1988 Football League play-offs

The Football League play-offs for the 1987–88 season were held in May 1988, with the two-legged finals taking place at the finalists home stadiums. The play-off semi-finals were also played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th and 5th place in the Football League Second Division and Football League Third Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th placed teams in the Football League Fourth Division table, along with a team from the league above. The winners of the semi-finals progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches either gaining promotion or avoiding relegation for the following season.

Football League play-offs
Season1987–88
ChampionsMiddlesbrough
(Second Division)
Walsall
(Third Division)
Swansea City
(Fourth Division)
Matches played19
Goals scored50 (2.63 per match)
Biggest home winWalsall 4–0 Bristol City
(Third Division)
Biggest away winNotts County 1–3 Walsall
(Third Division)
Bristol City 1–3 Walsall
(Third Division)
Highest scoringTorquay 3–3 Swansea
(6 goals)
Highest attendance40,550 – Chelsea v Middlesbrough
(Second Division final)
Lowest attendance4,602 – Torquay v Scunthorpe
(Fourth Division semi-final)
Average attendance16,094
1987
1989

Background

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The Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places. For the first three seasons the final was played over two legs but this was changed to a single match at Wembley Stadium from 1990. Additionally, for the 1986–87 and 1987-88 play-offs the semi-finals included a team from the next league who had finished above the relegation positions up, e.g. one team from the first tier and three teams from the second tier. The team from the higher division would be relegated if they failed to win the play-offs, with the play-off winner being promoted in their place.

Second Division

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First Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
18 Chelsea 40 9 15 16 50 68 –18 42
19 Portsmouth 40 7 14 19 36 66 –30 35
20 Watford 40 7 11 22 27 51 –24 32
21 Oxford United 40 6 13 21 44 80 –36 31
Second Division play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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

Semi-finals

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First leg
Bradford City2–1Middlesbrough
Goddard   67'
McCall  
Senior   68'
Attendance: 16,017
Referee: David Scott

Blackburn Rovers0–2Chelsea
Durie   46'
Nevin   68'
Attendance: 16,568
Referee: John Key
Second leg
Chelsea4–1Blackburn Rovers
K. Wilson   26', 77'
Dixon   55'
Durie   83'
Sellars   61'
Attendance: 22,757
Referee: Allan Gunn

Chelsea won 6–1 on aggregate.


Middlesbrough2–0 (a.e.t.)Bradford City
Slaven   35'
Hamilton   91'
Attendance: 25,868
Referee: Joe Worrall

Middlesbrough won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

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First leg
Middlesbrough2–0Chelsea
Slaven   30'
Senior   81'
Attendance: 25,531
Referee: Keith Hackett
Second leg
Chelsea1–0Middlesbrough
Durie   18'
Attendance: 40,550
Referee: Brian Hill

Middlesbrough won 2–1 on aggregate and were promoted to the First Division. Chelsea was relegated to the Second Division.

Third Division

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Second Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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 play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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

Semi-finals

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First leg
Notts County1–3Walsall
Yates   Kelly   
Shakespeare  
Attendance: 11,522

Bristol City1–0Sheffield United
Walsh  
Attendance: 25,335
Second leg
Sheffield United1–1Bristol City
Morris   49' Shutt   17'
Attendance: 19,056

Bristol City won 2–1 on aggregate.


Walsall1–1Notts County
Christie   60' Yates   12'
Attendance: 8,901

Walsall won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final

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First leg
Bristol City1–3Walsall
Walsh   40' Christie   60'
Kelly   78', 90'
Attendance: 25,128
Referee: Joe Worrall
Second leg
Walsall0–2Bristol City
Newman   31'
Shutt   64'
Attendance: 13,941
Referee: George Tyson

Walsall 3–3 Bristol City on aggregate - Walsall won 4-2 on pens to decide who would host the replay.

Replay
Walsall4–0Bristol City
Kelly   12', 17', 63'
Hawker   19'
Attendance: 13,007

Fourth Division

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Third Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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
Fourth Division play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
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 0+6 70

Semi-finals

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First leg
Torquay United2–1Scunthorpe United
Dobson  
Caldwell  
Flounders   71'
Attendance: 4,602

Swansea City1–0Rotherham United
McCarthy   85'
Attendance: 9,148
Second leg
Rotherham United1–1Swansea City
Johnson   46' McCarthy   19'
Attendance: 5,558

Swansea City won 2–1 on aggregate.


Scunthorpe United1–1Torquay United
Lister   81' (pen.) Loram  
Attendance: 6,483

Torquay United won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final

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First leg
Swansea City2–1Torquay United
McCarthy  
Love   25'
McNichol   90'
Attendance: 10,825
Referee: Roger Milford
Second leg
Torquay United3–3Swansea City
McNichol   
Caldwell  
Raynor  
McCarthy   .' (pen.)
Davies  
Attendance: 5,000

Swansea City won 5–4 on aggregate.

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