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      DIVISION 1    1987/88
     
 

Leading League goalscorer:
John Aldridge
 (Liverpool)
 26  goals

Just 11 years after playing their last match in the Southern League Wimbledon had not only established themselves as a top First Division side but had reached their first FA Cup final - and they beat odds-on favourites Liverpool in the Wembley decider. 

Liverpool's first three scheduled home matches of the season were postponed after a sewer collapsed under the Kop - postponed matches.

Despite that problem Liverpool were dominant in the League, winning the title by 9 points. John Aldridge scored in each of their first 9 League fixtures and they didn't lose until their 30th League match - but that was at Goodison!

After having made two substitute appearances in the League for Southampton Alan Shearer made his starting debut for the Saints against Arsenal on Saturday April 9th 1988 - and at 17 years 240 days of age became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the top flight with Southampton winning 4-2.
Hat-tricks

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

Play Off Unlike current play-offs, in seasons 1986/87 and 1987/88 the four teams in each divisional play-off comprised 3 clubs from the lower division who were competing for promotion plus one from the higher division who were aiming to avoid relegation.
Divisions 1 & 2 Play Off Semi-Finals    
Competing clubs - Chelsea from Division 1 plus Blackburn, Bradford City & Middlesbrough from Division 2
1st Leg
Sun May 15 Blackburn Rovers 0 - 2 Chelsea
Sun May 15 Bradford City 2 - 1 Middlesbrough
2nd Leg
Wed May 18 Chelsea 4 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Wed May 18 Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Bradford City
Aggregate scores
Chelsea 6 - 1 Blackburn Rovers
Middlesbrough 3 - 2 Bradford City
Play Off Final  
1st Leg
Wed May 25 Middlesbrough 2 - 0 Chelsea
2nd Leg
Sat May 28 Chelsea 1 - 0 Middlesbrough
Aggregate score
Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Chelsea
Middlesbrough promoted to Division 1, Chelsea relegated to Division 2.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 


Did You Know.....
..1-5 down, just 10 players, less than half an hour left - but they win 7-6! Full details of this Football League match and other great  fight-backs click on...

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