The Football League 1986-87
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Statistics of The Football League in season 1986/1987.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
[edit] First Division
The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off competition from runners-up Liverpool and third-placed Tottenham. Fourth place went to George Graham's emerging young Arsenal side who also won the League cup in his first season in charge. Fifth place in the league went to newly promoted Norwich City, whose manager Ken Brown built a strong squad on a limited budget to achieve a finish which would have been enough to qualify for UEFA Cup had it not been for the ongoing ban on English clubs in European competitions.
Wimbledon finished sixth in the First Division in only their tenth season as a Football League club. Dave Bassett's men had led the league for the first two weeks of September, but sixth place was still much higher than most pundits had tipped them for at the start of the season.
Aston Villa were relegated to the Second Division just five years after they won the European Cup. Chairman Doug Ellis had sensed from the start that 1986-87 would be a tough season for the club, so he axed manager Graham Turner in September and replaced him with Manchester City's Billy McNeill. But McNeill was unable to stop the rot and Villa went down in bottom place. McNeill was subsequently sacked and replaced by Watford's Graham Taylor.
Villa were joined on the way down by Manchester City and Leicester City. In the first season of the relegation/promotion playoffs, Charlton Athletic beat Second Division Leeds United to retain their top flight status.
Manchester United, whose blistering start to the previous season had ended in failure, started the 1986-87 season badly and entered November second from bottom in the league. Manager Ron Atkinson paid for these failings with his job and in came the Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson to replace him. Ferguson rejuvenated United and they climbed up the table to finish in a secure 11th place.
[edit] Second Division
Just two clubs were promoted from the Second Division this season. Champions Derby County were promoted for a second successive season; 12 seasons after they were last crowned champions of the First Division. Under the management of Arthur Cox they arrested an alarming slide which had seen them spend their centenary season (1984-85) in the 3rd Division. Runners-up spot went to Portsmouth, who were also automatically promoted.
The three playoff places were occupied by Oldham Athletic, Leeds United and Ipswich Town. Oldham and Ipswich blew their chances in the semi-finals, while Leeds were defeated by Charlton in the final to miss out on promotion - an FA Cup semi-final defeat had ended their chances of success in the cup competitions.
The relegation/promotion playoffs which operated between the Second and Third Divisions saw Sunderland go down to the Third Division for the first time in their history after losing to Gillingham in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Gillingham were subsequently defeated in a play-off final replay that saw Swindon Town promoted to the second tier. Lawrie McMenemy was sacked by the Rokerites at the end of March and Bob Stokoe, manager of the 1973 FA Cup winning team, was brought in as his successor, but was unable to keep Sunderland clear of the drop.
[edit] Third Division
The three promotion places in this division were gained by three clubs who were among the least fancied promotion contenders at the start of the season. Champions Bournemouth were promoted to the Second Division for the first time in their history thanks to the efforts of hard working manager Harry Redknapp. Runners-up spot went to Bruce Rioch's Middlesbrough, who had begun the season on the verge of extinction and had been forced to play their first home game of the season at Hartlepool's ground because the official receiver had locked them out of Ayresome Park.
The relegation/promotion playoffs between the Third and Fourth Divisions saw Bolton Wanderers go down to the bottom division for the first time. Carlisle, Darlington and Newport County were also relegated.
[edit] Fourth Division
The stars of the Fourth Division during 1986-87 were Graham Carr's runaway champions Northampton Town, with young midfielder Eddie McGoldrick being the key player in his side's season of success.
Down at the bottom end of the division, an injury time winner for Torquay United kept them in the Football League after a police dog had bitten one of their players. The introduction of automatic relegation to the Conference saw Lincoln City lose their league status in favour of Conference champions Scarborough.
1986-87 saw many famous clubs reach their lowest ebb throughout the league. In the Fourth Division it was Burnley - league champions 27 years earlier - who plummeted to new depths. They finished third from bottom in the league and only a win on the last day of the season prevented them from going down to the Conference.
[edit] League Standings
[edit] First Division
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Everton | 42 | 26 | 8 | 8 | 76 | 31 | +45 | 86 |
| 2. | Liverpool | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 72 | 42 | +30 | 77 |
| 3. | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 68 | 43 | +25 | 71 |
| 4. | Arsenal | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 58 | 35 | +23 | 70 |
| 5. | Norwich City | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 53 | 51 | +2 | 68 |
| 6. | Wimbledon | 42 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 66 |
| 7. | Luton Town | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 47 | 45 | +2 | 66 |
| 8. | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 64 | 51 | +13 | 65 |
| 9. | Watford | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 67 | 54 | +13 | 63 |
| 10. | Coventry City | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 50 | 45 | +5 | 63 |
| 11. | Manchester United | 42 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 52 | 45 | +7 | 56 |
| 12. | Southampton | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 69 | 68 | +1 | 52 |
| 13. | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 58 | 59 | -1 | 52 |
| 14. | Chelsea | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 53 | 64 | -11 | 52 |
| 15. | West Ham United | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 52 | 67 | -15 | 52 |
| 16. | Queen's Park Rangers | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 48 | 64 | -16 | 50 |
| 17. | Newcastle United | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 47 | 65 | -18 | 47 |
| 18. | Oxford United | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 44 | 69 | -25 | 46 |
| 19. | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 45 | 55 | -10 | 44 |
| 20. | Leicester City | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 54 | 76 | -22 | 42 |
| 21. | Manchester City | 42 | 8 | 15 | 19 | 36 | 57 | -21 | 39 |
| 22. | Aston Villa | 42 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 45 | 79 | -34 | 36 |
| Key |
|---|
| Champions |
| Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs |
| Relegated to Division Two |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
[edit] Second Division
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Derby County | 42 | 25 | 9 | 8 | 64 | 38 | +26 | 84 |
| 2. | Portsmouth | 42 | 23 | 9 | 10 | 53 | 28 | +25 | 78 |
| 3. | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 22 | 9 | 11 | 65 | 44 | +21 | 75 |
| 4. | Leeds United | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 58 | 44 | +14 | 68 |
| 5. | Ipswich Town | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 59 | 43 | +16 | 64 |
| 6. | Crystal Palace | 42 | 19 | 5 | 18 | 51 | 53 | -2 | 62 |
| 7. | Plymouth Argyle | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 62 | 57 | +5 | 61 |
| 8. | Stoke City | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 63 | 53 | +10 | 58 |
| 9. | Sheffield United | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 50 | 49 | +1 | 58 |
| 10. | Bradford City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 55 |
| 11. | Barnsley | 42 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 49 | 52 | -3 | 55 |
| 12. | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 45 | 55 | -10 | 55 |
| 13. | Reading | 42 | 14 | 11 | 17 | 52 | 59 | -7 | 53 |
| 14. | Hull City | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 41 | 55 | -14 | 53 |
| 15. | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 51 |
| 16. | Millwall | 42 | 14 | 9 | 19 | 39 | 45 | -6 | 51 |
| 17. | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 54 | 61 | -7 | 51 |
| 18. | Shrewsbury Town | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 41 | 53 | -12 | 51 |
| 19. | Birmingham City | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 47 | 59 | -12 | 50 |
| 20. | Sunderland | 42 | 12 | 12 | 18 | 49 | 59 | -10 | 48 |
| 21. | Grimsby Town | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 39 | 59 | -20 | 44 |
| 22. | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 37 | 54 | -17 | 39 |
| Key |
|---|
| Promoted to Division One |
| Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs |
| Relegated to Division Three |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
[edit] Third Division
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bournemouth | 46 | 29 | 10 | 7 | 76 | 40 | +36 | 97 |
| 2. | Middlesbrough | 46 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 67 | 30 | +37 | 94 |
| 3. | Swindon Town | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 77 | 47 | +30 | 87 |
| 4. | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 83 | 60 | +23 | 85 |
| 5. | Gillingham | 46 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 65 | 48 | +17 | 78 |
| 6. | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 63 | 36 | +27 | 77 |
| 7. | Notts County | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 77 | 56 | +21 | 76 |
| 8. | Walsall | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 80 | 67 | +13 | 75 |
| 9. | Blackpool | 46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 74 | 59 | +15 | 64 |
| 10. | Mansfield Town | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 61 |
| 11. | Brentford | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 64 | 66 | -2 | 60 |
| 12. | Port Vale | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 76 | 70 | +6 | 57 |
| 13. | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 56 | 62 | -6 | 57 |
| 14. | Rotherham United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 48 | 57 | -9 | 57 |
| 15. | Chester City | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 56 |
| 16. | Bury | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 60 | -6 | 55 |
| 17. | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 56 | 69 | -13 | 54 |
| 18. | Fulham | 46 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 59 | 77 | -18 | 53 |
| 19. | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 49 | 75 | -26 | 51 |
| 20. | York City | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 55 | 79 | -24 | 49 |
| 21. | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 46 | 58 | -12 | 45 |
| 22. | Carlisle United | 46 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 39 | 78 | -39 | 38 |
| 23. | Darlington | 46 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 45 | 77 | -32 | 37 |
| 24. | Newport County | 46 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 49 | 86 | -37 | 37 |
| Key |
|---|
| Promoted to Division Two |
| Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs |
| Relegated to Division Four |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
[edit] Fourth Division
| Pos | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Northampton Town | 46 | 30 | 9 | 7 | 103 | 53 | +50 | 99 |
| 2. | Preston North End | 46 | 26 | 12 | 8 | 72 | 47 | +25 | 90 |
| 3. | Southend United | 46 | 25 | 5 | 16 | 68 | 55 | +13 | 80 |
| 4. | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 46 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 69 | 50 | +19 | 79 |
| 5. | Colchester United | 46 | 21 | 7 | 18 | 64 | 56 | +8 | 70 |
| 6. | Aldershot | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 64 | 57 | +7 | 70 |
| 7. | Orient | 46 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 64 | 61 | +3 | 69 |
| 8. | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 73 | 57 | +16 | 66 |
| 9. | Wrexham | 46 | 15 | 20 | 11 | 70 | 51 | +19 | 65 |
| 10. | Peterborough United | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 65 |
| 11. | Cambridge United | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 60 | 62 | -2 | 62 |
| 12. | Swansea City | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 56 | 61 | -5 | 62 |
| 13. | Cardiff City | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 48 | 50 | -2 | 61 |
| 14. | Exeter City | 46 | 11 | 23 | 12 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 56 |
| 15. | Halifax Town | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 59 | 74 | -15 | 55 |
| 16. | Hereford United | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 60 | 61 | -1 | 53 |
| 17. | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 70 | 72 | -2 | 53 |
| 18. | Hartlepool United | 46 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 44 | 65 | -21 | 51 |
| 19. | Stockport County | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 40 | 69 | -29 | 51 |
| 20. | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 54 | 72 | -18 | 50 |
| 21. | Rochdale | 46 | 11 | 17 | 18 | 54 | 73 | -19 | 50 |
| 22. | Burnley | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 53 | 74 | -21 | 49 |
| 23. | Torquay United | 46 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 56 | 72 | -16 | 48 |
| 24. | Lincoln City | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 45 | 65 | -20 | 48 |
| Key |
|---|
| Promoted to Division Three |
| Qualified for the promotion/relegation playoffs |
| Relegated to the Conference |
