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….
9. DAVID FARRELL
A true Posh great whose play-off semi-final heroics booked a Wembley date for the club. He made 388 Posh appearances, scoring 52 goals before finishing his career at Boston United and Burton Albion. Worked in the Posh Academy for a time and now head of academy coaching at Swindon Town. He's a UEFA A-Licence coach. Photo: Matthew Ashton
10. DAVID OLDFIELD
The former Manchester City player was deployed in an advanced role at Wembley and delivered his usual tireless display. After 96 Posh appearances and just five goals he moved to Oxford United on a free transfer. Oldfield has subsequently had a rich and varied coaching/management career at Weymouth, Oxford City, Posh (he has a 100% winning record as caretaker-boss in two one-match spells), West Brom and QPR. He's now coaching Exeter City Under 18s. Photo: Joe Dent
11. ANDY CLARKE
Clarke is pictured winning the Wembley final with a close-range strike 16 minutes from time, one of 71 goals he scored in 264 Posh appearances. He was the quiet man of that team and little was heard from him after he left the club in 2005. Unconfirmed reports suggested he ended up running a North London market stall. Photo: Matthew Ashton
12. RITCHE HANLON
The midfielder with a powerful shot replaced Drury towards the end of the first half at Wembley. A couple of weeks earlier he'd scored the goal that had sent Chester out of the Football League. Hanlon could never nail down a Posh first-team place and left London Road in 2002 after 56 appearances and three goals. Posh sold him to Rushden & Diamonds and he finished off at Cambridge United. Hanlon turned to management after playing and, after a brief spell in charge of St Albans City, he led Herts-based King's Langley to three successive promotions. Last seen as part of the Hayes & Yeading management team. Photo: s