1987–88 Bradford City A.F.C. season

The 1987–88 season was the 85th season in Bradford City A.F.C.'s history, and their 73rd in The Football League. They finished fourth in the Football League Second Division, having been six points clear at the top of the table at one point. City went into the play-offs and lost over two legs to a Middlesbrough side who City had beaten twice during the league campaign. Having won the first leg 2–1, Middlesbrough went ahead in the second game and after extra time finished 2–0 winners.

Bradford City
1987–88 season
ChairmanStafford Heginbotham
ManagerTerry Dolan
Football League Division Two4th[1]
FA CupFifth Round
Littlewoods CupQuarter-finals
Simod CupQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Ron Futcher (14)
All: Ron Futcher (19)
Highest home attendance16,017 (v Ipswich Town, 7 May 1988)
16,017 (v Middlesbrough, play-offs, 15 May 1988)
Lowest home attendance8,658 (v Millwall, 5 September 1987)
6,408 (v Fulham, Littlewoods Cup, 10 November 2007)

The club also reached the fifth round of the FA Cup, the quarter-finals of the League Cup, where they were defeated by eventual winners Luton Town and the semi-finals of the Simod Cup, where they were also knocked by the eventual winners, Reading.

Captain Stuart McCall and forward John Hendrie left at the end of the season. McCall went to an Everton side managed by Colin Harvey and Hendrie to Newcastle United.

Match results

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Source[2]

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League Division Two

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Game Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers Notes
1 15 August 1987 Swindon Town Home 2–0 10,553 Futcher, McCall
2 18 August 1987 Oldham Athletic Away 2–0 8,087 Abbott (pen), Hendrie
3 22 August 1987 Bournemouth Away 0–2 7,025
4 29 August 1987 Leeds United Home 0–0 11,428
5 5 September 1987 Millwall Home 3–1 8,658 Futcher (2, 1 pen), Palin
6 12 September 1987 Stoke City Away 2–1 9,571 Ellis, Futcher
7 16 September 1987 Plymouth Argyle Home 3–1 11,009 Abbott (3, 2 pens)
8 19 September 1987 Blackburn Rovers Home 2–1 12,068 Hendrie, Mitchell
9 26 September 1987 Shrewsbury Town Away 2–2 4,247 Futcher, Ormondroyd
10 29 September 1987 Huddersfield Town Away 2–1 11,671 McCall, Mitchell
11 3 October 1987 Middlesbrough Home 2–0 14,222 Leonard, Palin
12 10 October 1987 West Bromwich Albion Away 1–0 12,241 McCall
13 17 October 1987 Birmingham City Home 4–0 12,256 Leonard (2), McCall, Palin
14 21 October 1987 Manchester City Home 2–4 14,819 Evans, Mitchell
15 24 October 1987 Reading Away 1–1 5,920 Hendrie
16 31 October 1987 Crystal Palace Home 2–0 13,021 Leonard, McCall
17 3 November 1987 Hull City Away 0–0 14,443
18 7 November 1987 Barnsley Away 0–3 11,569
19 14 November 1987 Sheffield United Home 2–0 13,694 Futcher, Mitchell
20 21 November 1987 Leicester City Away 2–0 11,543 Futcher, Hendrie
21 28 November 1987 Aston Villa Home 2–4 15,006 Futcher (2, 2 pens)
22 5 December 1987 Ipswich Town Away 0–4 13,707
23 12 December 1987 Bournemouth Home 2–0 10,763 Leonard (2)
24 20 December 1987 Plymouth Argyle Away 1–2 11,350 McCall
25 26 December 1987 Shrewsbury Town Home 1–1 12,474 Ellis
26 28 December 1987 Blackburn Rovers Away 1–1 14,124 Mitchell
27 1 January 1988 Leeds United Away 0–2 36,004
28 2 January 1988 Stoke City Home 1–4 12,223 Ormondroyd
29 6 February 1988 Millwall Away 1–0 8,201 Ormondroyd
30 13 February 1988 Oldham Athletic Home 5–3 13,862 Hendrie (3), Kennedy, McCall
31 27 February 1988 Middlesbrough Away 2–1 21,079 Ormondroyd (2)
32 1 March 1988 Huddersfield Town Home 0–1 12,782
33 5 March 1988 Birmingham City Away 1–1 8,101 Hendrie
34 12 March 1988 West Bromwich Albion Home 4–1 12,502 Hendrie, Leonard (2), Sinnott
35 19 March 1988 Crystal Palace Away 1–1 9,801 Ormondroyd
36 30 March 1988 Swindon Town Away 2–2 8,203 Futcher, Leonard [3]
37 2 April 1988 Barnsley Home 1–1 15,098 Hendrie
38 4 April 1988 Sheffield United Away 2–1 13,888 Hendrie, Ormondroyd
39 9 April 1988 Hull City Home 2–0 13,659 Futcher (pen), Ormondroyd
40 20 April 1988 Reading Home 3–0 13,608 Futcher, Hendrie, McCall
41 23 April 1988 Manchester City Away 2–2 20,335 Futcher (pen), Leonard
42 30 April 1988 Leicester City Home 4–1 14,393 Futcher (pen), Hendrie, Mitchell, Ormondroyd
43 2 May 1988 Aston Villa Away 0–1 36,423
44 7 May 1988 Ipswich Town Home 2–3 16,017 Abbott, McCall

Play-offs

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Round (Leg) Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers Notes
SF (1) 15 May 1988 Middlesbrough Home 2–1 16,017 Goddard, McCall
SF (2) 18 May 1988 Middlesbrough Away 0–2 (aet)[4] 25,868

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers Notes
3 9 January 1987 Wolverhampton Wanderers Home 2–1 13,334 Ellis, Hendrie
4 30 January 1987 Oxford United Home 4–2 13,653 Evans, Hendrie, Kennedy (pen), McCall
5 20 February 1988 Portsmouth Away 0–3 19,324

League Cup

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Round (Leg) Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers Notes
2 (1) 22 September 1987 Fulham Away 5–1 4,357 Futcher (2), Mitchell, Oliver, Ormondroyd
2 (2) 7 October 1987 Fulham Home 2–1 6,408 Hendrie, McCall
3 27 October 1987 Charlton Athletic Away 1–0 3,629 Abbott
4 18 November 1987 Reading Away 0–0 6,784
4R 24 November 1987 Reading Home 1–0 10,448 Ormondroyd
5 19 January 1988 Luton Town Away 0–2 11,022

Full Members Cup

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Source[5]
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers Notes
1 11 November 1987 Aston Villa Away 5–0 4,357 Futcher (2), Mitchell, Ormondroyd, O'Shaughnessy
2 2 December 1987 Newcastle United Home 2–1 8,866 Futcher, Abbott
3 25 January 1988 Southampton Home 1–0 7,844 McCall
SF 10 February 1988 Reading Away 1–2 (aet)[6] 6,424 Hendrie

Player details

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Sources[2][5]
Pos. Name League FA Cup Littlewoods Cup Simod Cup Play-offs Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals    
GK   Peter Litchfield 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 5 0
GK   Paul Tomlinson 42 0 2 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 54 0
DF   Dave Evans 43 1 3 1 6 0 4 0 2 0 58 2
DF   Karl Goddard 29 0 3 0 3 0 2 0 2 1 39 1
DF   Brian Mitchell 42 6 2 0 6 1 4 1 0 0 54 8
DF   Gavin Oliver 43 0 3 0 5 0 3 0 2 0 56 0
DF   Lee Sinnott 42 1 3 0 6 0 3 0 2 0 56 1
DF   Steve Staunton 7 (1) 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 10 (1) 0
DF   Chris Withe 0 (2) 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 (2) 0
MF   Greg Abbott 25 (7) 5 2 0 3 (1) 1 3 (1) 1 2 0 35 (9) 7
MF   Mark Ellis 16 (6) 2 2 (1) 1 3 (1) 0 3 (1) 0 0 0 24 (9) 3
MF   John Hendrie 43 13 3 2 6 1 3 1 2 0 57 17
MF   Mick Kennedy[7] 15 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 2 0 22 2
MF   Stuart McCall[8] 44 9 6 1 3 1 4 1 2 0 59 12
MF   Steve O'Shaughnessy 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 1 0 0 0 (3) 1
MF   Leigh Palin 18 (2) 3 1 0 3 (1) 0 2 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 24 (4) 3
MF   Robbie Savage 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
MF   Aidey Thorpe 1 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 (1) 0
FW   Ron Futcher 25 (7) 14 1 0 5 2 2 (1) 3 2 0 35 (8) 19
FW   Mark Leonard 16 (12) 10 0 (1) 0 1 (3) 0 2 0 0 (2) 0 19 (18) 10
FW   Ian Ormondroyd 28 (9) 9 2 0 3 (2) 2 2 (1) 1 2 0 37 (12) 12

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Lost to Middlesbrough in play-off semi-finals
  2. ^ a b Frost, Terry (1988). Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. Breedon Books Sport. pp. 316–317. ISBN 0-907969-38-0.
  3. ^ Original game was abandoned with Swindon winning 3–0
  4. ^ 0–1 after 90 minutes
  5. ^ a b Frost. Bradford City A Complete Record 1903–1988. pp. 352–353.
  6. ^ 1–1 after 90 minutes
  7. ^ Kennedy was born in Salford, England.
  8. ^ McCall was born in Leeds, England.