| Club: | Chester City |
| Season: | 1986–87 |
| Manager: | Harry McNally |
| Stadium: | Sealand Road |
| League: | Football League Third Division |
| League Result: | 15th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Round 4 |
| Cup2: | Football League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Round 1 |
| Cup3: | Associate Members' Cup |
| Cup3 Result: | Area semifinal |
| League Topscorer: | Stuart Rimmer Gary Bennett (13) |
| Season Topscorer: | Gary Bennett (22) |
| Highest Attendance: | 4,000 vs Blackpool (27 December) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 1,706 vs Chesterfield (19 December) |
| Average Attendance: | 2,710 18th in division[1] |
| Prevseason: | 1985–86 |
| Nextseason: | 1987–88 |
The 1986–87 season was the 49th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the first season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in the previous season. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the Associate Members' Cup.
| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 August | Carlisle United | H | D | 2–2 | Holden (pen), Houghton | 3,425 | |
| 30 August | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 2,985 | |
| 6 September | Fulham | H | D | 2–2 | Greenough, Bennett | 2,568 | |
| 13 September | Swindon Town | A | D | 1–1 | Barrow | 5,669 | |
| 16 September | Bournemouth | A | L | 0–2 | 3,027 | ||
| 27 September | Darlington | A | L | 0–1 | 1,902 | ||
| 1 October | Doncaster Rovers | H | W | 1–0 | Holden (pen) | 2,578 | |
| 4 October | Bristol City | H | L | 0–3 | 2,796 | ||
| 11 October | Newport County | A | D | 2–2 | Kelly (2) | 2,119 | |
| 15 October | Gillingham | H | D | 1–1 | Greenough | 2,169 | |
| 18 October | Mansfield Town | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,377 | |
| 21 October | York City | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,322 | |
| 25 October | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 1–1 | Houghton | 4,607 | |
| 1 November | Walsall | H | D | 0–0 | 2,872 | ||
| 4 November | Rotherham United | A | L | 0–3 | 2,439 | ||
| 8 November | Brentford | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett (pen) | 2,016 | |
| 22 November | Bristol Rovers | H | W | 3–1 | 2,026 | ||
| 29 November | Middlesbrough | A | W | 2–1 | Greenough, Abel | 9,464 | |
| 14 December | Port Vale | A | L | 1–2 | Kelly | 3,347 | |
| 19 December | Chesterfield | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,706 | |
| 26 December | Wigan Athletic | A | D | 2–2 | Bennett (2) | 4,187 | |
| 27 December | Blackpool | H | L | 1–4 | Barrow | 4,002 | |
| 24 January | Fulham | A | W | 5–0 | Kelly (2), Graham, Barrow, Bennett | 3,067 | |
| 7 February | Bournemouth | H | D | 2–2 | Kelly, Bennett | 2,838 | |
| 14 February | Gillingham | A | W | 2–1 | Rimmer, Woodthorpe | 4,467 | |
| 17 February | Notts County | H | L | 1–2 | Bennett | 2,784 | |
| 21 February | Darlington | H | W | 6–0 | Barrow (2), Graham, Bennett (2), Rimmer | 2,380 | |
| 27 February | Doncaster Rovers | A | D | 1–1 | Woodthorpe | 2,176 | |
| 7 March | Bolton Wanderers | H | D | 0–0 | 2,764 | ||
| 14 March | Mansfield Town | A | W | 3–2 | Rimmer, Kelly, Graham | 2,742 | |
| 18 March | York City | H | W | 2–1 | Walwyn (o.g.), Greenough | 2,325 | |
| 21 March | Newport County | H | W | 2–0 | Houghton, Rimmer | 2,561 | |
| 25 March | Bury | H | L | 0–1 | 2,729 | ||
| 28 March | Bristol City | A | L | 0–1 | 8,230 | ||
| 1 April | Swindon Town | H | W | 2–0 | Greenough, Rimmer | 2,626 | |
| 4 April | Brentford | A | L | 1–3 | Kelly | 3,496 | |
| 11 April | Rotherham United | H | W | 1–0 | Greenough | 2,174 | |
| 18 April | Notts County | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 4,528 | |
| 20 April | Wigan Athletic | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 3,813 | |
| 22 April | Walsall | A | L | 0–1 | 5,117 | ||
| 25 April | Chesterfield | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 1,667 | |
| 28 April | Bristol Rovers | A | L | 2–3 | Greenough, Rimmer | 2,323 | |
| 2 May | Middlesbrough | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 3,780 | |
| 4 May | Blackpool | A | L | 0–1 | 2,069 | ||
| 6 May | Carlisle United | A | W | 2–0 | Rimmer (pen), Bennett | 1,287 | |
| 9 May | Port Vale | H | L | 1–2 | Graham | 3,013 |
See main article: 1986–87 FA Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round | 15 November | Rotherham United (3) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett (pen) | 2,749 |
| First round replay | 18 November | A | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 2,692 | |
| First round second replay | 24 November | H | W | 1–0 | 3,203 | ||
| Second round | 6 December | Doncaster Rovers (3) | H | W | 3–1 | Bennett (pen), Graham, Houghton | 3,821 |
| Third round | 10 January | Wrexham (4) | A | W | 2–1 | Bennett (2) | 9,265 |
| Fourth round | 31 January | Sheffield Wednesday (1) | H | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 8,146 |
| Fourth round replay | 4 February | A | L | 1–3 | Bennett | 20,726 |
See main article: 1986–87 Football League Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round first leg | 27 August | Derby County (2) | A | W | 1–0 | Houghton | 8,531 |
| First round second leg | 3 September | H | L | 1–2 | Bennett | 4,012 |
See main article: 1986–87 Associate Members' Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 2 December | Crewe Alexandra (4) | A | W | 2–1 | Kelly, Bennett | 1,271 |
| 16 December | Preston North End (4) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,125 | |
| First round | 20 January | Lincoln City (4) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,194 |
| Won on penalties | |||||||
| Area quarterfinal | 10 February | Bolton Wanderers (3) | A | W | 2–1 | Bennett, Barrow | 3,900 |
| Area semifinal | 23 March | Wrexham (4) | A | W | 3–1 | Barrow, Fazackerkey (pen), Rimmer | 5,662 |
| Area final | 8 April | Mansfield Town (3) | A | L | 0–2 | 7,679 | |
| 15 April | H | W | 1–0 | Woodthorpe | 8,187 | ||
| Player | Total | League | FA Cup | League Cup | AM Cup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||||
| John Butcher | 20 | – | 17 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | ||
| Billy Stewart | 42 | – | 29 | – | 5 | – | 2 | – | 6 | – | ||
| Field players | ||||||||||||
| Graham Abel | 57 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 7 | – | ||
| Graham Barrow | 54 | 7 | 41 | 5 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 5 | 2 | ||
| Gary Bennett | 40+8 | 23 | 26+7 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1+1 | 1 | 6 | 4 | ||
| Barry Butler | 60 | – | 44 | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 7 | – | ||
| Brian Croft | 13+17 | 2 | 10+11 | 1 | 1+3 | 1 | – | – | 2+3 | – | ||
| Derek Fazackerley | 30 | 1 | 23 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 5 | 1 | ||
| David Glenn | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | ||
| Milton Graham | 58 | 5 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | – | 7 | – | ||
| Ricky Greenough | 57 | 7 | 44 | 7 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 7 | – | ||
| Andy Holden | 8 | 2 | 8 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Peter Houghton | 45+5 | 5 | 35+2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2+3 | – | ||
| Terry Howard | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
 | John Kelly | 57 | 12 | 42 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | – | 6 | 1 | |
| Martin Lane | 29 | – | 21 | – | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | ||
| Sean Lundon | 19 | – | 12 | – | 5 | – | – | – | 2 | – | ||
| Ian Richardson | 5+5 | – | 4+4 | – | – | – | 1+1 | – | – | – | ||
| Stuart Rimmer | 42+8 | 14 | 34+4 | 13 | 2+3 | – | – | – | 6+1 | 1 | ||
| Mark Sconce | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0+1 | – | ||
| Colin Woodthorpe | 40+1 | 3 | 30 | 2 | 2+1 | – | 2 | – | 6 | 1 | ||
| Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 62 | 83 | 46 | 61 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 | ||
Book: Sumner. Chas. 125 Years on the Borderline: The Complete History of Chester City F.C. 1885-2010. 1 November 2011. Yore Publications. 978-0956984821.