–0 win on the day and a 3–1 aggregate victory. Leeds were reduced to nine men when both Stephen Crainey and Richard Cresswell were sent off in the second half, with six of their team-mates also shown a yellow card.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Route to the final
Watford's opposition for their play-off semi-final was Crystal Palace, with the first leg held at Selhurst Park on 6 May 2006. After a goalless first half, a strike from Marlon King one minute into the second half opened the scoring for Watford. Ben Foster, on loan from Manchester United, made a fingertip save to deny a header from Crystal Palace's Tony Popovic, before a curling free kick from Ashley Young made it 2–0. Five minutes from full time, Matthew Spring scored to give Watford a 3–0 win. The second leg at Watford's Vicarage Road took place three days later. The home side's manager Aidy Boothroyd was sent to the stand after an altercation with Fitz Hall which resulted in a mass brawl on the pitch. The match finished 0–0, giving Watford a 3–0 aggregate victory and a place in the final.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
Leeds United were making their second play-off final appearance: they had lost 2–1 in a replay of the 1987 final to Charlton Athletic after the two legs ended in an aggregate draw. Watford had also previously participated in one play-off final, having beaten Bolton Wanderers 2–0 at the old Wembley Stadium in the 1999 final. During the regular season, the match between the two teams at Vicarage Road in October 2005 was a goalless draw, while Leeds won the return fixture at Elland Road 2–1 the following February.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
Watford's King was the Championship's leading scorer with 21 goals; his team-mate Darius Henderson was the second-highest scorer with 15. David Healy and Hulse were the top marksmen for Leeds, with 12 each, followed by Robbie Blake on 11. Leeds United had last played in the top tier of English football in the 2003–04 season, when they were relegated after finishing nineteenth in the league. Watford had played in the Championship since being relegated from the Premiership in the 1999–2000 season.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
Boothroyd was the first-team coach at Leeds United until he left in March 2005 to take the Watford manager's role. In doing so, at the age of 34, he became the youngest manager in the Football League. His playing career had been ended while he was at Peterborough United when he suffered a broken leg in a tackle by Shaun Derry, then playing for Notts County; Derry was in the starting line-up for Leeds for the play-off final. Boothroyd had been promoted from academy football by the Leeds manager Kevin Blackwell, who himself had experienced failure in the play-off final three years earlier. Then, he was assistant to Neil Warnock whose Sheffield United team lost 3–0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
The referee for the match was Mike Dean who was representing the Cheshire Football Association. He had been selected to referee the 2006 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham United, but was later replaced as he lived in the Wirral. While the Football Association were adamant that they had "complete faith in Dean's refereeing ability, integrity and impartiality", they felt his connection to the Wirral "might lead to comment and debate which could place him under undue additional pressure".


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
It was the last play-off final to be held at the Millennium Stadium, as the new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2007 final. The pitch was in a poor condition following rugby union's Heineken Cup Final which had been hosted at the stadium the previous day. Winning the play-off final was estimated to be worth up to £40 million to the successful team. The chief executive of Watford, Mark Ashton, did not underestimate the impact of promotion: "In my opinion it surpasses the riches of the Champions League – it is the richest football game on the planet".


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Background
Both Crainey and Cresswell were unavailable for Leeds as they were suspended following their dismissals in the second leg of the semi-final. Paul Butler returned from injury and was included in Leeds's starting eleven, along with Hulse and Healy;  Blake was named amongst the substitutes. Watford's Clarke Carlisle was out with a hip injury, and Henderson was selected in place of Al Bangura. The match was broadcast in the UK on Sky Sports 1. Watford adopted a 4–4–2 formation, while Leeds played 4–5–1 with Hulse playing as the lone striker. Watford were considered narrow favourites to win the match by bookmakers. Both teams wore black armbands in memory of Queens Park Rangers youth player Kiyan Prince, who was stabbed to death outside his school four days before the match.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Summary
The match kicked off around 3 p.m. on 21 May 2006 in front of a Millennium Stadium crowd of 64,736 under a closed roof because of rainy conditions. Two minutes in, Henderson's header from a Watford corner was weak, and was deflected off Butler. On eight minutes, the Watford goalkeeper Foster failed to catch a long Leeds throw-in allowing a Derry shot, but Lloyd Doyley diverted the strike wide. In the 14th minute, Young's shot from 20 yards (18 m) from a King pass went wide of the Leeds goalpost. Eleven minutes later, Watford took the lead through Jay DeMerit.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Summary
Losing his marker Hulse, DeMerit scored with a 5-yard (4.6 m) header from Young's corner. It was the American defender's third goal of his first season in English football after failing to be drafted into Major League Soccer. Leeds had a penalty claim just before half-time, when Foster appeared to foul Hulse, but it was rejected by Dean. Soon after, from a diagonal free kick, Sean Gregan's header at the far post went outside the Watford post. In stoppage time, a Leeds free kick from a central position 35 yards (32 m) out was struck high by Eddie Lewis, and the first half ended 1–0 to Watford.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Summary
At half-time, Leeds made their first substitution of the match with Blake coming on for Richardson; Watford made no changes. Henderson's half-volley was saved by Neil Sullivan before an own goal from the Leeds goalkeeper made it 2–0 to Watford in the 57th minute: James Chambers, who received a long throw-in, turned and shot; the ball was deflected off Lewis, hit the Leeds post and went in off Sullivan. Eight minutes later, Healy's strike was kept out by Foster and in the 70th minute, Derry's header from a corner was cleared off the goal line by Watford's Chambers.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Match, Summary
From the resulting corner, a 20-yard (18 m) shot from Lewis was saved by Foster. Five minutes later, King's free kick went over the crossbar before an injury to one of the assistant referees meant the fourth official Chris Foy was required to replace him. Lewis then cleared a Malky Mackay header off the line before Watford made it 3–0 in the 84th minute. Spring made a run forward and passed to King who was fouled by Derry; the resulting penalty was converted by Henderson. No further goals were scored, and the match ended 3–0 with Watford returning to the top tier of English football for the first time since 2000.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
Boothroyd, who was to become the youngest manager in the Premiership, was circumspect: "This is just the end of the beginning ... We will start as relegation favourites next season, like this season." He was confident that his club could maintain their top-flight status the following season however, saying: "We won't go down ... I think the best way to sum this up is that I think we are now a model for other clubs that don't have a great deal of money. But with good organisation, preparation and a fantastic work ethic ...


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
We will take that ethic with us into the Premiership and we won't go down." Boothroyd also paid his respects to his former club: "I have a great deal of sympathy for Leeds and Kevin Blackwell ... They're a massive club and I'm sure they will bounce back." The Watford chairman Graham Simpson opined: "That was the most tortuous 90 minutes I've ever endured. You cannot enjoy it, until afterwards anyway." Blackwell was downcast but equitable in defeat: "It's a terrible place to come and lose and feel as though you've achieved nothing ...


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
We lacked a spark and were second to the ball all over the park. We deserved to lose." He added: "We're very disappointed – although not as disappointed as when we dropped out of the Premiership and lost all our players." Hulse was defiant: "Right now I am gutted ... We will take a break, refocus for next season and come back stronger." Watford's former manager Graham Taylor suggested the match was "by no means a classic" and urged the club to maintain "the spirit that has been fostered throughout this season". Rick Broadbent, writing for the Irish Independent proposed that Leeds "never gave it a go at Cardiff, fading with a whimper".


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
DeMerit was named man of the match. The BBC described the match as "a frantic play-off final". Stuart James, writing in The Guardian, suggested that "Leeds were crushed" and that they had failed to deal with Watford's "high-tempo approach" nor with their threat from set pieces. Eurosport observed that Watford had switched from their "normally attractive footballing principles to use the long ball into the channels" as a direct result of the condition of the playing surface at the Millennium Stadium.


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
Louise Taylor,  writing in The Guardian, concurred: "the ball repeatedly flew high through the air, conveniently bypassing midfield before crashing towards the corners, as long throws were launched into the 'mixer' and three goals were scored from set pieces." Derry had not seen the footage of the game for a decade when, in 2016, he commented on his foul to concede the late penalty: "That was a desperate footballer making a desperate lunge on a desperate day ... There’s no other way to describe it" and described the loss as the "lowest point of my career".


2006 Football League Championship play-off Final, Post-match
The following season, Blackwell was sacked by Leeds on 20 September 2006, with the club second from bottom. He was eventually replaced more than a month later by Dennis Wise and assistant manager Gus Poyet, who were incumbent at Swindon Town. The following May, Leeds went into administration via a company voluntary arrangement and were deducted ten points. This ensured the club finished the season bottom of the 2006–07 Football League Championship and they were relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in the club's history. Watford's  next season saw them struggle in the Premiership, and they were relegated back to the Championship on 21 April 2007. They ended the season bottom of the league, ten points below safety.


2006 Football League Cup Final
The 2006 Football League Cup Final also known as the 2006 Carling Cup Final for sponsorship reasons, was played between Manchester United and Wigan Athletic on 26 February 2006. Manchester United won the match comfortably, by four goals to nil. Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored one goal, and Wayne Rooney scored twice. For the trophy presentation, the Manchester United players wore special shirts reading "For You Smudge", referring to Alan Smith, who had broken his left leg during a recent FA Cup match against Liverpool. Wigan goalkeeper Mike Pollitt picked up a hamstring injury after just 14 minutes, cutting short a dream cup final for the journeyman player, who started his career with the Red Devils.


2006 Football League One play-off Final
The 2006 Football League One play-off Final was an association football match which was played on 27 May 2006 between Barnsley and Swansea City at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from Football League One to the Football League Championship. The top two teams of the 2005–06 Football League One season, Southend United and Colchester United, gained automatic promotion to the Championship, while the teams placed from third to sixth in the table took part in play-off semi-finals. The winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2006–07 season in the Championship. The losing semi-finalists were Brentford and Huddersfield Town. It was the last League One play-off final to be played at the Millennium Stadium, while Wembley Stadium was being redeveloped.


2006 Football League One play-off Final
The referee for the match, which was played in front of a crowd of 55,419, was Lee Mason. In the 20th minute, Martin Devaney's cross was headed by Kevin Austin and Paul Reid volleyed the ball past Swansea goalkeeper Willy Guéret to make it 1–0. Nine minutes later, Swansea equalised when Rory Fallon scored with a bicycle kick. Andy Robinson then scored in the 41st minute after Barnsley goalkeeper Nick Colgan failed to hold his weak strike.


2006 Football League One play-off Final
On 62 minutes, Brian Howard was fouled on the edge of the Swansea penalty and Daniel Nardiello struck the resulting free kick into the Swansea goal to level the match at 2–2, where it remained at the end of regular time. No goals were scored in extra time, although both Lee Trundle and Adebayo Akinfenwa had chances for Swansea, and the game went to a penalty shootout. The first four penalties were scored, before Akinfenwa struck his spot-kick high over the crossbar. The next three penalties were scored before Colgan saved from Alan Tate, ensuring a 4–3 victory for Barnsley and promotion to the Championship.


2006 Football League One play-off Final
Barnsley's next season, during which their manager Andy Ritchie was sacked, saw them finish in 20th position in the Championship, two places and eight points above the relegation zone. Swansea City finished their following season in seventh place in League One, one position below the play-offs.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Route to the final
Barnsley finished the regular 2005–06 season in fifth place in Football League One, the third tier of the English football league system, one place ahead of Swansea City. Both therefore missed out on the two automatic places for promotion to the Football League Championship and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the third promoted team. Barnsley finished seven points behind Colchester United (who were promoted in second place) and ten behind league winners Southend United. Swansea City ended the season one point behind Barnsley.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Route to the final
Swansea City faced Brentford in their play-off semi-final with the first match of the two-legged tie taking place at the Liberty Stadium in Swansea on 11 May 2006. Jay Tabb put Brentford ahead on 29 minutes when he converted a loose ball. Eight minutes into the second half, the visitors' goalkeeper Stuart Nelson was shown a red card for a professional foul. With three minutes of the match remaining, Sam Ricketts equalised for Swansea with a deflected shot to ensure the match ended 1–1. The second leg of the semi-final was contested three days later at Griffin Park in Brentford.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Route to the final
Leon Knight opened the scoring for Swansea after eight minutes when he struck the ball over Nelson from around 20 yards (18 m). On 15 minutes, Knight doubled his tally and Swansea's lead, shooting past Nelson after receiving a through-ball from Leon Britton. The Swansea goalkeeper Willy Guéret made a number of saves in the second half and the match ended 2–0, with his side progressing to the final with a 3–1 aggregate victory.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Route to the final
Barnsley's opponents in their play-off semi-final were Huddersfield Town; the first leg took place at Oakwell in Barnsley on 11 May 2006. Martin Devaney's shot skimmed the Barnsley crossbar and Danny Schofield hit the post for Huddersfield. After a goalless first half, Huddersfield's Gary Taylor-Fletcher scored from close range in the 85th minute, and the game ended 1–0 to the visitors. The return leg was held four days later at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Route to the final
The first half ended goalless but Paul Hayes put Barnsley ahead when he converted a penalty after being fouled in the penalty area by Schofield in the 58th minute. Jon Worthington equalised seven minutes later when the ball crossed the Barnsley goal-line after he charged down a Nick Colgan clearance. A header from Paul Reid in the 71st minute put Barnsley 2–1 ahead on the day and levelled the aggregate score at 2–2. In the 78th minute, the Huddersfield goalkeeper Paul Rachubka failed to gather Brian Howard's shot and Daniel Nardiello scored, to send Barnsley to the final with a 3–2 aggregate victory.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Background
This was Swansea City's fifth appearance in the play-offs and their third final, having won the 1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final 5–4 on aggregate against Torquay United and losing 1–0 to Northampton Town in the 1997 Football League Third Division play-off Final at the old Wembley Stadium. Swansea had played in League One for a single season having been promoted from League Two the previous season. They had also played at the Millennium Stadium earlier in the year where they defeated Carlisle United 2–1 in the Football League Trophy final.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Background
Barnsley were making their second play-off appearance, having lost in the 2000 Football League First Division play-off Final 4–2 to Ipswich Town, and had played in League One since suffering relegation in the 2001–02 season. In the two matches between the sides during the regular season, Swansea won their home match 3–1 in August 2005 while the return fixture at Oakwell the following March ended in a 2–2 draw. Lee Trundle was Swansea City's top scorer during the regular season with 20 goals, all in the league, followed by Andy Robinson with 12 (all in the league). Barnsley's leading marksmen were Marc Richards with 12 (all in the league) and Hayes with 11 (6 in the league and 5 in the FA Cup).


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Background
The referee for the match was Lee Mason. The match was broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports. It was the final time that the League One play-off final was played at the Millennium Stadium during the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium. Swansea had around 35,000 supporters at the Welsh stadium, compared to around 20,000 Barnsley fans. Both teams adopted a 4–4–2 formation,  with both starting elevens remaining unchanged from their respective semi-final second-leg matches.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
Barnsley kicked off the match around 3 p.m. on 27 May 2006 in front of a Millennium Stadium crowd of 55,419. Swansea started the stronger of the sides with Owain Tudur Jones taking a shot in the third minute which went wide before Nardiello's strike was also off target two minutes later. In the 10th minute, Howard's low shot was saved by Guéret in the Swansea goal before Reid scored to put Barnsley ahead in the 20th minute. Devaney's cross was headed by Kevin Austin and Reid volleyed the ball past Guéret to make it 1–0.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
Five minutes later, an offside Knight struck the Barnsley post with a shot and in the 29th minute, Swansea equalised:  Tudur Jones flicked on a cross from Garry Monk and Fallon scored with a bicycle kick. Two minutes after scoring, Fallon cleared Stephen McPhail's effort off the Swansea goal-line. Robinson then scored in the 41st minute after Colgan failed to hold his weak strike. Just before the interval, both Howard and Bobby Hassell were shown the yellow card. The score was 2–1 to Swansea at half-time.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
Neither side made any substitutions during the break and Swansea kicked off the second half. Three minutes in, Knight's shot cleared the Barnsley crossbar, and six minutes later, Guéret comfortably saved a strike from McPhail. On 62 minutes, Howard was fouled on the edge of the Swansea penalty area to win a free kick. Nardiello struck the set piece low, past a motionless Guéret, and into the Swansea goal to level the match at 2–2.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
Swansea made their first change in the 69th minute with Trundle coming on for Knight and soon after, Tommy Wright replaced Richards for Barnsley; Dale Tonge then replaced an injured Howard in the 73rd minute. With five minutes remaining, Reid's header at the far post went wide before Tudur Jones' shot was too high. In stoppage time, Alan Tate had only Colgan to beat but sliced his shot wide. Regular time ended 2–2, sending the match into extra time.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
Two minutes into the first period of extra time, Trundle's long-range shot went wide. Swansea then made their second substitution of the game with Adebayo Akinfenwa coming on for Fallon. Almost immediately, Akinfenwa struck a shot just wide of the Barnsley goal. A minute later Chris Shuker came on to replace Nardiello. Swansea dominated extra time with opportunities for both Trundle and Akinfenwa but after a minute of stoppage time, the final whistle was blown and the game needed to be decided by a penalty shootout.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Match, Summary
The first four penalties were scored, before Akinfenwa struck his spot-kick high over the crossbar. Paul Heckingbottom scored to make it 3–2 before Tudur Jones levelled the shootout. Antony Kay then converted his penalty to put Barnsley ahead before Colgan saved from Tate, ensuring a 4–3 victory for Barnsley and promotion to the Championship.


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Post-match
Andy Ritchie, the winning manager, said "The players were absolutely magnificent and they deserve a great deal of credit ... We always felt that we could get a goal back when we were 2–1 down and at half-time we got them to focus." Colgan said of his error that he "wanted the roof to open up and take me up after my mistake. But that's the nature of goalkeeping, one minute you are the villain and the next you are a hero." Kenny Jackett, the Swansea manager, suggested his side's failure to take their chances was the reason for their defeat: "It's a bitter disappointment, particularly considering we had more chances and more of the play ... we had more than enough chances to win the game."


2006 Football League One play-off Final, Post-match
Barnsley's next season saw them finish in 20th position in the Championship, two places and eight points above the relegation zone. Ritchie was sacked in November 2006 with the club second from bottom of the Championship table. Swansea City finished their following season in seventh place in League One, one position below the play-offs.


2006 Football League Trophy Final
The 2006 Football League Trophy Final was an association football match played on 2 April 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. The match was the 23rd final of the Football League Trophy, the domestic cup competition for teams from Football Leagues One and Two. The final was contested between Swansea City of League One and Carlisle United of League Two. Swansea were appearing in their second Football League Trophy final, having won the 1994 competition, while Carlisle were appearing in their fourth final, having lost in the 1995 and 2003 finals and won the 1997 final.


2006 Football League Trophy Final
Both sides had progressed through five rounds to reach the final based on their location, Carlisle in the northern section of the draw and Swansea in the southern section. Carlisle required extra-time on three occasions during their run to the final, including a 22-man penalty shoot-out victory over Tranmere Rovers in the northern area quarter-finals. Karl Hawley was their top goalscorer in the tournament, scoring four times en route to the final. Swansea twice required extra-time to progress in their matches, while Andy Robinson led the team with five goals in the competition.


2006 Football League Trophy Final
The final was watched by 42,028 spectators and was refereed by Tony Burke. Swansea took the lead inside the opening five minutes when Lee Trundle deflected a clearance by Carlisle goalkeeper Kieran Westwood. Leon Britton collected the ball before crossing to Trundle who proceeded to control the ball with his chest before volleying into the net. Hawley had a goal disallowed shortly before half-time but Carlisle were able to equalise when Adam Murray scored via a header. Swansea took the lead with nine minutes remaining through Adebayo Akinfenwa and held on to win the match 2–1.


2006 Football League Trophy Final
During their post-match celebrations, Swansea players Trundle and Alan Tate were pictured with a t-shirt and flag bearing offensive material referring to South Wales rivals Cardiff City. The pair were given a police caution over the incident and received a ban and fine from the Football Association of Wales.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final
The Football League Trophy is a domestic association football competition for teams competing in the third and fourth tiers of English football, Leagues One and Two of the Football League. Some teams from the fifth tier, the Football Conference, were also invited to compete in order to ensure an even number of competitors. The teams are grouped together based on their location, split between north and south sections, with the winners of each area meeting in the competition final.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Carlisle United
League Two club Carlisle United entered the competition in the first round in the northern section of the draw where they met Oldham Athletic. Carlisle took an early lead as Karl Hawley opened the scoring after five minutes. They held the lead for more than 70 minutes until Andy Liddell converted a penalty to equalise for Oldham. The match proceeded to extra-time before requiring a penalty shoot-out with the score remaining 1–1. The first 11 penalties were all successfully converted until Oldham's Mark Hughes failed to score, handing Carlisle victory.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Carlisle United
In the second round, Carlisle defeated Blackpool 2–1, with all three goals being scored in a five minute period. Gary Harkins gave Blackpool the lead after 62 minutes only for Carlisle to equalise one minute later through Hawley. Four minutes later, Carlisle took the lead through Derek Holmes and held on to secure victory.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Carlisle United
In the area quarter-final, Carlisle again required a penalty shoot-out to advance. Drawn against Tranmere Rovers, the two sides played 90 minutes and extra-time without scoring. In the ensuing shoot-out, 21 consecutive penalties were scored, with all 22 players on the field at the time taking a spot kick. The shoot-out eventually ended when Tranmere goalkeeper Steve Wilson missed his penalty to hand Carlisle the win. The side progressed to the area final by defeating Kidderminster Harriers through a single goal by Glenn Murray.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Carlisle United
Carlisle met Macclesfield Town in the area final and fell behind in the first leg when Andrew Smart gave Macclesfield the lead with his first goal in professional football. Hawley equalised for Carlisle soon afterwards, scoring his third goal of the competition. In the final minute, Carlisle defender Peter Murphy gave his side the home victory after converting from a corner kick. Carlisle's advantage lasted only four minutes of the second leg as Andrew Teague tied the score 2–2 on aggregate.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Carlisle United
Midway through the first half, Matty McNeil gave Macclesfield the lead before Hawley tied the game for Carlisle shortly before half-time. The second half remained goalless, requiring extra-time for the third match of Carlisle's competition. After 109 minutes, Simon Grand gave Carlisle the lead. With the away goals rule in effect, Macclesfield required two  goals to advance. Kevin Townson pulled a goal back in the final minute of the game but Carlisle ultimately advanced on the away goals rule as the tie ended 4–4 on aggregate.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Swansea City
League One side Swansea City also entered the competition in the first round, although in the southern section of the draw. They fell behind early in their first match against Torquay United but equalised midway through the second half after a goal from Adrian Forbes. In the 86th minute, Adebayo Akinfenwa gave Swansea the lead with a headed goal before Andy Robinson secured victory with his side's third goal two minutes later. In the second round, Swansea recorded a 4–0 victory over Rushden & Diamonds. Robinson opened the scoring after 20 minutes and added a second midway through the second half. Swansea added further goals from Garry Monk, his first for the club, and Paul Connor late in the game.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Swansea City
In the area quarter-final, Swansea were drawn at home against Peterborough United. The two sides played out a goalless draw over 90 minutes, necessitating extra-time. Peterborough took a quick lead through Danny Crow but Swansea equalised one minute later via Akinfenwa. Robinson gave Swansea the lead in the 99th minute before Akinfenwa added his second goal ten minutes later to secure a 3–1 victory. Swansea met Walsall in the semi-final, taking an early lead through Leon Knight. He had a second goal disallowed before Walsall eventually equalised through an Alex Nicholls goal in the second half.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Swansea City
Robinson gave Swansea the lead in the 83rd minute but his goal was quickly cancelled out by an equaliser from James Constable which sent the match to extra-time. The match eventually required a penalty shoot-out. The opening eight penalties were all successfully converted before the following four were all missed. The shootout ended when Walsall's Graham Deakin missed his side's eighth penalty, allowing Alan Tate to convert the winning penalty for Swansea.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Swansea City
Swansea met Colchester United in the southern area final, winning the first leg at the Liberty Stadium 1–0. The only goal of the game was scored shortly before half time by Akinfenwa, his fourth of the competition, who received the ball on the edge of the penalty area before shooting low into the net. The first half of the second leg remained goalless but Colchester opened the scoring early in the second half through Neil Danns, whose shot deflected off a divot in the turf and eluded Swansea goalkeeper Willy Guéret.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Route to the final, Swansea City
The strike ended a goal drought that the club had been enduring, the first time a Colchester player had scored for more than 12 hours of play. However, Colchester were tied on aggregate for only five minutes, as Swansea retook the lead when Leon Britton scored. Swansea secured victory when Knight added a second on the day to give his side a 3–1 aggregate victory.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background
Carlisle entered the final having won seven of their previous eight fixtures and were unbeaten in their last nine league games. The club were in their first season back in League Two after winning promotion from the Football Conference the previous year in the play-off final. The 2006 final was the fourth time in the club's history that they had reached the final of the Football League Trophy, having suffered defeats in the 1995 and 2003 finals and been victorious in the 1997 final.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background
One month prior to the game, Hawley was named League Two Player of the Year for the season. He was also the highest scoring player in League Two, having scored 25 goals in all competitions at the time of the final. Hawley attributed his success during the campaign to being spurred on by his omission from the starting lineup of the Conference play-off Final one year previously, stating "it forced me to work harder at my game and I've become a better player for it."


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background
Swansea were featuring in their second Football League Trophy final, having won the competition in 1994. They entered the final having lost their previous league fixture, 1–0 against Gillingham, but having not lost any of their previous ten fixtures beforehand. Four days prior the final, Swansea had won the FAW Premier Cup for the second consecutive season after defeating Wrexham 2–1.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background
Like Hawley, Swansea's Lee Trundle had won his league's respective player award, being named the League One Player of the Year. Trundle was also his side's leading goalscorer for the season, netting 21 times during the campaign. Robinson was Swansea's second highest goalscorer with 18, including 5 in the club's Football League Trophy run.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background, Pre-match
Carlisle were hampered by the absence of on-loan striker Michael Bridges who was forced to miss the match having already appeared in the competition earlier in the season for parent club Bristol City. Swansea had two players, Rory Fallon and Tom Williams, cup-tied for the fixture while Robinson missed training the day before the game with a dead leg, but was expected to be fit to play.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background, Pre-match
The week before the final, the main sponsor of the competition LDV Vans pulled its sponsorship after being sold to a new owner. The company had entered administration the previous year, but the new owners had decided not to honour the prize fund agreement. This meant that the winners of the match would receive no prize money, rather than the £50,000 that had been on offer when the competition began.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background, Pre-match
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins estimated that, if they won the trophy, the loss of a sponsor and the contractual win bonuses for the players would result in a loss of around £75,000 for his club. The two clubs would however receive 45 per cent of the gate receipts for the final.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Background, Pre-match
The match was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which was hosting its last Football League Trophy final. The venue had hosted the finals of English football's main cup competitions and play-off finals since 2001, during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium. South Wales Police expressed concerns over possible violence ahead of the game as the match was played in Cardiff, the home city of Swansea's South Wales rivals Cardiff City. Swansea were allocated 33,000 tickets for the match, with a further 7,000 available on request if necessary. However, the club eventually sold 28,000 of their allocation for the match. Carlisle sold only 13,000 of their allocation.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Match, Summary
The match kicked off at 1:30pm GMT in front of 42,028 spectators and was refereed by Tony Leake. Swansea pressed straight away and were rewarded with the opening goal after only three minutes. The ball was played to Carlisle goalkeeper Kieran Westwood who attempted to kick the ball upfield, but his clearance hit Trundle and rolled across the Carlisle defence. Robinson won the ball back from an opposition defender before Britton played a long ball into the area. Controlling the ball with his chest, Trundle proceeded to volley the ball across the face of goal and into the net with his left foot.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Match, Summary
The goal provided further encouragement for Swansea, who continued to pressure Carlisle for the opening 30 minutes. Robinson had an attempt off target after being played through by Trundle while Akinfenwa drew a save from Westwood. The Carlisle goalkeeper also required the application of a bandage on a head injury sustained in the opening half hour. Towards the end of the first half, Carlisle began to establish a foothold in the game and saw an effort by Hawley disallowed for offside. Soon after, a Zigor Aranalde long throw into the Swansea area was flicked on by Swansea's Kristian O'Leary into the path of Adam Murray who headed into the Swansea goal to equalise.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Match, Summary
Westwood was called into action again early in the second half, saving two efforts in the opening minutes. The game saw few chances in the second half, the best opportunity falling to Carlisle's Holmes who saw his header cleared off the goal line by Sam Ricketts after an hour. Swansea retook the lead with nine minutes remaining with Trundle playing through Akinfenwa, who held off a challenge before shooting past Westwood. With ten minutes remaining, Carlisle pressed forward in hope of finding an equalising goal. Their best chance fell to Murray who attempted an overhead kick which forced a save from Guéret. Swansea held onto their lead to win the match 2–1.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Aftermath
In the immediate aftermath of the match, Swansea players Trundle and Tate caused controversy after displaying anti-Cardiff sentiment. Trundle wore a t-shirt featuring an image of a Swansea fan urinating on a Cardiff City shirt. He later claimed that he had put the shirt on without realising that the image was on the front and removed it shortly afterwards. Trundle made his way behind the goal where his teammates were celebrating and proceeded to hold a Welsh flag along with teammate Tate that had an anti-Cardiff obscenity written on it.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Aftermath
Trundle again claimed afterwards that he was initially unaware what was written on the flag and dropped it when he realised. The actions were widely condemned, with South Wales Police, the Football League and the management of the Millennium Stadium all issuing statements following the incidents. South Wales Police received numerous complaints over the incident, including from Swansea fans, and as a result both players were arrested over public order offences. The pair were later issued with a caution, while the Football Association of Wales fined the players £2,000 and issued them with a one-match ban. Trundle later received death threats following the incident.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Aftermath
Regarding his goal, Trundle has described the effort as the best he scored during his career, remarking "Where it went in was probably the only place I could have put it, the technique and the occasion make it my favourite goal." The players returned to Morgans Hotel in Swansea where they held a party for their victory. The celebrations were however limited by manager Kenny Jackett who insisted on the team remaining focused on earning promotion from League One with seven league games remaining. His side went on to reach the 2006 Football League One play-off Final the following month, losing to Barnsley in a penalty shootout with Tate missing the decisive spot kick. Despite the lack of a sponsor's prize fund, Swansea were estimated to have made around £400,000 from winning the final.


2006 Football League Trophy Final, Aftermath
Carlisle manager Paul Simpson expressed his disappointment that his side had conceded such a late goal, commenting "The boys are gutted  ...  because we all feel that, over the match, we did enough to at least take it to extra-time." Simpson did however state that his "players should be proud of themselves." Carlisle went on to win promotion from League Two after finishing the season in first place. Simpson left the club at the end of the campaign to join Preston North End. As of July 2020, the club has reached two further Football League Trophy finals. They were defeated by Southampton in the 2010 final before beating Brentford the following year.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final
The 2006 Football League Two play-off Final was an association football match played on 28 May 2006 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, between Grimsby Town and Cheltenham Town. The match determined the fourth and final team to gain promotion from Football League Two, English football's fourth tier, to Football League One.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final
The top three teams of the 2005–06 Football League Two season gained automatic promotion to League One, while the teams placed from fourth to seventh in the table took part in play-off semi-finals; the winners of these semi-finals competed for the final place for the 2006–07 season in League One. Grimsby Town finished in fourth place while Cheltenham Town ended the season in fifth position. They beat Lincoln City and Wycombe Wanderers, respectively, in the semi-finals.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final
The match was refereed by Paul Taylor in front of 29,196 spectators. The first half was goalless, during which both sides were forced to make a substitution after both Michael Reddy and Craig Armstrong were injured in an aerial challenge. On 63 minutes, Cheltenham took the lead after Steve Guinan shot past several defenders. Seven minutes later, Grant McCann was brought down in the Grimsby penalty area by Curtis Woodhouse and the referee awarded a penalty. McCann took the spot kick himself, but it was saved by Steve Mildenhall. The match ended 1–0 and Cheltenham secured promotion to League One.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final
In their following season, Grimsby finished in 15th place in League Two. Cheltenham's next season saw them end the season in 17th place in League One, four places and seven points above the relegation zone.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Route to the final
Grimsby Town finished the regular 2005–06 season in fourth place in Football League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system, one place ahead of Cheltenham Town. Both therefore missed out on the three automatic places for promotion to Football League One and instead took part in the play-offs to determine the fourth promoted team. Grimsby Town finished three points behind Leyton Orient (who were promoted in third place), five behind Northampton Town (who were promoted in second place), and eight behind league winners Carlisle United. Cheltenham Town ended the season six points behind Grimsby Town. Grimsby had been denied automatic promotion on the final day of the regular season when they conceded a last-minute equaliser to Northampton Town while Leyton Orient scored a late winner at Oxford United.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Route to the final
Cheltenham Town's opponents in their play-off semi-final were Wycombe Wanderers, with the first match of the two-legged tie taking place at Adams Park in High Wycombe on 13 May 2006. The visitors took the lead two minutes before half-time when John Finnigan scored from Shane Duff's knockdown. Steve Guinan doubled their lead in the 75th minute before a close-range volley from Wycombe's Tommy Mooney in the last minute of the match made the final score 2–1 to Cheltenham. The second leg of the semi-final was held at Whaddon Road in Cheltenham five days later. The game ended goalless, with Guinan shooting over the Wycombe crossbar from close range in the 70th minute. Cheltenham progressed to the final with a 2–1 aggregate victory.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Route to the final
Grimsby Town faced Lincoln City in a Lincolnshire derby for the second semi-final, the first leg of which took place at Sincil Bank in Lincoln on 13 May 2006. Midway through the first half, Gary Jones put Grimsby into the lead from a Curtis Woodhouse cross. Two further Lincoln goals were disallowed, one for a foul and one for offside, and both sides struck the goal frames, Paul Bolland for Grimsby and Scott Kerr for Lincoln; the match ended 1–0. The second leg of the semi-final took place three days later at Blundell Park in Grimsby.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Route to the final
Marvin Robinson scored for Lincoln with a header from Kerr's free kick on 27 minutes. Ben Futcher, who had come on as a substitute, levelled the match in the 60th minute. Jones then scored from a Woodhouse free kick with ten minutes remaining to make it 2–1 to Grimsby, before being sent off in the last minute. Grimsby progressed to the final with a 3–1 aggregate win.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Background
Grimsby had participated in the play-offs once before, gaining promotion to the First Division after winning the 1998 Football League Second Division play-off Final against Northampton Town at Wembley Stadium. They had played in the fourth tier of English football since being relegated in the 2003–04 season. Cheltenham had played in fourth-tier play-off finals once before: in 2002 they faced Rushden & Diamonds in the Third Division play-off final at the Millennium Stadium, winning 3–1. Cheltenham had played in League Two since being relegated in the 2002–03 season. In the two league games between the clubs during the regular season, Grimsby won both encounters: a 3–0 win at Whaddon Road in October 2005 was followed by a 1–0 victory at Blundell Park in April 2006.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Background
Grimsby's top scorer during the regular season was Jones with 15 goals (13 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup and 1 in the League Cup) followed by Michael Reddy on 14 (all in the league). Kayode Odejayi was Cheltenham's leading marksman with 13 goals in the season (11 in the league and 2 in the FA Cup) followed by Grant McCann with 11 (8 in the league, 1 in the FA Cup and 2 in the League Cup) and Brian Wilson with 10 (9 in the league and 1 in the FA Cup).


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Background
Both sides adopted a 4–4–2 formation. Grimsby's Jones was selected in the starting eleven after a successful appeal overturned the red card he received in the second leg of the semi-final. Cheltenham made one change from their semi-final lineup, replacing Odejayi with Steven Gillespie. The referee for the match was Paul Taylor.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Summary
The final was kicked off by Cheltenham Town around 3 p.m. on 28 May 2006 in front of 29,196 spectators at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Cheltenham made the better start and the first chance fell to Gillespie in the seventh minute, following a long pass from McCann, but Steve Mildenhall, the Grimsby goalkeeper, made the save. Three minutes later, a mistake from Jones allowed Guinan to shoot, but his strike was straight at Mildenhall; Woodhouse's shot then cleared the Grimsby crossbar by some distance.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Summary
In the 17th minute, Finnigan's attempt went wide before an aerial collision between Craig Armstrong and Reddy forced both players to be substituted, Mickey Bell coming for Cheltenham and Gary Cohen for Grimsby. In the 33rd minute, Parkinson claimed he was fouled in the Cheltenham penalty area by Gavin Caines, but no penalty was awarded. Four minutes later Jones headed the ball wide of the Cheltenham goal, and after another two, Wilson struck a shot wide. In the last minute of the first half, Shane Higgs saved a low shot from Cohen before Parkinson's strike went over the crossbar. The first half ended goalless.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Summary
Neither side made any changes to the personnel during the interval and Grimsby kicked off the second half. They made the stronger start, but three minutes in, their goalkeeper made the first save of the half from a Caines header. On 63 minutes, Cheltenham took a 1–0 lead after Guinan shot past several defenders. Seven minutes later, Woodhouse brought down McCann in the Grimsby penalty area, and the referee awarded a penalty. McCann took the spot kick himself, but it was saved by Mildenhall. Within a minute, McCann's chip hit the Grimsby crossbar.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Summary
In the 74th minute, Grimsby made their second substitution of the match, with Futcher coming on for Gary Croft, and three minutes later Cheltenham's Damian Spencer replaced Ashley Vincent. Higgs then saved a diving header from Jones in the 80th minute before Spencer was shown a yellow card for a foul on Mildenhall. Grimsby's Junior Mendes then came on for Marc Goodfellow before Woodhouse was shown the match's second yellow card, for a foul on Spencer.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Match, Summary
In the 86th minute, Jones shot wide and with a minute of regular time remaining, Woodhouse asked for a penalty after being brought down by Bell but the referee waved play on. After five minutes of stoppage time, the referee blew the final whistle with Cheltenham securing a 1–0 victory and promotion to League One.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Post-match
John Ward, the winning manager, said he was "thrilled", and added that his club's success was "the best thing I've ever done. We've probably overachieved in a short space of time but I'm really looking forward to seeing these players in League One". His counterpart Russell Slade said his side should have been awarded a first-half penalty: "Andy Parkinson is a very honest player and he said it was a stonewall penalty. Big moments change games and we felt that was a big moment". However, he admitted that "To be fair we possibly did not deserve it on the day ... Cheltenham started tremendously well but we didn't get into the game until the 30th minute." Winning goalscorer Guinan suggested that he had been "lucky" and that he had not meant to score.


2006 Football League Two play-off Final, Post-match
In their following season, Grimsby finished in 15th place in League Two. Cheltenham's next season saw them end the season in 17th place in League One, four places and seven points above the relegation zone.