1987–88 in English football

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The 1987–88 season was the 120th season of competitive football in England.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 First Division 1.2 Second Division 1.3 Third Division 1.4 Fourth Division 1.5 FA Cup 1.6 Other Trophies 2 Star players 3 Star managers 4 Famous debutants 5 Top goalscorers 5.1 First Division 5.2 Second Division 5.3 Third Division 5.4 Fourth Division 6 National team 7 Transfers 8 Diary of the season 9 Deaths 10 Honours 11 League table 11.1 First Division 11.2 Second Division 11.3 Third Division 11.4 Fourth Division 12 References

Overview

First Division

Liverpool won the league title with a comfortable nine-point margin and just two defeats all season.^[1] Their key players were two new signings – winger John Barnes and forward Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge scored 26 league goals and helped defy any doubts that people might have had as to whether Liverpool could challenge for honours after Ian Rush's departure to Juventus.^[2] 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 Martin Keown. 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 1987–1988 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 due to Grimsby Town's administration entrance.

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 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 double.

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.

Famous debutants

This section requires expansion.

• 26 September 1987: Rod Wallace, 17-year-old striker, makes his debut for Southampton as a substitute in the First Division 2–1 defeat by Newcastle United at St. James's Park.

• 7 November 1987: Michael O'Neill, 18-year-old Northern Irish striker and A-Level student, makes his debut for Newcastle United in 4–0 defeat by Luton Town in the First Division at Kenilworth Road.

• 26 March 1988: Alan Shearer, 17-year-old striker, makes his debut for Southampton in the First Division 1–0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

• 7 May 1988: Kevin Campbell, 18-year-old striker, makes his debut for Arsenal in 2–1 win over Everton in First Division at Goodison Park.

• 9 May 1988: Lee Martin, 20-year-old defender, makes his debut for Manchester United in 2–1 First Division win over Wimbledon at Old Trafford.

Top goalscorers

First Division

• John Aldridge (Liverpool) – 26 goals

Second Division

• David Currie (Barnsley) – 28 goals

Third Division

• David Crown (Southend United) – 26 goals

Fourth Division

• Steve Bull (Wolverhampton Wanderers) – 34 goals^[3]

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 spent £900,000 on Watford winger John Barnes.

Diary of the season

3 July 1987 – Chelsea sign defender Tony Dorigo from Aston Villa for £475,000.^[4]

6 July 1987 – Nottingham Forest's Dutch midfielder Johnny Metgod signs for Tottenham Hotspur in a £250,000 deal.

7 July 1987 – England goalkeeper Peter Shilton moves to Derby County from Southampton for £90,000.^[4]

9 July 1987 – Manchester United sign Arsenal defender Viv Anderson for £250,000.^[4] Former Queens Park Rangers and England forward Gerry Francis, 36, is appointed player-manager of Third Division side Bristol Rovers as successor to Bobby Gould who moved to Wimbledon last month.

15 July 1987 – Ray Harford, first-team coach, is promoted to the manager's seat at Luton Town following the resignation of John Moore. Coventry City more than double their record transfer outlay with a £750,000 move for Chelsea striker David Speedie.

17 July 1987 – Portsmouth prepare for their return to the First Division with a £60,000 move for Wrexham midfielder Barry Horne.^[4]

21 July 1987 – Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Glenn Hoddle moves to AS Monaco for £800,000 on a three-year contract. Manchester United get a £300,000 insurance payout from the Football Association following the injury enforced retirement of 29-year-old goalkeeper Gary Bailey.

22 July 1987 - Scunthorpe United announce that they will leave the Old Showground at the end of the season and move to a new stadium in the town's suburbs - the first relocation of a Football League club since Southend United moved to Roots Hall in 1955.

24 July 1987 – Manchester City are reported to have made an approach for out of favour Liverpool midfielder John Wark. Watford sign prolific Reading striker Trevor Senior for £325,000.

29 July 1987 – Wimbledon sign defenders Terry Phelan from Swansea City for £100,000 and Eric Young from Brighton & Hove Albion for £70,000.^[4] Chelsea striker Kerry Dixon withdraws his transfer request.

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

1 August 1987 – Everton defeat Coventry City 1–0 in the FA Charity Shield at Wembley Stadium, with Wayne Clarke scoring the only goal of the game.

3 August 1987 – Today cancel their sponsorship of the Football League after just one year, and less than two 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 £1.9 million deal from Newcastle United. Britain's first million-pound player, Trevor Francis, returns to Britain when Graeme Souness signs him for Rangers in a £70,000 deal from Atlanta of Italy.

7 August 1987 - Portsmouth midfielder Mick Kennedy is fined £5,000 for claiming in a national newspaper that he was "the hardest man in football and proud of my reputation".

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 are in side beaten by a Football League XI.

11 August 1987 – Former Leeds United and England manager Don Revie, 60, announces that he is suffering from Motor neurone disease, which was diagnosed in May this year.

12 August 1987 – Barclays Bank become the Football League's new sponsors in a three-year deal worth in the region of £5million, while Portsmouth prepare for their first top division campaign since the 1950s by paying Leeds United £285,000 for striker Ian Baird.

15 August 1987 - The Football League season begins. Scarborough, new members after their promotion to the Fourth Division from the GM Vauxhall Conference, hold fallen giants Wolverhampton Wanderers to a 2-2 draw, but crowd trouble results in 56 arrests.

18 August 1987 - Newly promoted First Division side Derby County pay a club record £760,000 for Southampton defender Mark Wright.

22 August 1987 – Brian McClair scores his first goal for Manchester United in their 2–0 home league win over Watford. In the first top flight South Coast derby, newly promoted Portsmouth draw 2-2 with Southampton at Fratton Park.^[5]

24 August 1987 – Striker Terry Gibson ends his unsuccessful 18-month spell at Manchester United and joins Wimbledon for £200,000.

25 August 1987 - Luton Town lift their ban on away fans and are allowed to compete in the League Cup, from which they were banned last season.

31 August 1987 – Manchester United finish August as First Division leaders.^[6] In the Second Division, Plymouth Argyle and Barnsley lead the way on goal difference, but fancied Aston Villa are fourth from bottom.^[7]

3 September 1987 – Ten months after being sacked by Manchester United, Ron Atkinson returns to football for a second spell as manager of West Bromwich Albion.

4 September 1987 – Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas hands in a transfer request after manager George Graham dropped him in favour of Perry Groves as strike-partner to new signing Alan Smith.

9 September 1987 – 25 Liverpool fans are extradited to Belgium on manslaughter charges in connection to the Heysel disaster in which 39 spectators (most of them Italian) were crushed to death at the European Cup final on 29 May 1985.^[8] Oxford United's £400,000 bid for Derby County winger Nigel Callaghan is accepted, but the player turns down the chance to move – less than a year after he joined the East Midlands club for barely a third of that amount.

12 September 1987 – Brazilian international striker Mirandinha gets his first goals for Newcastle, scoring twice in a 2–2 draw at Old Trafford against Manchester United.

16 September 1987 – Manager Bryan Hamilton brings Mike Newell to Leicester City from Luton Town for £350,000.

18 September 1987 – Defender David Bardsley moves between First Division strugglers Watford and Oxford United for £265,000. Charlton Athletic sign Wales striker Andy Jones from Third Division side Port Vale.

20 September 1987 – Everton sign Scotland midfielder Ian Wilson from Leicester City for £300,000. Liverpool defender Steve Nicol scores a hat-trick in a 4–1 away league win over Newcastle United.

23 September 1987 – Terry Venables, former manager of Crystal Palace and Queens Park Rangers, is sacked after three years as manager of Spanish giants FC Barcelona.

28 September 1987 – Tommy Docherty is appointed manager of GM Vauxhall Conference side Altrincham.

29 September 1987 – John Aldridge reaches the 10-goal margin in the league for Liverpool after just seven games, scoring a hat-trick in their 4–0 home win over Derby County.

30 September 1987 – Queens Park Rangers, without a top division league title to their name, finish September as leaders of the First Division ahead of fellow contenders Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United.^[9] Bradford City top the Second Division, with Hull City second. Crystal Palace and newly promoted Middlesbrough and Swindon Town occupy the play-off places.^[10]

2 October 1987 – Tottenham Hotspur sell defender Richard Gough to Rangers for £1.5million – a record fee for a British defender.

12 October 1987 - More than three years after leaving Fulham, Malcolm Macdonald makes a management comeback with Second Division strugglers Huddersfield Town.

14 October 1987 – England beat Turkey 8–0 in a European Championship qualifier at Wembley, repeating the scoreline of a match between the teams in the 1984–85 season.

15 October 1987 - Newcastle United sign 18-year-old striker Michael O'Neill from Coleraine of Ireland for £55,000.

16 October 1987 – Sheffield Wednesday sign defender Nigel Pearson from Shrewsbury Town for £250,000.

19 October 1987 – Liverpool sign Oxford United and Republic of Ireland winger Ray Houghton for £825,000.^[4]

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.

28 October 1987 - Everton knock Liverpool out of the League Cup with a 1-0 win at Anfield in the third round.

31 October 1987 – Arsenal finish the month as First Division leaders while Liverpool trail in third place by a one-point margin but with three games in hand.^[11] Bradford City now have a six-point lead at the top of the Second Division, their nearest rivals being Middlesbrough and Hull City. Aston Villa now stand fourth, with Ipswich Town and Birmingham City are close behind.^[12]

1 November 1987 – 31-year-old England midfielder Ray Wilkins returns to Britain after more than three years away when he signs for Rangers in a £250,000 move from Paris St Germain.

7 November 1987 – Second Division promotion chasers Manchester City beat struggling Huddersfield Town 10–1 at Maine Road. Three players - Paul Stewart, David White and Tony Adcock - score hat-tricks.

10 November 1987 - 21-year-old Walsall striker David Kelly scores a hat-trick on his debut for the Republic of Ireland in their 5-0 win over Israel in Dublin.

11 November 1987 – England seal European Championship qualification with a 4–1 win over Yugoslavia in Belgrade. A Gary McKay goal gives Scotland a 1–0 win in Bulgaria, a result that allows the Republic of Ireland, managed by former 1966 world cup winner Jack Charlton, to qualify for their first major tournament.

19 November 1987 – Liverpool reject an offer from Bayern Munich for Danish midfielder Jan Molby. Aston Villa boost their Second Division promotion quest with a £150,000 move for Crystal Palace midfielder Andy Gray.

20 November 1987 – Elton John agrees to sell Watford to Robert Maxwell's British Printing and Communication Corporation for £2million.

26 November 1987 – The takeover of Watford falls through after the High Court vetoes it due to Robert Maxwell already being the owner of Derby County.

30 November 1987 – Arsenal remain top of the league as November draws to a close, but Liverpool are still one point behind them in second place with two games in hand. Queens Park Rangers are still keeping up their surprise title challenge, while last season's contenders Norwich City are now second from bottom in the First Division.^[13] Middlesbrough and Bradford City are level at the top of the Second Division on 43 points. Aston Villa, Hull City and Crystal Palace occupy the play-off places.^[14]

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.

7 December 1987 - Queens Park Rangers sign striker Mark Falco from Rangers for £350,000.

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. Meanwhile, Chelsea look to the future with the acquisition of Guernsey-born defender Graeme Le Saux, 19.

13 December 1987 - Nigel Clough scores a hat-trick in less than five minutes as Nottingham Forest beat Queens Park Rangers 4-0 in the First Division game at the City Ground.

16 December 1987 – Manchester United pay £900,000 for Norwich City central defender Steve Bruce, with his old club using £580,000 of the transfer to sign Robert Fleck from Rangers.

29 December 1987 – Queens Park Rangers defender Terry Fenwick completes a £550,000 transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

31 December 1987 – The year draws to a close with Liverpool storming to the top of the First Division, with a 10-point lead over second-placed Nottingham Forest. Former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness signs Aston Villa midfielder Mark Walters for £550,000 in the latest of several moves for English players.^[15] In the Second Division, Middlesbrough lead with a one-point margin over Bradford City. A four-point margin separates their nearest six challengers – Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Millwall, Hull City, Manchester City and Ipswich Town.^[16]

1 January 1988 – Out of favour Arsenal striker Charlie Nicholas returns to his native Scotland in a £500,000 move to Aberdeen. Billy Bonds of West Ham United, the oldest Football League player at 41, is awarded an MBE.

4 January 1988 – John Wark returns to Ipswich Town from Liverpool in a £100,000 deal.

11 January 1988 – Dave Bassett is sacked after just six months in charge of Watford, who are currently bottom of the First Division. He is succeeded by Aston Villa assistant manager Steve Harrison.

16 January 1988 – John Aldridge becomes the first player to reach the 20-goal margin in the First Division when he scores in Liverpool's 2–0 home win over Arsenal.

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 in the quarter-finals.

22 January 1988 – Manchester City boost their Second Division promotion challenge with a £175,000 move for Northampton Town striker Trevor Morley.^[4]

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

26 January 1988 – Aston Villa boost their Second Division promotion challenge with the £200,000 acquisition of highly rated Crewe Alexandra midfielder David Platt, 21.

30 January 1988 - FA Cup holders Coventry City are knocked out by Watford in the fourth round. Last year's defeated finalists Tottenham Hotspur are also eliminated, losing 2-1 at Third Division Port Vale.

31 January 1988 – Liverpool remain top of the First Division as January draws to a close, still unbeaten and now 17 points ahead of their nearest contenders Nottingham Forest and Manchester United.^[17] Aston Villa have crept to the top of the Second Division, while Crystal Palace have risen to second place. Middlesbrough, Millwall and Blackburn Rovers occupy the playoff zone, while Bradford City have slid from second to sixth place in the space of a few weeks. Leicester City, relegated from the First Division last season, are now in the Second Division relegation play-off places.^[18]

3 February 1988 - Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Keith Burkinshaw is sacked by Sporting Lisbon of Portugal.

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. Derby County since midfielder Ted McMinn from Seville of Spain for £300,000.^[4]

12 February 1988 – 18 of the 25 Liverpool fans charged with manslaughter in connection with the Heysel disaster return home after being cleared of the charges.

16 February 1988 – Liverpool sell striker Paul Walsh to Tottenham Hotspur for £500,000.^[4]

20 February 1988 – Shrewsbury Town striker Jim Melrose, on loan from Leeds United, suffers a broken cheekbone in a clash with Swindon Town midfielder Chris Kamara at the end of Shrewbury's 2–1 win over Swindon in the Second Division at Gay Meadow.^[19]

20 February 1988 - In a heavyweight clash in the FA Cup fifth round, Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-1 at Highbury.

21 February 1988 - Liverpool avenge their League Cup defeat earlier in the season by beating Everton 1-0 in the FA Cup fifth round at Goodison Park.

25 February 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur sign goalkeeper Bobby Mimms from Everton for £325,000.^[4] Swindon Town fine midfielder Chris Kamara £1,000 and ban him from playing for a month following the incident with Jim Melrose.

28 February 1988 - Luton Town reach the League Cup final with a 3-1 aggregate win over Oxford United.

29 February 1988 – February draws to a close with Liverpool still top of the league having stretched their unbeaten start to the season to 26 games, and although their lead over second-placed Manchester United has been cut from 17 points to 10 points, they still have three games in hand.^[20] The Second Division promotion race sees Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers level at the top of the table, with Millwall, Middlesbrough and Bradford City occupying the play-off places.^[21]

3 March 1988 - Norwich City sign defender Andy Linighan from Oldham Athletic for £300,000.

4 March 1988 – After seven months at Portsmouth, Ian Baird returns to Leeds United for £120,000.

12 March 1988 – Luton Town edge closer to a remarkable cup double by defeating Portsmouth 3–1 in the FA Cup quarter-final at Kenilworth Road, while Wimbledon's hopes of a first-ever cup final appearance move closer to reality with a 2–1 win over Watford. Arsenal blow their hopes of a cup double by losing 2–1 at home to Nottingham Forest. Maurice Evans resigns as manager of struggling Oxford United.

13 March 1988 – Liverpool move closer to a unique second double by thrashing Manchester City 4–0 in the FA Cup quarter-final at Maine Road.

18 March 1988 - West Ham United sign Fulham striker Leroy Rosenior for £275,000.

20 March 1988 – Liverpool's 29-match unbeaten start to the league season is ended when they lose 1-0 to neighbours Everton.

22 March 1988 – John Hollins resigns as Chelsea manager and is replaced by his assistant Bobby Campbell.

23 March 1988 - Arsenal sign winger Brian Marwood from Sheffield Wednesday for £600,000, while Trevor Francis ends his brief spell with Glasgow Rangers to join Queens Park Rangers on a free transfer.

24 March 1988 – Nottingham Forest pay Preston North End £150,000 for 18-year-old striker Nigel Jemson. Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson retires from playing after an injury at the age of 30 and is appointed manager of Oxford United.

25 March 1988 – Chelsea sign goalkeeper Kevin Hitchcock from Mansfield Town for £250,000.^[4]

27 March 1988 - Luton Town's hopes of a cup treble are ended when they are beaten 4-1 by Second Division strugglers Reading in the Full Members Cup final at Wembley.^[22]

31 March 1988 – Liverpool finish March with a 14-point margin over second-placed Manchester United at the top of the First Division.^[23] Aston Villa remain top of the Second Division with a two-point margin over Blackburn Rovers, with the play-off places being occupied by Middlesbrough, Millwall and Bradford City. Leeds United, Crystal Palace and Stoke City remain in strong contention for promotion as well.^[24]

2 April 1988 – Manchester United's faint hopes of beating Liverpool to the title are kept alive by a 4–1 home win over Derby County, where Brian McClair scores a hat-trick to bring his league tally for the season to 19 goals.

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.

9 April 1988 – Liverpool move closer to an unprecedented second double by beating Nottingham Forest 2–1 in the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough.^[25] Wimbledon end Luton Town's cup double hopes with a 2–1 win at White Hart Lane to reach the final for the first time. In the league, 17-year-old Alan Shearer becomes the youngest hat-trick scorer in the First Division in Southampton's 4–2 home win over Arsenal.^[26]

11 April 1988 – Derby County chairman Robert Maxwell makes an approach to appoint Dutch legend Johann Cruyff as technical director at the club, a move which is condemned by manager Arthur Cox.

12 April 1988 – In Manchester United's 3–0 home league win over Luton Town, Brian McClair scores their second goal to become the first player to score 20 league goals in a season for them since George Best 20 years ago.

13 April 1988 - Hull City sack manager Brian Horton.

17 April 1988 - The Football League celebrates its centenary.

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. Hearts striker John Robertson agrees to join Newcastle United for a club record £750,000 at the end of the season. The Football Association suspends Chris Kamara for the rest of the season.^[27]

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.

20 April 1988 – Liverpool wrap up their 17th league title with a 0–0 draw at Norwich City.^[28]

24 April 1988 – Holders Arsenal are beaten 3-2 by Luton Town in a dramatic League Cup final at Wembley. It is Luton's first ever major trophy.

30 April 1988 – April draws to a close with Liverpool established as champions, while Manchester United still occupy second place. Charlton Athletic are now almost certain of a First Division relegation survival which had seemed almost impossible a few weeks ago, while Watford and Oxford United now need a miracle to save their top flight status. The promotion issues in the Second Division have yet to be confirmed, with just four points separating the top five clubs – Millwall, Aston Villa, Bradford City, Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers.^[29] Derby County goalkeeper Peter Shilton, 38, sets a new Football League appearance record when he makes his 825th league appearance since his debut 21 years ago in his side's 1-1 draw at Watford.

1 May 1988 – Sunderland win promotion back to the Second Division at the first attempt with a 1-0 win over Port Vale at Vale Park.

2 May 1988 – Oxford United's 2–0 defeat by Manchester United ends their three-year stint in the First Division, while Watford and Portsmouth's defeats on the same day see them relegated as well.^[23] Millwall, meanwhile, clinch the Second Division title with a 2-0 win over Hull City at Boothferry Park and reach the First Division for the first time in their history.

9 May 1988 – Liverpool finish their League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Luton Town. John Aldridge finishes the season as the First Division's top scorer with 27 league strikes for Liverpool, and 30 in all competitions.^[30] Brian McClair of Manchester United, the division's next highest scorer, scores twice against Wimbledon to take his league tally to 24.^[31]

10 May 1988 – Tottenham Hotpsur sell striker Clive Allen to Bordeaux of France for £1 million. 75-year-old Portsmouth chairman John Deacon sells the club to Jim Gregory for £2million.

11 May 1988 – Aberdeen goalkeeper Jim Leighton links up with his former manager Alex Ferguson by signing for Manchester United in a £500,000 deal.

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. Lawrie Sanchez is Wimbledon's goalscoring hero, while Liverpool have a goal from Peter Beardsley disallowed and a penalty from John Aldridge saved by Wimbledon goalkeeper and captain Dave Beasant.^[32]

20 May 1988 – Kevin Clarke, 30, is sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of being the ring leader of a notorious gang of Oxford United hooligans who were involved in running battles with rivals fans, often in busy shopping areas.^[33]

22 May 1988 – Argentine midfielder Ossie Ardiles is given a free transfer by Tottenham Hotspur after 10 years at the club.

26 May 1988 - Aston Villa prepare for their First Division comeback by signing Derek Mountfield from Everton for £425,000 and Chris Price from Blackburn Rovers for £150,000.

29 May 1988 - Wolverhampton Wanderers lift the Sherpa Van Trophy with a 2-0 win over Burnley in front of more than 80,000 fans at Wembley.

1 June 1988 – Sheffield Wednesday sell striker Lee Chapman to Niort of France for £350,000.^[4]

6 June 1988 – Arthur Albiston, Manchester United's longest serving player, links up with former United boss Ron Atkinson at West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer after 15 years at Old Trafford.

8 June 1988 – Dave Beasant completes a £750,000 transfer from Wimbledon to Newcastle United, making him the costliest goalkeeper in English football.

10 June 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur sign Paul Stewart from Manchester City for £1.5 million – a record fee for a Second Division player.

12 June 1988 – England's European Championship campaign begins with a 1–0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland.

15 June 1988 – England's chances of progressing to the next stage (semi-finals) of the European Championships are effectively ended by a 3–1 defeat to Holland. Everton sign Bradford City midfielder Stuart McCall for £850,000.^[4]

17 June 1988 – Newcastle United bolster their attack with a £500,000 move for Bradford City striker John Hendrie.^[4]

18 June 1988 – England are eliminated from the European Championships after losing their final group game 3–1 to the USSR.

23 June 1988 – Eighteen Scarborough hooligans receive prison sentences of up to 12 months for their part in clashes with Wolverhampton Wanderers fans at the club's very first Football League game in August.

24 June 1988 – Watford striker Luther Blissett agrees to stay with the club for at least one more season despite their relegation to the Second Division.

29 June 1988 – Millwall prepare for their first season as a top division club by re-signing defender Neil Ruddock from Tottenham Hotspur for £300,000.^[4]

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.

Honours

Competition	Winner	Runner-up
First Division	Liverpool (17*)	Manchester United
Second Division	Millwall	Aston Villa
Third Division	Sunderland	Brighton & Hove Albion
Fourth Division	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Cardiff City
FA Cup	Wimbledon (1)	Liverpool
League Cup	Luton Town (1)	Arsenal
Simod Cup	Reading	Luton Town
Sherpa Van Trophy	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Burnley
Football League Centenary Tournament	Nottingham Forest	Sheffield Wednesday
Charity Shield	Everton	Coventry City

Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition

League table

First Division

			P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
C	1	Liverpool	40	26	12	2	87	24	+63	90
	2	Manchester United	40	23	12	5	71	38	+33	81
	3	Nottingham Forest	40	20	13	7	67	39	+28	73
	4	Everton	40	19	13	8	53	27	+26	70
	5	Queens Park Rangers	40	19	10	11	48	38	+10	67
	6	Arsenal	40	18	12	10	58	39	+19	66
	7	Wimbledon	40	14	15	11	58	47	+11	57
	8	Newcastle United	40	14	14	12	55	53	+2	56
	9	Luton Town	40	14	11	15	57	58	−1	53
	10	Coventry City	40	13	14	13	46	53	−7	53
	11	Sheffield Wednesday	40	15	8	17	52	66	−14	53
	12	Southampton	40	12	14	14	49	53	−4	50
	13	Tottenham Hotspur	40	12	11	17	38	48	−10	47
	14	Norwich City	40	12	9	19	40	52	−12	45
	15	Derby County	40	10	13	17	35	45	−10	43
	16	West Ham United	40	9	15	16	40	52	−12	42
	17	Charlton Athletic	40	9	15	16	38	52	−14	42
R	18	Chelsea	40	9	15	16	50	68	−18	42
R	19	Portsmouth	40	7	14	19	36	66	−30	35
R	20	Watford	40	7	11	22	27	51	−24	32
R	21	Oxford United	40	6	13	21	44	80	−36	31

Second Division

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Millwall	44	25	7	12	72	52	+20	82
2	Aston Villa	44	22	12	10	68	41	+27	78
3	Middlesbrough	44	22	12	10	63	36	+27	78
4	Bradford City	44	22	11	11	74	54	+20	77
5	Blackburn Rovers	44	21	14	9	68	52	+16	77
6	Crystal Palace	44	22	9	13	86	59	+27	75
7	Leeds United	44	19	12	13	61	51	+10	69
8	Ipswich Town	44	19	9	16	61	52	+9	66
9	Manchester City	44	19	8	17	80	60	+20	65
10	Oldham Athletic	44	18	11	15	72	64	+8	65
11	Stoke City	44	17	11	16	50	57	−7	62
12	Swindon Town	44	16	11	17	73	60	+13	59
13	Leicester City	44	16	11	17	62	61	+1	59
14	Barnsley	44	15	12	17	61	62	−1	57
15	Hull City	44	14	15	15	54	60	−6	57
16	Plymouth Argyle	44	16	8	20	65	67	−2	56
17	Bournemouth	44	13	10	21	56	68	−12	49
18	Shrewsbury Town	44	11	16	17	42	54	−12	49
19	Birmingham City	44	11	15	18	41	66	−25	48
20	West Bromwich Albion	44	12	11	21	50	69	−19	47
21	Sheffield United	44	13	7	24	45	74	−29	46
22	Reading	44	10	12	22	44	70	−26	42
23	Huddersfield Town	44	6	10	28	41	100	−59	28

Third Division

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Sunderland	46	27	12	7	92	48	+44	93
2	Brighton & Hove Albion	46	23	15	8	69	47	+22	84
3	Walsall	46	23	13	10	68	50	+18	82
4	Notts County	46	23	12	11	82	49	+33	81
5	Bristol City	46	21	12	13	77	62	+15	75
6	Northampton Town	46	18	19	9	70	51	+19	73
7	Wigan Athletic	46	20	12	14	70	61	+9	72
8	Bristol Rovers	46	18	12	16	68	56	+12	66
9	Fulham	46	19	9	18	69	60	+9	66
10	Blackpool	46	17	14	15	71	62	+9	65
11	Port Vale	46	18	11	17	58	56	+2	65
12	Brentford	46	16	14	16	53	59	−6	62
13	Gillingham	46	14	17	15	77	61	+16	59
14	Bury	46	15	14	17	58	57	+1	59
15	Chester City	46	14	16	16	51	62	−11	58
16	Preston North End	46	15	13	18	48	59	−11	58
17	Southend United	46	14	13	19	65	83	−18	55
18	Chesterfield	46	15	10	21	41	70	−29	55
19	Mansfield Town	46	14	12	20	48	59	−11	54
20	Aldershot	46	15	8	23	64	74	−10	53
21	Rotherham United	46	12	16	18	50	66	−16	52
22	Grimsby Town	46	12	14	20	48	58	−10	50
23	York City	46	8	9	29	48	91	−43	33
24	Doncaster Rovers	46	8	9	29	40	84	−44	33

Administration entrance= Grimsby Town

Fourth Division

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	46	27	9	10	82	43	+39	90
2	Cardiff City	46	24	13	9	66	41	+25	85
3	Bolton Wanderers	46	22	12	12	66	42	+24	78
4	Scunthorpe United	46	20	17	9	76	51	+25	77
5	Torquay United	46	21	14	11	66	41	+25	77
6	Swansea City	46	20	10	16	62	56	+6	70
7	Peterborough United	46	20	10	16	52	53	−1	70
8	Leyton Orient	46	19	12	15	85	63	+22	69
9	Colchester United	46	19	10	17	47	51	−4	67
10	Burnley	46	20	7	19	57	62	−5	67
11	Wrexham	46	20	6	20	69	58	+11	66
12	Scarborough	46	17	14	15	56	48	+8	65
13	Darlington	46	18	11	17	71	69	+2	65
14	Tranmere Rovers	46	19	9	18	61	53	+8	64
15	Cambridge United	46	16	13	17	50	52	−2	61
16	Hartlepool United	46	15	14	17	50	57	−7	59
17	Crewe Alexandra	46	13	19	14	57	53	+4	58
18	Halifax Town	46	14	14	18	54	59	−5	55
19	Hereford United	46	14	12	20	41	59	−18	54
20	Stockport County	46	12	15	19	44	58	−14	51
21	Rochdale	46	11	15	20	47	76	−29	48
22	Exeter City	46	11	13	22	53	68	−15	46
23	Carlisle United	46	12	8	26	57	86	−29	44
24	Newport County	46	6	7	33	35	105	−70	25

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

References

v t e Seasons in English football 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93

v t e 1987–88 in English football « 1986–87 1988–89 » FA competitions FA Cup (Qualifying Rounds Final) Charity Shield FA Trophy Football League Football League (First Division Second Division Third Division Fourth Division) League Cup (Final) Play-offs (Second Division Final Third Division Final Fourth Division Final) Lower leagues Football Conference Northern Premier League Southern Football League Isthmian League Related to national team Bobby Robson Rous Cup UEFA Euro 1988 (qualification - Group 4) Club seasons First Division Arsenal Charlton Athletic Chelsea Coventry City Derby County Everton Liverpool Luton Town Manchester United Newcastle United Norwich City Nottingham Forest Oxford United Portsmouth Queens Park Rangers Sheffield Wednesday Southampton Tottenham Hotspur Watford West Ham United Wimbledon Second Division Aston Villa Barnsley Birmingham City Blackburn Rovers Bournemouth Bradford City Crystal Palace Huddersfield Town Hull City Ipswich Town Leeds United Leicester City Manchester City Middlesbrough Millwall Oldham Athletic Plymouth Argyle Reading Sheffield United Shrewsbury Town Swindon Town Stoke City West Bromwich Albion Third Division Aldershot Blackpool Brentford Brighton & Hove Albion Bristol City Bristol Rovers Bury Chester City Chesterfield Doncaster Rovers Fulham Gillingham Grimsby Town Mansfield Town Northampton Town Port Vale Preston North End Notts County Rotherham United Southend United Sunderland Walsall Wigan Athletic York City Fourth Division Bolton Wanderers Burnley Cardiff City Cambridge United Carlisle United Colchester United Crewe Alexandra Darlington Exeter City Halifax Town Hartlepool United Hereford United Leyton Orient Newport County Peterborough United Rochdale Scarborough Scunthorpe United Southport Stockport County Swansea City Torquay United Tranmere Rovers Wolverhampton Wanderers Wrexham