1987–88 in English football

The 1987-88 season was the 108th season of competitive football in England.

Overview

First Division

Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season. Their key players were two new signings - winger John Barnes and forward Peter Beardsley - who, along with John Aldridge, helped defy any doubts that people might have had as to whether Liverpool could challenge for honours after Ian Rush's departure. Second in the league were Manchester United, rejuvenated under Alex Ferguson - who had bought some impressive new players including Brian McClair and Steve Bruce.

The first relegation places went to Watford and Oxford United, who both lost far too many games and picked up far too few points to have any realistic hope of avoiding relegation. Next to go down were Portsmouth, whose First Division comeback lasted just one season. Chelsea then became the first top division club in 90 years to lose their status after playoffs. They lost to Second Division Middlesbrough in the playoff final and surrendered their First Division place to the Teessiders.

Second Division

John Docherty's impressive Millwall side 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 and boasting a squad of strong players like David Platt and Gordon Cowans. Middlesbrough won promotion for the second season running after negotiating the relegation/promotion playoffs at the expense of Chelsea.

Huddersfield Town, who had suffered a 10-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in November, were the Second Division's biggest flops during 1987-88 as they went down in bottom place. Reading followed them. The Second/Third Division relegation/promotion playoffs once again saw a Second Division club suffer relegation, this time it was Sheffield United.

Third Division

Sunderland's first season in the Third Division ended in glory as they lifted the championship 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, one season after being rescued by new owner Jack Hayward and new manager Graham Turner. They completed an outstanding season by winning the Sherpa Van Trophy final at a packed Wembley against Burnley. Earlier the campaign had begun on a sour note, when Football League newcomers Scarborough hosted Wolves on the opening day in a match that was marred by crowd trouble.

Bolton Wanderers, another fallen giant, also ensured their Fourth Division tenure was short lived by winning automatic promotion. Swansea City were promoted via the playoffs just two years after almost going out of existence, while their South Wales neighbours Cardiff City were also promoted.

After having spent several seasons as the highest placed Welsh team, financially troubled Newport County were relegated for the second successive season. This time they lost their Football League status after 60 consecutive seasons in the Football League. Lincoln City won the Conference title to take their place. Less than a year later Newport were to go out of business before reforming.

Scunthorpe United left the Old Showground and moved into Glanford Park, thus becoming the first English club in more than 30 years to move to a new stadium.

FA Cup

Wimbledon caused one of the biggest footballing upsets of the 20th century by defeating champions Liverpool 1-0 in the FA Cup final. The winners had only been league members for 11 years and First Division members for two years, while the losers had just wrapped up their 17th league championship. Lawrie Sanchez headed the only goal from a Dennis Wise free kick in the first half of the Final.

Other Trophies

Ray Harford's Luton Town achieved a shock 3-2 win over Arsenal in the League Cup final to win the first major trophy of their history. Harford had only been promoted to the manager's seat from assistant manager a year earlier as successor to John Moore.

Luton also appeared Wembley in the final of the Simod Cup, but were surprisingly beaten 4-1 by Reading.

In April 1988, Nottingham Forest won the Football League Centenary Tournament, a competition played over two days between 16 clubs at Wembley. They beat Sheffield Wednesday on penalties in the final after a goalless draw in the 60-minute match.

Star players

The PFA voted Liverpool's high scoring winger John Barnes Player of the Year in his first season at Anfield.

Newcastle United's exciting young midfielder Paul Gascoigne was voted Young Player of the Year before being transferred to Tottenham Hotspur.

Brian McClair scored 25 First Division goals for runners-up Manchester United in his first season at Old Trafford following his move from Glasgow Celtic.

Liverpool striker John Aldridge was top scorer in the league and collected a championship medal in his first full season at the club, but missed the penalty in the FA Cup final that cost his side the chance of a unique second table.

West Ham striker Tony Cottee had another high scoring season before being transferred to Everton.

Steve Bull scored 52 goals in all competitions (37 in the league) for Fourth Division champions Wolves.

Young midfielder David Platt had an excellent first season for Aston Villa, establishing himself as a competent goalscorer as well as gaining promotion to the First Division.

Star managers

*Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish added the league title to his managerial CV to bring his total of championships to two in three seasons and Liverpool's all-time total to 17.
*Alex Ferguson's efforts in rebuilding Manchester United saw them finished second in the league just 18 months after they had looked in danger of relegation.
*Bobby Gould guided Wimbledon to a shock victory over Liverpool in the F.A Cup final.
*Ray Harford earned Luton Town the first major trophy of their history by guiding them to victory over Arsenal in the League Cup final.
*Graham Taylor's first season at Aston Villa ended in promotion to the First Division at the expense of his old club Watford.
*John Docherty brought First Division football to Millwall for the first time in their history.
*Bruce Rioch took Middlesbrough to the First Division just two years after financial problems almost put the club out of business.
*Dennis Smith began Sunderland's revival by guiding them to the Third Division title.
*Graham Turner guided Wolverhampton Wanderers to Fourth Division title glory which made them the first club to win all four divisions of the Football League.
*Phil Neal ensured that Bolton Wanderers bounced back quickly from their recent sharp decline by taking them to runners-up spot in the Fourth Division.

National team

England were eliminated from Euro 88 after losing all three group games in West Germany. The Netherlands went on to win the tournament. In spite of continued calls from the tabloids for a new manager to be installed, the FA kept faith in Bobby Robson once more.

Transfers

Liverpool paid an English club record fee of £1.9million for Newcastle United's 26-year-old striker Peter Beardsley. They also forked out £900,000 for Watford winger John Barnes.

Diary of the season

15 July 1987 - Ray Harford, first-team coach, is promoted to the manager's seat at Luton Town following the resignation of John Moore.

21 July 1987 - Tottenham and England midfielder Glenn Hoddle moves to AS Monaco for £800,000 on a three-year contract.

30 July 1987 - Manchester United complete the signing of striker Brian McClair after a tribunal orders them to pay £850,000 for the striker who was originally valued at £2million by Glasgow Celtic.

3 August 1987 - Today cancel their sponsorship of the Football League after just one year, and less than 2 weeks before the new season is due to begin.

6 August 1987 - Peter Beardsley becomes the most expensive player to move between British clubs when he joins Liverpool in a 1.9million deal from Newcastle United.

8 August 1987 - The Football League begins its centenary celebrations by hosting a match against a Rest of the World XI at Wembley. Diego Maradona and Gary Lineker (then at Barcelona) are in the beaten Rest of the World side by a Football League XI.

12 August 1987 - Barclays Bank become the Football League's new sponsors in a three-year deal worth in the region of 5million.

3 September 1987 - 10 months after being sacked by Manchester United, Ron Atkinson returns to football for a second spell as manager of West Bromwich Albion. He had first managed Albion from 1978 to 1981, during which time they finished third in the league and reached a UEFA Cup quarter-final, but Albion are now struggling in the Second Division.

11 September 1987 - Everton are rumoured to be interested in signing West Ham United striker Tony Cottee for a fee that could break the British transfer record.

23 September 1987 - Terry Venables, former manager of Crystal Palace and Queen's Park Rangers, is sacked after three years as manager of Spanish giants FC Barcelona, and inevitable rumours of a comeback in English football are sparked by the national media.

28 September 1987 - Tommy Docherty, who managed Manchester United to FA Cup glory in 1977, is appointed manager of GM Vauxhall Conference side Altrincham.

14 October 1987 - England beat Turkey 8-0 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium, echoing the result of a World Cup qualifier in the 1984-85 season.

31 October 1987 - Everton chairman Phillip Carter disowns his club's supporters who were making racist chants at the Liverpool winger John Barnes, shouting: "Stay away you scum".

23 October 1987 - David Pleat resigns after 15 months as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, following allegations that he was involved in kerb crawling.

27 October 1987 - Tottenham Hotspur appoint Terry Venables as their new manager.

19 November 1987 - Liverpool reject an offer from Bayern Munich for Danish midfielder Jan Molby.

1 December 1987 - Manchester United player Clayton Blackmore is released without charge by police in Bermuda after being arrested on rape allegations during the club's tour of the island.

9 December 1987 - Eight football hooligans, all either Manchester United or West Ham United supporters, receive prison sentences totalling 51 years at Chelmsford Crown Court after being found guilty of public order offences on a Sealink ferry bound for Amsterdam on 8 August 1986.

16 December 1987 - Manchester United pay 800,000 for Norwich City central defender Steve Bruce.

11 January 1988 - Dave Bassett is sacked after just six months in charge of Watford, who are currently bottom of the First Division a season after they finished ninth.

20 January 1988 - Oxford United, winners of the 1986 League Cup, reach the semi-finals of this season's competition with a surprise 2-0 win over Manchester United (second in the league) in the quarter-finals.

24 January 1988 - Arsenal pay Stoke City £400,000 for 23-year-old right-back Lee Dixon.

4 February 1988 - Tommy Docherty is sacked after just over four months in charge of GM Vauxhall Conference side Altrincham.

5 February 1988 - A UEFA referrendum decides that all English clubs will be banned from European competition for a fourth successive season.

12 March 1988 - Maurice Evans resigns as manager of Oxford United, another struggling First Division side. Evans, 51, had managed the South Midlanders to Football League Cup glory two seasons ago but had failed to establish them as proven winners in the league.

20 March 1988 - Liverpool's record 29-match unbeaten start to the league season is ended when they lose to neighbours Everton.

4 April 1988 - Manchester United draw 3-3 with Liverpool at Anfield after being 3-1 down at half time, but are still left with little hope of overhauling the Merseysiders in the chase for the First Division title.

10 April 1988 - Wimbledon reach the FA Cup final for the first time by defeating Nottingham Forest in the semi-final.

18 April 1988 - Torquay United winger Lee Sharpe, who turns 17 next month, agrees to sign for Manchester United at the end of the season in a £30,000 deal.

19 April 1988 - Liverpool wrap up their 17th league title with a 0-0 draw at Norwich City.

16-17 April 1988 - The Football League programme is put on hold for a week as the Football League Centenary Tournament is staged at Wembley Stadium between 16 clubs on the 100th anniversary of the league's foundation. Nottingham Forest are the winners of the two-day event.

24 April 1988 - Holders Arsenal lose defence of the League Cup with a 3-2 defeat to Luton Town at Wembley. It is Luton's first ever major trophy.

11 May 1988 - Aberdeen goalkeeper Jim Leighton links up with his former manager Alex Ferguson by signing for Manchester United.

14 May 1988 - Wimbledon pull off one the greatest footballing upsets of all time by achieving a 1-0 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup final. Wimbledon have been First Division members for just 2 seasons and have only been a Football League side for the last 11 years, while Liverpool recently became the first English team to win 30 major trophies.Striker Lawrie Sanchez was Wimbledon's goalscoring hero, while Liverpool would have won the trophy had it not been for Peter Beardsley's disallowed goal and John Aldridge's penalty miss.

8 June 1988 - Less than a month after saving John Aldridge's penalty in the FA Cup final, Dave Beasant completes a £750,000 transfer from Wimbledon to Newcastle United, making him the costliest goalkeeper in English football.

Deaths

* John Smith, 49, played over 400 career games as an inside-forward between 1956 and 1973. In 1958, at the age of 19, he helped West Ham United win promotion to the First Division. His biggest success came in 1969 when he helped Swindon Town win the League Cup and record the only major trophy victory of their history. During the 1972-73 season, he had a five-month spell as manager of Walsall.
* Harold Dobbie, 65, former Middlesbrough forward who scored twice on his club debut in 1948 - against near neighbours Sunderland. Later played for Plymouth Argyle and finally Torquay United before retiring from football and returning to his native Newcastle to run a hardware shop.
* John Harris, 70, born in Glasgow, was Chelsea's centre-half in their league championship winning side of 1955. Later managed Sheffield United and took them into the First Division in 1971.

Honours

=Third Division=

=Fourth Division=

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points