1988 Football League play-offs

Football League play-offs

Season	1987–88
Champions	Middlesbrough (Second Division) Walsall (Third Division) Swansea City (Fourth Division)
Matches played	19
Goals scored	50 (2.63 per match)
Biggest home win	Walsall 4–0 Bristol City (Third Division)
Biggest away win	Notts County 1–3 Walsall (Third Division) Bristol City 1–3 Walsall (Third Division)
Highest scoring	Torquay 3–3 Swansea (6 goals)
Highest attendance	40,550 – Chelsea v Middlesbrough (Second Division final)
Lowest attendance	4,602 – Torquay v Scunthorpe (Fourth Division semi-final)
Average attendance	16,094
← 1987 1989 →

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 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.

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
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[]

First leg

---

Second leg

Chelsea won 6–1 on aggregate.

---

Middlesbrough won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final[]

First leg

Second leg

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
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[]

First leg

---

Second leg

Bristol City won 2–1 on aggregate.

---

Walsall won 4–2 on aggregate.

Final[]

First leg

Second leg

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

Replay

Fourth Division[]

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[]

First leg

---

Second leg

Swansea City won 2–1 on aggregate.

---

Torquay United won 3–2 on aggregate.

Final[]

First leg

Second leg

Swansea City won 5–4 on aggregate.

External links[]

• Football League website