1987–88 Stoke City F.C. season


The 1987–88 season was Stoke City's 81st season in the Football League and 28th in the Second Division.
After the previous season's decent performance there was great optimism ahead for Mick Mills' third season in charge. However it turned out to be a frustrating season with Stoke unable to maintain a good run of form and they unsurprisingly finished in mid-table in a season of little progress.

Season review

League

now entering into his third season as City boss had the support of the fans following last season's improvement and for the third season running the club played in the Isle of Man Trophy, with Stoke beating Dundee in the final. This created great optimism amongst supporters that they would enjoy a good league campaign. However that quickly vanished on the opening day of the season as Birmingham City scored the first goal after just 45 seconds. This seemed to set the tone for a frustrating season. The team made a poor start winning just three of their first nine matches and it always looked too much for them to recover from. When Stoke did hit a run of form in January injury prevented any meaningful attempt to mount a push for a play-off place and the side made no progress and finished in 11th place.
Lee Dixon was sold to Arsenal in January for £375,000 a good price for a full back in 1988 and with Steve Bould's contract running out he also joined the "Gunners" for a fee of £390,000 which was settled at a tribunal.

FA Cup

Stoke drew First Division side Liverpool in the third round and produced two excellent performances. In the first game at Stoke almost 32,000 saw a goalless draw which Stoke should have won but Graham Shaw missed an easy chance. In the replay a battling Stoke lost by a goal to nil.

League Cup

In the League Cup Stoke beat Gillingham and Norwich City, but then lost in the next round to Arsenal.

Full Members' Cup

Stoke had their best run in the Full Members' Cup beating Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City before losing to eventual runner-up Luton Town in the quarter final.

Final league table

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Legend

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
115 August 1987Birmingham CityA0–213,137
218 August 1987Hull CityH1–19,139Ford 68'
322 August 1987MiddlesbroughH1–09,345Berry 60'
429 August 1987Ipswich TownA0–211,149
531 August 1987Leicester CityH2–19,948Saunders 4' Heath 45'
65 September 1987Sheffield UnitedA0–010,086
712 September 1987Bradford CityH1–29,571Berry 50'
816 September 1987ReadingA1–05,349Parkin 50'
919 September 1987Manchester CityA0–319,322
1026 September 1987Huddersfield TownH1–18,665Ford 74'
1130 September 1987Leeds UnitedA0–017,208
123 October 1987BournemouthH1–08,104Ford 77'
1310 October 1987Plymouth ArgyleH1–08,275Heath 10'
1417 October 1987Blackburn RoversA0–27,280
1520 October 1987Swindon TownA0–39,160
1624 October 1987Aston VillaH0–013,494
1731 October 1987BarnsleyA2–55,908Shaw 62', Ford 75'
187 November 1987West Bromwich AlbionH3–09,992Berry 16', Heath 45', Parkin 77'
1914 November 1987Crystal PalaceA0–28,309
2021 November 1987MillwallH1–27,998Heath 36'
2128 November 1987Shrewsbury TownA3–05,158Dixon 22', Ford 25', Saunders 32'
228 December 1987Oldham AthleticH2–26,470Shaw 14', Heath 77'
2312 December 1987MiddlesbroughA0–212,289
2419 December 1987ReadingH4–26,968Morgan 52', Talbot 72', Henry 82', Ford 85'
2526 December 1987Huddersfield TownA3–09,510Morgan 55', Parkin 75', Shaw 84'
2628 December 1987Manchester CityH1–318,020Berry 82'
271 January 1988Ipswich TownH1–29,976Morgan 8'
282 January 1988Bradford CityA4–112,223Morgan 10', Ford 14', Dixon 39', Henry 64'
2916 January 1988Birmingham CityH3–110,076Talbot 7', Henry 82', 87'
306 February 1988Sheffield UnitedH1–09,344Saunders 63'
3113 February 1988Hull CityA0–06,424
3223 February 1988Leeds UnitedH2–110,129Heath 35', Berry 90'
3327 February 1988BournemouthA0–06,871
345 March 1988Blackburn RoversH2–114,098Morgan 14', Shaw 76'
3512 March 1988Plymouth ArgyleA0–38,749
3616 March 1988Leicester CityA1–110,502Shaw 72'
3719 March 1988BarnsleyH3–18,029Daly 53', Henry 60', Hemming 78'
3826 March 1988Aston VillaA1–020,392Heath 71'
392 April 1988West Bromwich AlbionA0–212,144
404 April 1988Crystal PalaceH1–19,613Shaw 43'
419 April 1988Oldham AthleticA1–56,505Heath 23'
4223 April 1988Swindon TownH1–06,293Stainrod 16'
4330 April 1988MillwallA0–212,636
442 May 1988Shrewsbury TownH1–17,452Stainrod 59'

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R39 January 1988LiverpoolH0–031,979
R3 Replay12 January 1988LiverpoolA0–139,147

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R2 1st Leg22 September 1987GillinghamH2–07,189Shaw 18', 65'
R2 2nd Leg6 October 1987GillinghamA1–05,039Morgan 12'
R327 October 1987Norwich CityH2–18,603Daly 14', Talbot 17'
R417 November 1987ArsenalA0–330,059

Full Members' Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R110 November 1987PortsmouthA3–03,226Heath 16', Daly 36', Shaw 51'
R22 December 1987Sheffield WednesdayA1–015,228Berry 54'
R319 January 1988Leicester CityA0–0 5,161
QF1 March 1988Luton TownA1–44,480Shaw 71'

Isle of Man Trophy

RoundOpponentResult
Group match 1Isle of Man XI3–1
Group match 2Wigan Athletic2–0
Semi FinalHibernian1–0
FinalDundee1–0

Friendlies

Squad statistics