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

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
First Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
18Chelsea 40915165068–1842
19Portsmouth 40714193666–3035
20Watford 40711222751–2432
21Oxford United 40613214480–3631
Second Division play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Middlesbrough 442212106336+2778
4Bradford City 442211117454+2077
5Blackburn Rovers 44211496852+1677

Semi-finals
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
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
Main article: 1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final
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. Chelsea relegated as result.

Third Division
Second Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
21Sheffield United 44137244574–2946
22Reading 441012224470–2642
23Huddersfield Town 446102841100–5928
Third Division play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
3Walsall 462313106850+1882
4Notts County 462312118249+3381
5Bristol City 462112137762+1575

Semi-finals
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
Main article: 1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final
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
Third Division relegation places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
21Rotherham United 461216185066–1652
22Grimsby Town 461214204858–1050
23York City 4689294891–4333
24Doncaster Rovers 4689294084–4433
Fourth Division play-off places
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
4Scunthorpe United 46201797651+2577
5Torquay United 462114116641+2577
6Swansea City 4620101662560+670

Semi-finals
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
Main article: 1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
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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