Manager Barry Fry often describes the 1-0 Posh win as ‘the forgotten final’ which isn’t quite true as the club mark the occasion every five years with features and interviews. They are planning to do so again for the 25th anniversary.
Promotion that season was one of the biggest achievements in Posh history as the previous nine months had been turbulent with the sacking of highly-regarded coach Paul Ashworth and the sale of the two club’s two best players in Simon Davies and Matthew Etherington for a combined £1.2 million to Spurs just a day after a club record 5-0 home defeat at the hands of Rotherham United on Boxing Day.
Ashworth threatened to sue the club, but results improved considerably when experienced coach Wayne Turner arrived at Posh to assist manager Fry.
Posh somehow managed to finish fifth in the table before beating Barnet 5-1 on aggregate in the play-off semi-final helped by the greatest hat-trick of all-time for David Farrell in the second leg at London Road.
That led to a final against an expensively-assembled Darlington side which was settled by a late Andy Clarke goal.
Here’s what happened to those Posh play-off heroes after that game….
5. SIMON REA
A well-built central defender who was good on the ball. He helped keep feared Darlington striker Marco Gabbiadini quiet at Wembley. Rea made 184 Posh appearances and scored eight goals. Went on loan towards the end of his Posh career to Cambridge United before joining non-league Kidderminster Harriers. Photo: PT
6. JON CULLEN
Won the header that enabled Clarke to win the game for Posh at Wembley. The midfielder was talented, but injury prone and made just 53 appearances in three seasons at Posh before dropping into non-league football. Cullen tried to make it in Malaysia and the United States without success before retiring. Photo: PT
7. STEVE CASTLE
An immensely popular midfielder with a knack of scoring important goals. The Wembley win was his last appearance for Posh, who he had joined as player-coach, as he rejoined former club Leyton Orient after falling out of contract at London Road. He had scored 20 goals in 122 Posh appearances. Finished his career at Stevenage and then St Albans. He was assistant manager to another old Posh legend Jimmy Quinn at Cambridge United briefly before managing Royston Town for a decade. Now managing Bishop's Stortford in the Southern Premier Division Central where AFC Stamford and Spalding United are among his opponents. Photo: David Lowndes
8. GARETH JELLEYMAN
The Posh Academy graduate started the Wembley Final on the left side of midfield before reverting to a more familiar left-back role when Drury went off injured.The Welsh teenager had only made his first Posh start earlier that season. Two broken legs restricted what had looked likely to be a stellar professional career and he left Posh after 123 appearances to play for Mansfield Town, Rushden, Barrow, Boston United and Corby. Now teaches locally and works as a pundit at Mansfield matches. Photo: PT