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1988 Football League play-offs

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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 →

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.

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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Main article: 1987–88 Football League 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

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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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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 and were promoted to the First Division. Chelsea was relegated to the Second Division.

Third Division

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Main article: 1987–88 Football League 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

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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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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

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Main article: 1987–88 Football League 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

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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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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

Swansea City won 5–4 on aggregate.

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