The 1986–87 season was the 107th season of competitive football in England.
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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.
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.
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 Victoria Park 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.
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 equaliser 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.
Coventry City and Tottenham Hotspur contested the 1987 FA Cup final. Coventry were in the final for the first time, whereas Tottenham had won all seven of their previous appearances. But a 3–2 scoreline surprised all the observers and saw Coventry lift their first-ever major trophy. But the ban on English clubs in Europe prevented them from qualifying for the Cup Winners' Cup. Tottenham goalkeeper Ray Clemence, 39, retired at the end of a long and distinguished playing career after this match.
George Graham's return to Arsenal as manager was a success as he guided the North Londoners to glory in the League Cup after an eight-year trophy drought. Arsenal embarked on a memorable run in the League Cup including a famous semi-final tussle with their arch rivals Tottenham which they eventually won with a 2–1 replay victory at White Hart Lane. The final itself against Liverpool was a landmark because it was the first time the Merseysiders had lost a game in which Ian Rush had scored first. The Welshman gave them a first half lead only for Charlie Nicholas to bag two goals, the first a scrambled effort from a free-kick, and in the second half a low deflected shot past Bruce Grobbelaar after Perry Groves had broken away down the left hand side.
30 August 1986 – Matthew Le Tissier, 17-year-old attacking midfielder, makes his debut for Southampton in their 4–3 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road in the First Division.[1]
30 November 1986 – Paul Ince, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for West Ham United in their 4–0 defeat by Newcastle United at St James' Park in the First Division.[2]
20 December 1986 – Gary Ablett, 21-year-old defender, makes his debut for Liverpool in goalless away draw with Charlton Athletic in the First Division.[3]
14 February 1987 – Michael Thomas, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Arsenal in their 1–1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough in the First Division.[4]
1 July 1986 – After one season at Everton, Gary Lineker departs to Barcelona of Spain in a £2.75 million deal, where he will play alongside former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes in a side managed by Terry Venables. Ian Rush agrees a £3.2 million transfer to Juventus of Italy in a record fee for a British player, but will remain at Liverpool on loan for a season.
2 July 1986 – Rangers F.C. sign Norwich City goalkeeper Chris Woods for £600,000.[6]
3 July 1986 – Coventry City sign striker Keith Houchen from Scunthorpe United for £60,000.[7]
7 July 1986 – Two big First Division clubs buy young players from smaller clubs as they prepare to build for the future. Everton sign 20-year-old winger Neil Adams from Stoke City for £150,000, while Tottenham Hotspur sign 21-year-old defender Mitchell Thomas from Luton Town for £233,000.
9 July 1986 – An appeal by Wolverhampton Wanderers against their winding-up order is adjourned for 21 days by the Court of Appeal.
18 July 1986 – Sir Stanley Rous, chairman of the Football Association from 1934 to 1961, dies aged 91.
25 July 1986 – Ipswich Town, who were relegated to the Second Division at the end of last season, sell England international defender Terry Butcher to Rangers F.C. (managed by former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness) in a £700,000 deal – a record for a Scottish club.
29 July 1986 – Middlesbrough are wound up in the High Court due to debts in excess of £1million, but have yet to be expelled from the Football League and may yet be included in the first round draw for the Football League Cup.
30 July 1986 – Wolverhampton Wanderers win a High Court appeal against their winding-up order, enabling them to compete in the 1986–87 Fourth Division campaign – the first time they have played at this level. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough (newly relegated to the Third Division) are also reprieved, but the bailiffs have locked them out of Ayresome Park and they are expected to play at least one home game at Hartlepool United's ground.
31 July 1986 – Liverpool pay £200,000 for Sunderland defender Barry Venison.
1 August 1986 – Aston Villa sign midfielder Neale Cooper from Aberdeen for £350,000.[8]
5 August 1986 – Wolverhampton Wanderers are saved from bankruptcy after Wolverhampton Council and the Asda supermarket chain agree to pay off the club's £3million debts.
7 August 1986 – David Seaman, goalkeeper at relegated Birmingham City, opts to remain in the First Division and signs for Queen's Park Rangers for £225,000.
8 August 1986 – Rival gangs of Manchester United and West Ham United hooligans are involved in violence on a Sealink ferry bound for Amsterdam, resulting in dozens of arrests, sparking fears that the ban on English football clubs in European competition (arising from the Heysel disaster of May 1985) could be extended to friendlies between English and foreign clubs.
11 August 1986 – Sheffield Wednesday pay £200,000 for 18-year-old Barnsley striker David Hirst.
12 August 1986 – In response to last Friday's disturbances, Sealink announces that it will not transport football supporters on its ferries unless police guards are provided at ports and on ships.
15 August 1986 – Middlesbrough are saved from closure and will soon be returning to Ayresome Park, from where they have been locked out by the bailiffs since the end of last month.
20 August 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sign Dundee United and Scotland defender Richard Gough for £700,000.
21 August 1986 – Everton pay a club record £1million to sign the 24-year-old Norwich City defender Dave Watson.
22 August 1986 – The Football League confirms that the First Division will decrease to 21 clubs for the 1987–88 season, while the Second Division will simultaneously expand to 23 clubs, and that in 1988–89 the First Division will have 20 clubs and the Second Division will have 24. On the same day, Everton prepare for their title push by paying newly promoted Norwich City £900,000 for defender Dave Watson.
27 August 1986 – Luton Town ban away fans from the club's Kenilworth Road ground.
31 August 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur finish August as First Division leaders under new manager David Pleat, while the bottom two places in the league are occupied by Manchester United and Aston Villa who have yet to gain a point this season.[9] Birmingham City and Hull City occupy the top two places in the Second Division, while the next three places (which at the end of the season will determine the clubs who compete with a 19th placed First Division team in a playoff series to determine promotion or relegation) are occupied by Oldham Athletic, Crystal Palace and Blackburn Rovers.[10]
2 September 1986 – Wimbledon, in the First Division for the first time and Football League members for just 10 seasons, go top of the league with a 1–0 away win over Charlton Athletic.
4 September 1986 – Watford sign Everton midfielder Kevin Richardson for £225,000.
6 September 1986 – Wimbledon win their fourth successive game of their first top flight season when Glyn Hodges scores a late goal to give them a 1–0 win at Watford.
9 September 1986 – England U-21's draw 1–1 with Sweden in Oestersund, with Arsenal defender Tony Adams (20 next month) scoring their only goal.[11]
12 September 1986 – First Division strugglers Aston Villa tell midfielder Steve Hodge that he can leave the club for £1 million.
13 September 1986 – Bryan Robson makes his first league appearance since April when he returns from a shoulder injury to help Manchester United record their first league win of the season at the fifth attempt as they beat Southampton 5–1 at Old Trafford.
14 September 1986 – Aston Villa sack manager Graham Turner after just over two years at the helm.
16 September 1986 – Gordon Hill, the 32-year-old former Manchester United and England winger, becomes a high profile new signing for GM Vauxhall Conference side Northwich Victoria, managed by former United striker Stuart Pearson.
20 September 1986 – Leeds United hooligans overturn a fish and chip van at Odsal Stadium, temporary home of Bradford City.
22 September 1986 – Luton Town are banned from this season's League Cup for refusing to lift the ban on away fans. Meanwhile, Aston Villa appoint Billy McNeill as manager from Manchester City, who replace him with Jimmy Frizzell.
27 September 1986 – Aston Villa's first league match under Billy McNeill ends in a 3–3 draw with Liverpool at Anfield after the hosts came from behind twice to equalise.
28 September 1986 - Manchester United's dismal start to the season continues as they lose 1-0 at home to Chelsea in the league at Old Trafford - their sixth defeat from their opening eight games. They were rewarded with two penalties in the second half after Kerry Dixon gave Chelsea an early lead, but both of the penalties were saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Tony Godden.[12]
30 September 1986 – Nottingham Forest are First Division leaders at the end of September, while Aston Villa still occupy bottom place under new manager Billy McNeill and Manchester United are second from bottom with just four points so far this campaign, and the future of manager Ron Atkinson under serious doubt, with rumours circulating for weeks that he is on the verge of being sacked to be replaced by Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson. At the top end of the table, traditional favourites Everton and Liverpool are putting the pressure on Nottingham Forest, along with surprise contenders Norwich City and Coventry City who have yet to win a top division title.[13] In the Second Division, Oldham Athletic and Portsmouth lead the way, followed by Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Sheffield United.[14]
3 October 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sign Beligan striker Nico Claesen from Standard Liège for £600,000.
6 October 1986 – Luton Town lose an appeal against their expulsion from the League Cup.
10 October 1986 – Chelsea striker David Speedie hands in a transfer request, with emerging title contenders Arsenal reported to be interested in signing him to play alongside Charlie Nicholas.
11 October 1986– Newly promoted Norwich City tops the league with a 0–0 away draw with Luton Town
14 October 1986 – Manchester United sign 18-year-old Irish midfielder Liam O'Brien from Shamrock Rovers for £60,000.[15]
15 October 1986 – England open their Euro 88 qualifying series with a 3–0 win over Northern Ireland at Wembley.
16 October 1986 –
21 October 1986 – Out of favour Manchester United defender John Gidman joins neighbours City on a free transfer.
23 October 1986 – Norwich City sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Bryan Gunn for £150,000 from Aberdeen, whose manager Alex Ferguson has been at the centre of speculation linking him with the manager's job at Manchester United where Ron Atkinson's job is reportedly under threat due to a dismal start to the season which has seen United fall into the relegation zone.
25 October 1986 – Mike Newell, a former Liverpool trainee, scores a hat-trick in Luton Town's 4–1 league win over the double winners at Kenilworth Road.[17]
31 October 1986 – October ends with Nottingham Forest still top of the First Division, while Manchester United and Aston Villa have both climbed out of the bottom two.[18] Portsmouth are now leaders of the Second Division, a point ahead of Oldham Athletic. Leeds United, Plymouth Argyle (newly promoted this season) and Sunderland occupy the playoff places. Blackburn Rovers, who were among the promotion challengers a few weeks ago, are now second from bottom.[19]
1 November 1986 – Paul Walsh scores a hat-trick for Liverpool in their 6–2 home league win over Norwich City.
5 November 1986 – Ron Atkinson is sacked after five years as manager of Manchester United, who are second from bottom in the First Division and were last night eliminated from the League Cup with a 4–1 defeat at Southampton in the Third Round.
6 November 1986 – Manchester United appoint Alex Ferguson from Aberdeen as their new manager. Out of favour West Ham United striker Paul Goddard joins Newcastle United for £450,000.
8 November 1986 – Manchester United lost 2–0 to Oxford United in the league in their first game under the management of Alex Ferguson.[20]
11 November 1986 – England U-21's being their European Championship qualifying campaign with a 1–1 draw with Yugoslavia's U-21's at London Road, Peterborough. Their only goal comes from Brighton & Hove Albion striker Terry Connor on his debut at this level.[21]
12 November 1986 – England beat Yugoslavia 2–0 at Wembley in their second World Cup qualifier.
13 November 1986 – Crystal Palace sign Leicester City striker Mark Bright for £75,000.[22]
20 November 1986 – Wimbledon sign 21-year-old midfielder Vinny Jones from Alliance Premier League side Wealdstone for £10,000.
21 November 1986 – Wolverhampton Wanderers continue their rebuilding process and bid for promotion from the Fourth Division by signing midfielder Andy Thompson and striker Steve Bull from neighbours West Bromwich Albion for £35,000 each.
26 November 1986 – Jan Molby scores a hat-trick of penalties in Liverpool's 3–1 League Cup quarter-final win over Coventry City at Anfield.
29 November 1986 – Vinnie Jones scores in one of his first Football League appearances for Wimbledon in a 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Plough Lane.
30 November 1986 – Arsenal finish November as First Division leaders, while fifth placed Luton Town are putting up an unlikely title challenge. Meanwhile, last season's title contenders Chelsea are now third from bottom but chairman Ken Bates insists that he will not sack manager John Hollins. Bottom place is occupied by a Newcastle United side who barely a year ago were looking like title contenders.[23] Oldham Athletic and Portsmouth continue to lead the way in the Second Division, with Plymouth Argyle and Leeds United still occupying the playoff zone, joined by Derby County who have leapfrogged their way into the top five at the expense of a Sunderland side who have dipped to 11th.[24]
3 December 1986 – Former Southampton and Republic of Ireland winger Austin Hayes dies of lung cancer at the age of 28, 3 weeks after the illness was diagnosed. He had recently returned from a short spell playing in Sweden, and since leaving Southampton in 1981 he had also played for Millwall and more recently Northampton Town.
7 December 1986 – Rochdale, struggling in the Fourth Division, make an amibitious offer for Ron Atkinson (sacked by Manchester United last month) to become their new manager, but Atkinson turns the offer down.
14 December 1986 – 18 months after the stadium fire that killed 56 spectators, Bradford City return to a revamped Valley Parade.
16 December 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur's England midfielder Glenn Hoddle expresses his desire to move abroad at the end of this season.
21 December 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sell defender Graham Roberts to Rangers for £450,000.
22 December 1986 – Graeme Souness continues to buy English-based players for Rangers by making a £120,000 move for Doncaster Rovers striker Neil Woods.[25]
23 December 1986 – Tottenham Hotspur sign midfielder Steve Hodge from Aston Villa for £650,000.
26 December 1986 – Manchester United beat Liverpool 1–0 at Anfield. It is United's first away win of the season and Liverpool's first home defeat.
30 December 1986 – Celtic F.C. are reported to be in the process of signing Norwich City captain Steve Bruce, but Norwich manager Ken Brown dismisses the speculation as "rubbish".
31 December 1986 – 1986 draws to a close with Arsenal leading the league by a seven-point margin, and Manchester United beginning to claw away from relegation by occupying 15th place.[26] The race for First Division football next season is headed by Portsmouth, while Derby County have crept up to second, and the playoff places are occupied by Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle.[27]
6 January 1987 – Ian Snodin opts to join Everton for £840,000 from Leeds United – despite being offered better wages by Liverpool. However, Liverpool are still intent on strengthening their squad as they make a £750,000 bid for Oxford United and Republic of Ireland striker John Aldridge.
13 January 1987 – Winger Peter Barnes becomes the second Manchester United player to transfer to neighbours City within three months when he completes his £30,000 return to the club where he started his career more than a decade ago.
18 January 1987 – Chelsea sign 23-year-old defender Steve Clarke from St Mirren for £400,000.
19 January 1987 – Portsmouth striker Micky Quinn is found guilty on a double charge of driving while disqualified and receives a 21-day prison sentence. Chelsea sign defender Steve Clarke from Scottish side St Mirren for £422,000.
20 January 1987 – The country's biggest anti-hooliganism police operation sees 26 suspected football hooligans arrested in raids in the West Midlands and Southern England.
21 January 1987 – Aston Villa manager Billy McNeill expresses his interest in signing former England striker Trevor Francis from Atlanta of Italy when his contract expires this summer.
23 January 1987 – Liverpool's £250,000 move for West Bromwich Albion defender Derek Statham falls through after the player fails a fitness test. Kenny Dalglish had been hoping to sign Statham as cover for Jim Beglin, who is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.
27 January 1987 – Liverpool sign Oxford United striker John Aldridge, 28, for a fee of £750,000 as player-manager Kenny Dalglish ends his search for a new striker ready to take over from Ian Rush, who will leave for Juventus at the end of the season.[28]
28 January 1987 – Chelsea striker Kerry Dixon asks for a transfer.
30 January 1987 – Out-of-favour Arsenal defender Tommy Caton leaves the club after three years and signs for Oxford United in a £100,000 deal.
31 January 1987 – Arsenal remain top of the First Division as January draws to a close, with traditional favourites Everton and Liverpool their nearest contenders, with unexpected contenders Luton Town occupying fourth place. There is bad news for Aston Villa, however, who have slipped back into the relegation zone after a brief revival in December.[29] Portsmouth are still top of the Second Division with Derby County in second place and the playoff places still occupied by Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle. Stoke City and Millwall are also starting to emerge as potential promotion challengers.
2 February 1987 – Micky Quinn is released from prison after serving 14 days of his 21-day sentence for motoring offences.
5 February 1987 – Winger Nigel Callaghan sacrifices the chance of FA Cup glory with Watford for Second Division promotion with Derby County in a £140,000 move to the Baseball Ground.
6 February 1987 – UEFA confirms that the ban on English clubs in European competition (which arose from the Heysel disaster nearly two years ago) will continue for at least another season.
11 February 1987 – Chelsea reject an offer from Nottingham Forest for striker David Speedie in exchange for winger Franz Carr.
14 February 1987 – In a thrilling game between one side challenging for the title and the other battling to avoid relegation, Liverpool beat Leicester City 4–3 at Anfield and Ian Rush scores a hat-trick.
18 February 1987 – England U-21's win 2–1 over Spain in a friendly in Burgos, with goals from 19-year-old Arsenal midfielder David Rocastle and 21-year-old West Ham United striker Tony Cottee.[30]
19 February 1987 – Billy McNeill boosts Aston Villa's battle against relegation by paying Everton £300,000 for striker Warren Aspinall.
21 February 1987 – Wigan Athletic, currently in the Third Division and only in their ninth season as Football League members, reach the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in their history by beating Hull City 3–0 in the fifth round at Springfield Park.
22 February 1987 – Title-chasing Everton are knocked out of the FA Cup in the Fifth Round when they lost 3–1 to Wimbledon in what is the latest of a string of giant-killing victories by the south-west Londoners who are playing their first top division campaign and only their tenth in the Football League.
24 February 1987 – Liverpool sign midfielder Nigel Spackman from Chelsea for £400,000.
27 February 1987 – Details are announced of a proposed merger between Crystal Palace and Wimbledon.
28 February 1987 – Everton finish February as First Division leaders, but only lead on goal difference over second-placed Liverpool, and are facing a more distant challenge from five other teams including unfashionable Luton Town and Norwich City.[31] Portsmouth, Derby County, Oldham Athletic, Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town continue to lead the way in the Second Division.[32]
1 March 1987 – Plans for a merger between Fulham and QPR are scrapped. Former Arsenal winger Liam Brady returns to England in a £150,000 move to West Ham United from Ascoli of Italy.
3 March 1987 – England winger John Barnes is put on the transfer list by Watford, but manager Graham Taylor advises him against moving to a club abroad. Liverpool are reported to be interested in the 23-year-old, who has spent his entire career at Vicarage Road.
6 March 1987 – Everton sign striker Wayne Clarke from Birmingham City for £300,000.
9 March 1987 – Alex Ferguson announces that he is interested in bringing striker Mark Hughes back to Old Trafford, nine months after he signed for FC Barcelona, but hopes of an imminent transfer are faced with doubt due to the fact that Hughes will be liable for taxation on any earnings from his time in Spain if he returns to England before April 1988.
11 March 1987 – Blackburn Rovers prepare for a promotion challenge next season after this current disappointing campaign by paying Dundee £30,000 for defender Colin Hendry.
12 March 1987 – Oxford United pay a club record £600,000 for Brighton & Hove Albion striker Dean Saunders in a bid to avoid relegation after a recent run of bad form in the league.
14 March 1987 – Coventry City progress to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history thanks to a 3–1 away win over Sheffield Wednesday in the quarter-finals. On the same day, Arsenal's hopes of a unique domestic treble are ended with a shock 3–1 defeat at home to Watford in one of the other quarter-finals.
15 March 1987 – Tottenham Hotspur move closer to a record eighth FA Cup triumph as they eliminate Wimbledon 2–0 at Plough Lane. Meanwhile, Wigan Athletic's dreams are ended with a 2–0 home defeat by Leeds United.
17 March 1987 – Crystal Palace, chasing promotion in the Second Division, sign midfielder Alan Pardew for £7,000 from GM Vauxhall Conference side Yeovil Town.
19 March 1987 – One of the league's most promising young players, 22-year-old Paul Stewart, leaves Third Division strugglers Blackpool and signs for Manchester City in a £200,000 deal, as manager Jimmy Frizzell makes one last attempt at saving City from suffering relegation to the Second Division for the second time in five seasons.
26 March 1987 – Arsenal pay Leicester City £850,000 for 24-year-old striker Alan Smith, and then loan him back to Leicester until the end of the season.
28 March 1987 – Liverpool's title bid is hit with a shock 2–1 home defeat against Wimbledon.
30 March 1987 – Southampton manager Chris Nicholl says that he will be ready to listen to offers for 23-year-old defender Mark Wright at the end of the season, with clubs reported to be willing to offer up to £1million for his services.
31 March 1987 – Liverpool finish March as First Division leaders, but only by a three-point margin over an Everton side with two games in hand. Luton Town are continued to defy the odds by occupying third place.[33] Portsmouth and Derby County continue to dominate the Second Division in the two automatic promotion places, while Oldham Athletic, Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle remain in the playoff zone.[34]
1 April 1987 – England keep up their 100% record in the Euro 88 qualifiers with a 2–0 win over Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in their third qualifying game.
2 April 1987 – Former Aston Villa and Wales midfielder Trevor Hockey dies of a heart attack at the age of 43 after collapsing during a charity football match in West Yorkshire.
9 April 1987 – Fourth Division side Halifax Town become the first Football League members to be run by their local council as part of a rescue package to save the club from bankruptcy.
12 April 1987 – Tottenham Hotspur (who have won all of their seven FA Cup finals so far) book their eighth FA Cup final appearance with a 4–1 triumph over Watford at Villa Park in the semi-final. Coventry City reach their first-ever FA Cup final by defeating Leeds United 3–2 in extra-time in the other semi-final at Hillsborough.
16 April 1987 – Lawrie McMenemy, currently the highest-paid manager in the Football League, resigns as manager of Second Division strugglers Sunderland and is succeeded by Bob Stokoe, who was manager at Sunderland when they won the FA Cup in 1973.
17 April 1987 – AC Milan announce that they are willing to sell England internationals Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley.
28 April 1987 – England U-21's suffer a major blow in their European Championship qualification hopes when they draw 0–0 with Turkey in Izmir.
29 April 1987 – England's 100% record in the Euro 88 qualifiers ends in the fourth game when they can only manage a goalless draw with Turkey in Izmir.
30 April 1987 – Scarborough seal the GM Vauxhall Conference title to become the first team to win automatic promotion to the Football League following last summer's abolition of the re-election system. At the other end of the spectrum, the month ends with Everton back on top of the First Division with a three-point lead over second-placed Liverpool and a game in hand. Tottenham Hotspur are now the only other team in contention for the title, and as FA Cup finalists could be just 16 days away from becoming the first English team to repeat the double.[35] Derby County have overhauled Portsmouth at the top of the Second Division, while Oldham Athletic are the only other team still able to achieve automatic promotion. Plymouth Argyle remain in the promotion zone as well, while Leeds United have muscled in at the expense of Ipswich Town. Sunderland, who were in strong contention for promotion as late as November, are now hovering in 19th place – the lowest position before the relegation playoff place.[36]
3 May 1987 – Everton are confirmed champions of the First Division.
4 May 1987 – Aston Villa are relegated from the First Division just six years after being champions of it, and five years after winning the European Cup. The remaining two automatic relegation places, as well as the relegation playoff place, are now been fought over by Oxford United, Charlton Athletic, Leicester City and Manchester City.[37]
9 May 1987 – Ian Rush completes his Liverpool career before signing for Juventus by scoring their first goal in a 3–3 final day draw at Chelsea, bringing his goals tally for this season to 30 in the league and 40 in all competitions.[38]
10 May 1987 – The First Division campaign ends with Everton as champions, with the remaining top-five places going to Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Norwich City respectively, but none of these teams will be competing in Europe next season as a majority vote by UEFA has resulted in the ban on English teams continuing for at least another season. Meanwhile, Leicester City and Manchester City join Aston Villa in the First Division relegation zone.
12 May 1987 – West Ham United reject a transfer request from striker Tony Cottee.
13 May 1987 – Manchester United put goalkeeper Chris Turner and defender Graeme Hogg on the transfer list.
16 May 1987 – Coventry City win the first major trophy of their history with a 3–2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup final. Their opponents, managed by David Pleat, had been unbeaten in all of their previous seven appearances in the final. A thrilling game had seen Clive Allen put Tottenham Hotpsur ahead in the second minute with his 49th goal of the season, only for Coventry City's Dave Bennett to equalise in the ninth minute. Gary Mabbutt restored Tottenham's lead after 40 minutes, but Keith Houchen's 64th minute equaliser for Coventry City forced extra time. The winning goal came in the 96th minute, when Gary Mabbutt scored an own goal.
17 May 1987 – Sunderland are relegated to the Third Division for the first time in their history after being defeated on away goals in the Second Division relegation/Third Division promotion playoff semi-final by Gillingham, who will take on Swindon Town later this month to battle for a Second Division place.
18 May 1987 – Graham Taylor resigns after 11 years as Watford manager to succeed Billy McNeill at relegated Aston Villa. During his time at Watford, Taylor took the club from the Fourth Division to the First, finishing league runners-up in their first top flight season and reaching the FA Cup final in their second. Meanwhile, Southampton give a free transfer to their longest serving player Nick Holmes, the last remaining player from their 1976 FA Cup winning side.
19 May 1987 – Mel Machin is named as the new manager of relegated Manchester City, with his predecessor Jimmy Frizzell remaining at the club as his assistant. Meanwhile, Aston Villa begin rebuilding following relegation with the sale of defender Tony Dorigo to Chelsea for £450,000.
22 May 1987 – Peter Beardsley, who made one appearance for Manchester United during a brief spell at the club in the 1982–83 season, is reportedly set to return to Old Trafford in a national record £3million move from Newcastle United.
26 May 1987 – Arsenal sign Wimbledon full back Nigel Winterburn for £405,000.[39]
3 June 1987 – Sheffield Wednesday sign midfielder Steve McCall from Ipswich Town for £300,000.[40]
7 June 1987 – England's U-21's commence the Toulon Tournament with a first round 2–0 win over Morocco, with goals from Newcastle United's Paul Gascoigne and Manchester City's Paul Simpson.[41]
9 June 1987 – Orient revert to their original title of Leyton Orient, while England U-21's draw 0–0 with the USSR in their second Toulon Tournament group game.[42]
10 June 1987 – Liverpool sign John Barnes from Watford for £800,000.
11 June 1987 – England U-21's reach the next stage of the Toulon Tournament despite losing 2–0 to France.[43]
13 June 1987 – England U-21's progress from the second stage of the Toulon Tournament by being Turkey on penalties after a goalless draw.[44]
15 June 1987 – Despite guiding Luton Town to their best ever finish of seventh in the First Division in his only season as manager, John Moore resigns to be succeeded by his assistant, the former Fulham manager Ray Harford.
18 June 1987 – QPR sign defender Paul Parker from Fulham for £300,000.[45]
21 June 1987 – Glenn Hoddle leaves Tottenham Hotspur in a £750,000 move to AS Monaco.
24 June 1987 – England goalkeeper Peter Shilton leaves Southampton for newly promoted Derby County in a deal reported to be worth up to £1million – the highest fee for a goalkeeper in British football.
25 June 1987 – After a disappointing season, Chelsea boost their attack with a £335,000 move for Ipswich Town and Northern Ireland striker Kevin Wilson.
30 June 1987 – Liverpool break the British transfer fee record by paying £1.9 million for Newcastle United and England striker Peter Beardsley.
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
| 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
| 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
| 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
| 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 Fifth Tier |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
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