Football League Third Division 1987/88
Football League Third Division 1987/88 | |
master | Sunderland AFC |
Climbers | Sunderland Brighton AFC & Hove Albion Walsall FC (as play-off winners) |
Relegation ↓ | Rotherham United |
Relegated |
Rotherham United Grimsby Town York City Doncaster Rovers |
Teams | 24 |
Games | 552 |
Gates | 1,485 (ø 2.69 per game) |
Top scorer | David Crown ( Southend United ) |
← Football League Third Division 1986/87 | |
^ Football League Second Division 1987/88 |
The Football League Third Division 1987/88 was the 61st season of the Football League Third Division as the third highest English football league . AFC Sunderland became third division champions and also the second-placed Brighton & Hove Albion and after play-off successes against Notts County and Bristol City also the third-placed FC Walsall rose to the Football League Second Division . For the three promoted teams in the following third division season 1988/89, the second division teams Sheffield United (as a play-off loser against Bristol City), Reading FC and Huddersfield Town, which were ranked in the table below, took their places. Grimsby Town , York City and the Doncaster Rovers had to relegate directly from the Third Division to the Football League Fourth Division . In addition, Rotherham United failed in the play-off round against the fourth division Scunthorpe United , Torquay United and Swansea City in the semifinals at Swansea. Swansea City as the later winner took in the following season 1988/89 as well as the fourth division winner Wolverhampton Wanderers and the Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers ranked behind them the vacant positions.
Closing table
Pl. | society | Sp. | S. | U | N | Gates | Diff. | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Sunderland AFC (A) | 46 | 27 | 12 | 7th | 92:48 | +44 | 93 |
2. | Brighton & Hove Albion (A) | 46 | 23 | 15th | 8th | 69:47 | +22 | 84 |
3. | Walsall FC | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 68:50 | +18 | 82 |
4th | Notts County | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 82:49 | +33 | 81 |
5. | Bristol City | 46 | 21st | 12 | 13 | 77:62 | +15 | 75 |
6th | Northampton Town (N) | 46 | 18th | 19th | 9 | 70:51 | +19 | 73 |
7th | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 20th | 12 | 14th | 70:61 | +9 | 72 |
8th. | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 18th | 12 | 16 | 68:56 | +12 | 66 |
9. | Fulham FC | 46 | 19th | 9 | 18th | 69:60 | +9 | 66 |
10. | Blackpool FC | 46 | 17th | 14th | 15th | 71:62 | +9 | 65 |
11. | Port Vale | 46 | 18th | 11 | 17th | 58:56 | +2 | 65 |
12. | Brentford FC | 46 | 16 | 14th | 16 | 53:59 | −6 | 62 |
13. | Gillingham FC | 46 | 14th | 17th | 15th | 77:61 | +16 | 59 |
14th | Bury FC | 46 | 15th | 14th | 17th | 58:57 | +1 | 59 |
15th | Chester City | 46 | 14th | 16 | 16 | 51:62 | −11 | 58 |
16. | Preston North End (N) | 46 | 15th | 13 | 18th | 48:59 | −11 | 58 |
17th | Southend United (N) | 46 | 14th | 13 | 19th | 65:83 | −18 | 55 |
18th | Chesterfield FC | 46 | 15th | 10 | 21st | 41:70 | −29 | 55 |
19th | Mansfield Town | 46 | 14th | 12 | 20th | 48:59 | −11 | 54 |
20th | FC Aldershot (N) | 46 | 15th | 8th | 23 | 64:78 | −14 | 53 |
21st | Rotherham United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18th | 50:66 | −16 | 52 |
22nd | Grimsby Town (A) | 46 | 12 | 14th | 20th | 48:58 | −10 | 50 |
23. | York city | 46 | 8th | 9 | 29 | 48:91 | −43 | 33 |
24. | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 8th | 9 | 29 | 40:84 | −44 | 33 |
Placement criteria: 1st points - 2nd goal difference - 3rd goals scored
(A) | Relegated from the Football League Second Division 1986/87 |
(N) | Newcomers from the Football League Fourth Division 1986/87 |
Play-off games
Play-off round to participate in the Second Division
Semi-finals (first leg / second leg / total) | final | |||||||||||
SD 21 | Sheffield United | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
5 | Bristol City | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
5 | Bristol City | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||
3 | Walsall FC | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||||||||
3 | Walsall FC | 3 | 1 | 4th | ||||||||
4th | Notts County | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Play-off round to participate in the Third Division
Semi-finals (first leg / second leg / total) | final | |||||||||||
21st | Rotherham United | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
FD 6 | Swansea City | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
FD 6 | Swansea City | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||
FD 4 | Torquay United | 1 | 3 | 4th | ||||||||
FD 4 | Scunthorpe United | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||
FD 5 | Torquay United | 2 | 1 | 3 |
List of goalscorers
player | society | Gates | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | David Crown | Southend United | 26th |
2 | Steve Lovell | Gillingham FC | 25th |
3 | Garry Nelson | Brighton & Hove Albion | 22nd |
4th | Marco Gabbiadini | Sunderland AFC | 21st |
= | Ian McParland | Notts County | = |
= | Mark Taylor | Blackpool FC | = |
7th | David Kelly | Walsall FC | 20th |
= | Gary Lund | Notts County | = |
9 | Eric Gates | Sunderland AFC | 19th |
= | Liam Robinson | Bury FC | = |
= | Dave Waller | Chesterfield FC | = |
Web links
References and footnotes
- ^ English League Leading Goalscorers. (RSSSF)
- ^ Rothmans Football Yearbook 1988-89. P. 422.
- ↑ In a play-off held in Walsall's Fellows Park , FC Walsall won 4-0 goals.