| Club: | Chester City |
| Season: | 1987–88 |
| Manager: | Harry McNally |
| Stadium: | Sealand Road |
| League: | Football League Third Division |
| League Result: | 15th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Round 1 |
| Cup2: | Football League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Round 1 |
| Cup3: | Associate Members' Cup |
| Cup3 Result: | Round 1 |
| League Topscorer: | Stuart Rimmer (24) |
| Season Topscorer: | Stuart Rimmer (27) |
| Highest Attendance: | 6,663 vs Sunderland (26 December) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 1,638 vs Gillingham (2 March) |
| Average Attendance: | 2,663 21st in division[1] |
| Prevseason: | 1986–87 |
| Nextseason: | 1988–89 |
The 1987–88 season was the 50th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the second season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in 1986. 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August | Northampton Town | H | L | 0–5 | 3,458 | ||
| 22 August | Southend United | A | D | 2–2 | Graham, Parry | 2,369 | |
| 29 August | York City | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,010 | |
| 31 August | Rotherham United | A | L | 2–5 | Rimmer (pen), Graham | 2,551 | |
| 5 September | Aldershot | H | W | 4–1 | Croft, Rimmer (2, 1 pen), Bennett | 1,700 | |
| 12 September | Blackpool | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 4,035 | |
| 16 September | Fulham | H | L | 1–2 | Graham | 2,469 | |
| 19 September | Grimsby Town | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 1,897 | |
| 26 September | Sunderland | A | W | 2–0 | Rimmer, Croft | 12,760 | |
| 29 September | Gillingham | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 5,193 | |
| 3 October | Notts County | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,365 | |
| 17 October | Bristol Rovers | A | D | 2–2 | Rimmer, Bennett | 3,038 | |
| 20 October | Brentford | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 4,027 | |
| 24 October | Mansfield Town | H | L | 0–2 | 2,453 | ||
| 31 October | Preston North End | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 5,657 | |
| 4 November | Port Vale | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,789 | |
| 7 November | Walsall | H | D | 1–1 | Lightfoot | 3,269 | |
| 21 November | Bristol City | A | D | 2–2 | Rimmer (2, 1 pen) | 8,103 | |
| 28 November | Chesterfield | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 1,843 | |
| 5 December | Doncaster Rovers | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 1,853 | |
| 12 December | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | L | 0–1 | 6,738 | ||
| 18 December | Bury | H | D | 4–4 | Bennett, Rimmer (2), Howlett | 1,772 | |
| 26 December | Sunderland | H | L | 1–2 | Abel | 6,663 | |
| 28 December | Wigan Athletic | A | L | 0–1 | 4,394 | ||
| 1 January | York City | A | L | 0–2 | 2,686 | ||
| 2 January | Blackpool | H | D | 1–2 | Bennett | 3,093 | |
| 9 January | Southend United | H | D | 1–1 | Maddy | 2,065 | |
| 16 January | Grimsby Town | A | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 2,594 | |
| 30 January | Rotherham United | H | W | 1–0 | Barrow | 2,059 | |
| 6 February | Aldershot | A | L | 1–4 | Barrow | 2,578 | |
| 13 February | Wigan Athletic | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,088 | |
| 20 February | Northampton Town | A | L | 0–2 | 4,285 | ||
| 27 February | Notts County | A | L | 0–1 | 5,868 | ||
| 2 March | Gillingham | H | W | 3–1 | Rimmer (3, 1 pen) | 1,638 | |
| 5 March | Bristol Rovers | H | L | 0–3 | 2,067 | ||
| 11 March | Doncaster Rovers | A | D | 2–2 | Bennett (2, 1 pen) | 1,482 | |
| 19 March | Preston North End | H | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 3,724 | |
| 26 March | Mansfield Town | A | W | 2–1 | Lundon, Bennett | 2,918 | |
| 2 April | Walsall | A | L | 0–1 | 4,978 | ||
| 4 April | Bristol City | H | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 2,849 | |
| 9 April | Port Vale | A | D | 1–1 | Lundon | 4,278 | |
| 15 April | Fulham | A | L | 0–1 | 4,131 | ||
| 23 April | Brentford | H | D | 1–1 | Barrow | 1,777 | |
| 30 April | Chesterfield | A | D | 0–0 | 2,225 | ||
| 2 May | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | D | 2–2 | Abel, Barrow | 3,345 | |
| 7 May | Bury | A | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 1,942 |
See main article: 1987–88 FA Cup.
See main article: 1987–88 Football League Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First round first leg | 18 August | Blackpool (3) | A | L | 0–2 | 3,114 | |
| First round second leg | 26 August | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 2,143 |
See main article: 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group stage | 13 October | Carlisle United (4) | A | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 1,418 | |
| 28 October | Blackpool (3) | H | W | 2–1 | Rimmer, Bennett | 1,226 | ||
| First round | 19 January | Burnley (4) | A | L | 0–1 | 3,436 |
| Player | Total | League | FA Cup | League Cup | AM Cup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeepers | ||||||||||||
| Mike Astbury | 5 | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Billy Stewart | 31 | – | 27 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | ||
| Mike Stowell | 16 | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – | ||
| Field players | ||||||||||||
| Graham Abel | 51 | 2 | 45 | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – | ||
| Jason Banks | 2+1 | – | 1+1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Graham Barrow | 42 | 4 | 38 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | ||
| Gary Bennett | 44+3 | 11 | 41+2 | 10 | 0+1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | ||
| Barry Butler | 19+1 | – | 15+1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | – | ||
| Tony Caldwell | 4 | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Brian Croft | 31+11 | 2 | 26+11 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 3 | – | ||
| Derek Fazackerley | 49 | – | 43 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – | ||
| David Glenn | 20+2 | – | 19+2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – | ||
| Milton Graham | 27+1 | 3 | 24+1 | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | ||
| Ricky Greenough | 31+4 | – | 28+3 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2+1 | – | ||
| Craig Hawtin | 3+2 | – | 3+1 | – | – | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | ||
| Steve Hetzke | 17 | – | 14 | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | ||
| Peter Houghton | 10+2 | – | 9+2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | ||
 | Gary Howlett | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| Kevin Langley | 9 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Chris Lightfoot | 16+1 | 1 | 15+1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| John Lowey | 9 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Sean Lundon | 24 | 2 | 22 | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – | ||
| Paul Maddy | 20+1 | 1 | 17+1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – | ||
| Steve Moore | 1+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | ||
| Aidan Newhouse | 0+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Robbie Painter | 0+2 | – | 0+2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Mark Parry | 5+1 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | ||
| Stuart Rimmer | 40 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Colin Woodthorpe | 40+1 | – | 34+1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – | ||
| Own goals | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 52 | 55 | 46 | 51 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ||
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.