1987–88 Birmingham City F.C. season explained

Club:Birmingham City F.C.
Season:1987–88
Manager:Garry Pendrey
Chairman:Ken Wheldon
Stdtitle:Ground
Stadium:St Andrew's
League:Football League Second Division
League Result:19th
Cup1:FA Cup
Cup1 Result:Fifth round
(eliminated by Nottingham Forest)
Cup2:League Cup
Cup2 Result:First round
(eliminated by Mansfield Town)
Cup3:Full Members' Cup
Cup3 Result:First round
(eliminated by Derby County)
League Topscorer:Steve Whitton (14)
Season Topscorer:Steve Whitton (16)
Highest Attendance:34,494 vs Nottingham Forest, FA Cup 5th round, 20 February 1988
Lowest Attendance:5,878 vs Millwall, 9 February 1988
Average Attendance:8,576
Pattern La1:_whiteborder
Pattern B1:_whitehorizontal
Pattern Ra1:_whiteborder
Pattern Sh1:_bluesides
Pattern So1:_whitetop
Leftarm1:0000ff
Body1:0000ff
Rightarm1:0000ff
Socks1:0000ff
Prevseason:1986–87
Nextseason:1988–89

The 1987–88 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 85th in the Football League and their 35th in the Second Division. They finished in 19th position in the division, expanded for this season to 23 teams as part of a restructuring process, and again avoided relegation only by two points. They entered the 1987–88 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost in the fifth round to Nottingham Forest, and were beaten by Mansfield Town over two legs in the first round of the League Cup and by Derby County in the first round of the Full Members' Cup.

Football League Second Division

See main article: 1987–88 Football League.

The league programme did not end on the same day for all clubs. Although Birmingham were in 18th place after their last match, on 6 May, the last Second Division fixture was played the following day, when they were overtaken by Shrewsbury Town, so finished 19th.[1]

DateLeague
position
OpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
15 August 19871stStoke CityHW2–0Rees 213,137
22 August 19871stAston VillaAW2–0Handysides, Rees30,870
29 August 19873rdAFC BournemouthHD1–1Kennedy8,284
1 September 19875thMillwallAL1–3Rees6,758
5 September 198714thCrystal PalaceHL0–67,011
12 September 198710thSwindon TownAW2–0Handysides, Whitton9,128
15 September 19876thBlackburn RoversHW1–0Whitton6,032
19 September 19875thShrewsbury TownHD0–07,183
26 September 19878thPlymouth ArgyleAD1–1McElhinney og8,912
30 September 19878thWest Bromwich AlbionAL1–2Kennedy15,399
3 October 19877thHuddersfield TownHW2–0Whitton 26,282
10 October 19878thReadingHD2–1Whitton, Kennedy6,147
17 October 19879thBradford CityAL0–412,256
20 October 19877thSheffield UnitedAW2–0Withe 29,287
24 October 19879thMiddlesbroughHD0–07,404
31 October 19876thOldham AthleticAW2–1Frain, Whitton pen5,486
3 November 19876thBarnsleyHW2–0Whitton 26,622
7 November 19877thHull CityAL0–27,901
14 November 19878thLeicester CityHD2–2Whitton 28,666
21 November 198710thManchester CityAL0–322,690
28 November 19879thIpswich TownHW1–0Frain6,718
5 December 198710thLeeds UnitedAL1–4Kennedy15,987
12 December 198710thAston VillaHL1–2Kennedy27,789
19 December 198712thBlackburn RoversAL0–28,542
26 December 198715thPlymouth ArgyleHL0–19,166
28 December 198714thShrewsbury TownAD0–06,367
1 January 198814thAFC BournemouthAL2–4Dicks, Wigley7,963
2 January 198815thSwindon TownHD1–1Childs7,829
16 January 198815thStoke CityAL1–3Kennedy10,076
6 February 198816thCrystal PalaceAL0–38,809
9 February 198816thMillwallHW1–0Whitton5,878
27 February 198816thHuddersfield TownAD2–2Robinson, Whitton5,441
5 March 198817thBradford CityHD1–1Whitton8,101
8 March 198817thWest Bromwich AlbionHL0–112,331
12 March 198817thReadingAD1–1Handysides6,598
19 March 198817thOldham AthleticHL1–3Wigley6,012
26 March 198817thMiddlesbroughAD1–1Atkins15,465
2 April 198817thHull CityHD1–1Williams7,059
5 April 198818thLeicester CityAL0–213,541
9 April 198817thSheffield UnitedHW1–0Kennedy7,046
23 April 198817thBarnsleyAD2–2Whitton pen, Jeffels og4,949
30 April 198817thManchester CityHL0–38,014
2 May 198818thIpswich TownAL0–111,127
6 May 198818thLeeds UnitedHD0–06,024

League table (part)

!scope="col"
Team
17thAFC Bournemouth441310215668-1249
18thShrewsbury Town441116174254-1249
19thBirmingham City441115184166-2548
20thWest Bromwich Albion441211215069-1947
21stSheffield United44137244574-2946

Results summary

FA Cup

See main article: 1987–88 FA Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
Third round9 January 1988GillinghamAW3–0Greenall og, Williams, Handysides9,267
Fourth round30 January 1988BarnsleyAW2–0Rees, Wigley13,219
Fifth round20 February 1988Nottingham ForestHL0–134,494

League Cup

See main article: 1987–88 Football League Cup.

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–A
ScorersAttendance
First round 1st leg18 August 1987Mansfield TownAD2–2Whitton, Handysides4,425
First round 2nd leg25 August 1987Mansfield TownHL0–16,054

Full Members' Cup

See main article: 1987–88 Full Members' Cup.

Appearances and goals

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute.

Players with name in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.

Players marked left the club during the playing season.

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

Players' appearances and goals by competition
NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotal
GoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoals
GKRoger Hansbury220300000250
GKTony Godden220002010250
DFKevin Ashley0 (1)000000 (1)00 (2)0
DFAdrian Bird6 (3)00010108 (3)0
DF321302000371
DFVince Overson370201000400
DFRay Ranson380300010420
DFBrian Roberts261102000291
DFTommy Williams331312010392
MFIan Atkins8100000081
MFDes Bremner370202010420
MFGary Childs23 (9)1300 (1)01027 (10)1
MFJohn Frain12 (2)210001013 (2)2
MFIan Handysides28 (2)331210033 (2)5
MFKevin Langley7000000070
MFRonnie Morris0 (1)00000000 (1)0
MFPaul Tait0 (1)00000000 (1)0
MFJohn Trewick25 (1)01 (1)0001028 (2)0
MFSteve Wigley432312010493
MFMark Yates1 (2)00000001 (2)0
FWAndy Kennedy15 (13)710201019 (13)7
FW17 (6)421200 (1)021 (7)5
FWColin Robinson3 (1)10000003 (1)1
FWGuy Russell6 (3)00000006 (3)0
FWNeil Sproston0 (1)00000000 (1)0
FWPhil Starbuck3000000030
FWSteve Whitton32 (1)1420211137 (1)16
FWPeter Withe *8200000082

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: English Division Two (old) 1987–1988: Table: 6 May 1988 . Statto Organisation . 11 June 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407065017/http://www.statto.com/football/stats/england/division-two-old/1987-1988/table/1988-05-06 . 7 April 2014.