DIVISION 1    1987/88
      For full league and cup results  click on by club required.
 

Leading 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. 

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