1987–88 Football League

The Football League
Season 1987–88
Champions Liverpool
Relegated Newport County

The 19871988 season was the 89th completed season of The Football League.

Overview

First Division

Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season. Second in the league were Manchester United.

The automatically-relegated sides were Watford, Oxford United and Portsmouth. Chelsea were subsequently relegated as well after losing to Middlesbrough in the playoff final.

Second Division

Millwall lifted the Second Division championship trophy and gained promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history. Runners-up were Aston Villa, managed by Graham Taylor. Middlesbrough won promotion for the second season running after negotiating the relegation/promotion play-offs at the expense of Chelsea.

Huddersfield Town, who suffered a 10-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in November, were relegated. The Second/Third Division relegation/promotion play-offs once again saw a Second Division club suffer relegation, this time it was Sheffield United.

Third Division

Sunderland won the Third Division and went back up to the Second Division. They were joined by runners-up Brighton & Hove Albion and playoff winners Walsall.

The Third Division relegation places were occupied by Rotherham United, Grimsby Town, York City and Doncaster Rovers.

Fourth Division

Wolves ended their two-year tenure in the Fourth Division by finishing top of the table and winning promotion to the Third Division. They also won the Sherpa Van Trophy final by defeating Burnley at Wembley.

Bolton Wanderers, Cardiff City and Swansea City were also promoted.

Newport County were relegated for the second successive season. They were replaced in the Football League by Lincoln City.

Scunthorpe United left the Old Showground and moved into Glanford Park.

Final league tables and results

The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[1] with home and away statistics separated.

First Division

Football League, First Division
Season 1987–88
Champions Liverpool (17th English title)
Relegated Chelsea,
Oxford United,
Portsmouth,
Watford
FA Cup winners Wimbledon (1st FA Cup title)
Matches played 420
Top goalscorer John Aldridge (Liverpool), 26 [2]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Liverpool 401550499117238158724+6390All English teams excluded from European competition as a result of Heysel
2 Manchester United 401451411797430217138+3381
3 Nottingham Forest 401172401796527226739+2873
4 Everton 401442341159619165327+2670
5 Queens Park Rangers 401244301476718244838+1067
6 Arsenal 401145351678523235839+1966
7 Wimbledon 40893322066826275847+1157FA Cup winners
8 Newcastle United 40965322358723305553+256
9 Luton Town 4011634021351217375758–153Football League Cup winners
10 Coventry City 40686232576723284653–753
11 Sheffield Wednesday 401028273056925365266–1453
12 Southampton 40686272666822274953–450
13 Tottenham Hotspur 409562623361112253848–1047
14 Norwich City 407582626541114264052–1245
15 Derby County 406771817461017283545–1043
16 West Ham United 406952321361117314052–1242
17 Charlton Athletic 407762321281015313852–1442
18 Chelsea 4071122417241426515068–1842 [notes 1]
19 Portsmouth 404882127361115393666–3035
20 Watford 4045111524361112272751–2432
21 Oxford United 405782434161320464480–3631
  1. Chelsea lost in the final round of the play-offs and were thus relegated.
Key
Football League Champions
Relegated via the Second Division play-offs
Automatically relegated to the Second Division

First Division results

Home ╲ Away ARS CHA CHECOVDEREVELIVLUTMUNNEWNORNOTOXFPORQPRSHWSOUTOTWATWHUWDN
Arsenal 40 31 11 21 11 12 21 12 11 20 02 20 60 00 31 01 21 01 10 30
Charlton Athletic 03 22 22 01 00 02 10 13 20 20 12 00 21 01 31 11 11 10 30 11
Chelsea 11 11 10 10 00 11 30 12 22 10 43 21 00 11 21 01 00 11 11 11
Coventry City 00 00 33 03 12 14 40 00 13 00 03 10 10 00 30 23 21 10 00 33
Derby County 00 11 20 20 00 11 10 12 21 12 01 01 00 02 22 20 12 11 10 01
Everton 12 11 41 12 30 10 20 21 10 10 10 00 21 20 40 10 00 20 31 22
Liverpool 20 32 21 40 40 20 11 33 40 00 50 20 40 40 10 11 10 40 00 21
Luton Town 11 10 30 01 10 21 01 11 40 12 11 74 41 21 22 22 20 21 22 20
Manchester United 00 00 31 10 41 21 11 30 22 21 22 31 41 21 41 02 10 20 31 21
Newcastle United 01 21 31 22 00 11 14 40 10 13 01 31 11 11 22 21 20 30 21 12
Norwich City 24 20 30 31 12 03 00 22 10 11 02 42 01 11 03 01 21 00 41 01
Nottingham Forest 01 22 32 41 21 00 21 11 00 02 20 53 50 40 30 33 30 10 00 00
Oxford United 00 21 44 10 00 11 03 25 02 13 30 02 42 20 03 00 00 11 12 25
Portsmouth 11 11 03 00 21 01 02 31 12 12 22 01 22 01 12 22 00 11 21 21
Queens Park Rangers 20 20 31 12 11 10 01 20 02 11 30 21 32 21 11 30 20 00 01 10
Sheffield Wednesday 33 20 30 03 21 10 15 02 24 01 10 01 11 10 31 21 03 23 21 10
Southampton 42 01 30 12 12 04 22 11 22 11 00 11 30 02 01 11 21 10 21 22
Tottenham Hotspur 12 01 10 22 00 21 02 21 11 31 13 11 30 01 11 20 21 21 21 03
Watford 20 21 03 01 11 12 14 01 01 11 01 00 30 00 01 13 01 11 12 10
West Ham United 01 11 41 11 11 00 11 11 11 21 20 32 11 11 03 01 21 01 10 12
Wimbledon 31 41 22 12 21 11 11 20 21 00 10 11 11 22 12 11 20 30 12 11

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second Division

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Millwall 4415344523104827297252+2082
2 Aston Villa 449763121135437206841+2778
3 Middlesbrough 441543441678719206336+2778 [notes2 1]
4 Bradford City 441435492688625287454+2077
5 Blackburn Rovers 441282382296730306852+1677
6 Crystal Palace 4416335021661036388659+2775
7 Leeds United 441444371858924336151+1069
8 Ipswich Town 4414353817561123356152+966
9 Manchester City 4411475028841030328060+2065
10 Oldham Athletic 4413454327571029377264+865
11 Stoke City 4412643422551216355057– 762
12 Swindon Town 4410754325641230357360+1359
13 Leicester City 4412553520461227416261+159
14 Barnsley 4411474232481019306162– 157
15 Hull City 4410843222471122385460– 657
16 Plymouth Argyle 4412464426441421416567– 256
17 Bournemouth 447783630631320385668– 1249
18 Shrewsbury Town 447872322481019324254– 1249
19 Birmingham City 447962024461221424166– 2548
20 West Bromwich Albion 448772926441421435069– 1947
21 Sheffield United 448682728511618464574– 2946 [notes2 2]
22 Reading 4457102025551224454470– 2642
23 Huddersfield Town 44461220382416216241100– 5928
  1. Middlesbrough won the play-offs and were thus promoted.
  2. Sheffield United lost in the first round of the play-offs and were thus relegated.
Key
Division Champions - automatically promoted to First Division
Division runners-up - automatically promoted to First Division
Promoted via the Second Division play-offs
Participated in Second Division play-offs
Relegated via the Third Division play-offs
Automatically relegated to the Third Division

Second Division play-offs

The team fourth from bottom of the First Division played off for one place in that division with the teams finishing third, fourth and fifth in the Second Division. In the semi-final, Chelsea of the First Division beat fifth-placed Blackburn Rovers 6–1 on aggregate, and third-placed Middlesbrough beat Bradford City 3–2 on aggregate. The final was also played over two legs. Playing at their Ayresome Park ground in front of an Ayresome Park crowd of 25,531, Middlesbrough won the first leg 2–0 with goals from Bernie Slaven and Trevor Senior. In the second leg at Stamford Bridge, which was marred by violence perpetrated by some of the 40,550 spectators, Chelsea's Gordon Durie scored the only goal. Thus Middlesbrough won 2–1 on aggregate and were promoted to the First Division for 1988–89, while Chelsea were relegated to the Second.[3][4][5]

Semi-finals
1st leg – 15 May; 2nd leg – 18 May 1988
Final
1st leg – 25 May; 2nd leg – 28 May 1988
 
 Blackburn Rovers 0 1 1  
 Chelsea (Div 1) 2 4 6  
   Chelsea (Div 1) 0 1 1
   Middlesbrough 2 0 2
 Bradford City 2 0 2
 Middlesbrough 1 2 3  

Source:[6]

Second Division results

Home ╲ Away AST BAR BIRBLBBOUBRACRYHUDHULIPSLEELEIMCIMIDMILOLDPLYREASHUSHRSTKSWIWBA
Aston Villa 00 02 11 11 10 41 11 50 10 12 21 11 01 12 12 52 21 11 10 01 21 00
Barnsley 13 22 01 21 30 21 10 13 23 11 11 31 03 41 11 21 52 12 21 52 01 31
Birmingham City 12 20 10 11 11 06 20 11 10 00 22 03 00 10 13 01 22 10 00 20 11 01
Blackburn Rovers 32 01 20 31 11 20 22 21 10 11 33 21 02 21 10 11 11 41 22 20 00 31
Bournemouth 12 12 42 11 20 23 02 62 11 00 23 02 00 12 22 22 30 12 20 00 20 32
Bradford City 24 11 40 21 20 20 01 20 23 00 41 24 20 31 53 31 30 20 11 14 20 41
Crystal Palace 11 32 30 20 30 11 21 22 12 30 21 20 31 10 31 51 23 21 12 20 21 41
Huddersfield Town 01 22 22 12 12 12 22 02 12 00 10 10 14 21 22 21 02 02 00 03 03 13
Hull City 21 12 20 22 21 00 21 40 10 31 22 31 00 01 10 11 22 12 11 00 14 10
Ipswich Town 11 10 10 02 12 40 23 30 20 10 02 30 40 11 20 12 21 10 20 20 32 11
Leeds United 13 02 41 22 32 20 10 30 02 10 10 20 20 12 11 10 00 50 21 00 42 10
Leicester City 02 00 20 12 01 02 44 30 21 11 32 10 00 10 41 40 10 10 01 11 32 30
Manchester City 02 11 30 12 20 22 13 101 20 20 12 42 11 40 12 21 20 23 13 30 11 42
Middlesbrough 21 20 11 11 30 12 21 20 10 31 20 12 21 11 10 31 00 60 40 20 23 21
Millwall 21 31 31 14 12 01 11 41 20 21 31 10 01 21 11 32 30 31 41 20 22 20
Oldham Athletic 01 10 12 42 20 02 10 32 12 31 11 20 11 31 00 01 42 32 22 51 43 21
Plymouth Argyle 13 00 11 30 12 21 13 61 31 00 63 40 32 01 12 10 13 10 20 30 10 33
Reading 02 21 11 00 00 11 23 32 00 11 01 12 02 00 23 30 01 21 10 01 01 12
Sheffield United 11 10 02 31 01 12 11 22 21 41 22 21 12 02 12 05 10 41 01 00 10 00
Shrewsbury Town 12 11 00 12 21 22 20 31 22 00 10 00 00 01 00 23 21 01 20 03 21 01
Stoke City 00 31 31 21 10 12 11 11 11 12 21 21 13 10 12 22 10 42 10 11 10 30
Swindon Town 00 30 02 12 42 22 22 41 00 42 12 32 34 11 01 20 11 40 20 11 30 20
West Bromwich Albion 02 22 31 01 30 01 10 32 11 22 14 11 11 00 14 00 10 01 40 21 20 12

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Third Division

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Sunderland 4614725122135541269248+4493
2 Brighton & Hove Albion 461571371688732316947+2284
3 Walsall 461562392287829286850+1882 [notes4 1]
4 Notts County 461445532498629258249+3381
5 Bristol City 4614635130761026327762+1575
6 Northampton Town 4612833618611634337051+1973
7 Wigan Athletic 4611843623941034387061+972
8 Bristol Rovers 4614544319471225376856+1266
9 Fulham 4610583624941033366960+966
10 Blackpool 4613464527410926357162+965
11 Port Vale 4612833619631422375856+265
12 Brentford 469862723761026365359– 662
13 Gillingham 46896452168932407761+1659
14 Bury 469773326671025315857+159
15 Chester City 469862930581022325162– 1158
16 Preston North End 4610673023571118364859– 1158
17 Southend United 4610674233471223506583– 1855
18 Chesterfield 4610582528551316424170– 2955
19 Mansfield Town 4610672521461323384859– 1154
20 Aldershot 4612384532351519426474– 1053
21 Rotherham United 468872825481122415066– 1652 [notes4 2]
22 Grimsby Town 4667102529671023294858– 1050
23 York City 4647122745421721464891– 4333
24 Doncaster Rovers 4665122536241715484084– 4433
  1. Walsall won the play-offs and were thus promoted.
  2. Rotherham United lost in the first round of the play-offs and were thus relegated.
Key
Division Champions - automatically promoted to Second Division
Division Runners-up - automatically promoted to Second Division
Promoted via the Third Division play-offs
Participated in Third Division play-offs
Relegated via the Fourth Division play-offs
Automatically relegated to the Fourth Division

Third Division play-offs

Semi-finals
1st leg – 15 May; 2nd leg – 18 May 1988
Final
1st leg – 25 May; 2nd leg – 28 May 1988
 
21st  Sheffield United (Div 2) 0 1 1  
5th  Bristol City 1 1 2  
  3rd  Walsall 3 0 3
  5th  Bristol City 1 2 3
3rd  Walsall 3 1 4
4th  Notts County 1 1 2  
Replay

30 May 1988
Walsall 4 – 0 Bristol City
Report/Soccerbase
Fellows Park, Walsall
Attendance: 13,007

Fourth Division

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4615354719126535248243+3990
2 Cardiff City 461562391497727276641+2585
3 Bolton Wanderers 4615624212761024306642+2478
4 Scunthorpe United 4614544220612534317651+2577
5 Torquay United 4610763416117532256641+2577
6 Swansea City 469773528113927286256+670 [notes5 1]
7 Peterborough United 4610582826105824275253– 170
8 Leyton Orient 461346552768930368563+2269
9 Colchester United 461058232295924294751– 467
10 Burnley 4612563122821326405762– 567
11 Wrexham 4613374626731323326958+1166
12 Scarborough 4612833819561218295648+865
13 Darlington 4613643925551332447169+265
14 Tranmere Rovers 4614274320571118336153+864
15 Cambridge United 4610673224671018285052– 261
16 Hartlepool United 469772525671025325057– 759
17 Crewe Alexandra 467115251968932345753+458
18 Halifax Town 4611753725371317345459– 555
19 Hereford United 468782527651216324159– 1854
20 Stockport County 467792626581018324458– 1451
21 Rochdale 465992834661119424776– 2948
22 Exeter City 468693329371320395368– 1546
23 Carlisle United 469593833331719535786– 2944
24 Newport County 46451419362219166935105– 7025
  1. Swansea City won the play-offs and were thus promoted.
Key
Division Champions - automatically promoted to Third Division
Division Runners-up - automatically promoted to Third Division
Promoted via the Fourth Division play-offs
Participated in Fourth Division play-offs
Welsh Cup Winners - qualified for Cup Winners' Cup
Newly promoted from the Football Conference
Automatically relegated to the Football Conference

Fourth Division play-offs

Both the semifinals and the finals were decided over two legs
The full results can be found in the main article (see link above).

Semi-finals
1st leg – 15 May; 2nd leg – 18 May 1988
Finals
1st leg – 25 May; 2nd leg – 28 May 1988
 
21st  Rotherham United (Div 3) 0 1 1  
6th  Swansea City 1 1 2  
  6th  Swansea City 2 3 5
  5th  Torquay United 1 3 4
4th  Scunthorpe United 1 1 2
5th  Torquay United 2 1 3  

Goalscorers

The top goalscorers in each division were:

See also

References

  1. "England 1987–88". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  2. "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
  3. Felton, Paul. "Season 1987–88". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  4. "Chelsea Football Club Match Results Season 1987–1988". bounder.friardale.co.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  5. Barley, Sophie (3 August 2015). "'The Battle of Stamford Bridge': Violent scenes on a victorious day for Boro". The Gazette. Middlesbrough. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  6. "English Division One–Two (old) Play-Offs 1987–1988". Statto. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  7. 1 2 James M Ross (15 July 2011). "Football League Div 1 & 2 Leading Goalscorers 1947-92". RSSSF. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  8. 1 2 James M Ross (15 July 2011). "Football League Div 3 & 4 Leading Goalscorers 1947-92". RSSSF. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
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