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1987–88 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season


FieldValue
clubHuddersfield Town
season1987–88
chairmanRoger B. Fielding
Keith Longbottom
managerSteve Smith (until 6 October 1987)
Malcolm Macdonald (from 12 October 1987 until 4 May 1988)
stadiumLeeds Road
leagueSecond Division
league result23rd (relegated)
cup1FA Cup
cup1 resultThird round
(knocked out by Manchester City)
cup2League Cup
cup2 resultFirst round
(knocked out by Rotherham United)
cup3Full Members' Cup
cup3 resultFirst round
(knocked out by Leicester City)
league topscorerDuncan Shearer (10)
season topscorerDuncan Shearer (16)
highest attendance21,510 vs Manchester City (25 January 1988)
lowest attendance2,794 vs AFC Bournemouth (30 April 1988)
largest win2–0 vs AFC Bournemouth (21 November 1987)
largest loss1–10 vs Manchester City (7 November 1987)
prevseason1986–87
nextseason1988–89

Keith Longbottom Malcolm Macdonald (from 12 October 1987 until 4 May 1988) (knocked out by Manchester City) (knocked out by Rotherham United) (knocked out by Leicester City) Huddersfield Town's 1987–88 campaign is statistically Town's worst ever season in their league history. Town won only 6 league games all season, had their heaviest ever defeat in their history, conceded 100 league goals in the season and finished 19 points adrift of safety and even 14 points behind 2nd-bottom team Reading. They were relegated from the Second Division to the Third after the season.

The team had two managers during the season, Steve Smith and Malcolm Macdonald. Macdonald never managed again after his half-season in Huddersfield, and said that the club-record 10-1 loss to Manchester City still haunted him, and his reputation, decades later.

Squad at the start of the season

Review

The start of the season was at the time, the worst in Town's history. The team lost most of their early games and Steve Smith, a hero during his playing days at Leeds Road, was shown the door on 6 October, after the 2–0 defeat at Birmingham City. Malcolm Macdonald replaced Smith a week later, but it wasn't until the end of the month that Town registered their first win, a 2–1 victory at the end-of-season champions Millwall.

However, a week later, Town recorded their biggest ever loss in their history, going down 10–1 against Manchester City at Maine Road. After that embarrassment, Town recovered slightly going on a run of only 1 defeat in 6 matches. However, this proved to be nothing more than a false dawn and Town's chances of survival would shortly become non-existent.

Following their 2–1 win over Plymouth Argyle on 12 December, Town would only win 2 matches for the remaining 5 months of the season, they were a 1–0 win at Bradford City and amazingly a 1–0 win against a Manchester City side, who 4 months earlier beat them 10–1. They were officially relegated with four games remaining, after a 2–2 draw at home to near neighbours Oldham Athletic, and Town ended up with only 28 points, finishing 14 points behind Reading in 23rd place and a further 5 behind the safety zone of 21st placed West Bromwich Albion. Macdonald was sacked just before the last game of the season against Sheffield United. Eoin Hand would replace Macdonald for the new season in the Third Division.

Squad at the end of the season

Results

[[Football League Second Division|Division Two]]

DateOpponents**Home/
Away****Result
F–A**ScorersAttendancePosition
15 August 1987Crystal PalaceH2–2Trevitt, Shearer6,1326th
22 August 1987Plymouth ArgyleA1–6Ward8,81121st
29 August 1987Shrewsbury TownH0–04,47820th
31 August 1987Oldham AthleticA2–3Shearer, Banks7,41021st
12 September 1987Blackburn RoversA2–2May, Cooper7,10923rd
15 September 1987Leeds UnitedH0–09,08522nd
19 September 1987Aston VillaH0–16,88423rd
26 September 1987Stoke CityA1–1Cooper8,66523rd
29 September 1987Bradford CityH1–2Shearer11,67123rd
3 October 1987Birmingham CityA0–26,28223rd
10 October 1987MiddlesbroughH1–4Shearer6,16923rd
17 October 1987ReadingA2–3Shearer (2)4,67823rd
20 October 1987Hull CityH0–28,03323rd
24 October 1987West Bromwich AlbionA2–3Cork, Shearer8,45023rd
31 October 1987MillwallH2–1Banks, Cork5,50423rd
3 November 1987Ipswich TownA0–39,98423rd
7 November 1987Manchester CityA1–10May (pen)19,58323rd
14 November 1987BarnsleyH2–2Ward, Banks8,62923rd
21 November 1987BournemouthA2–0Cork, Banks6,41923rd
28 November 1987Leicester CityH1–0Cooper6,70422nd
1 December 1987Swindon TownA1–4Cooper6,96322nd
5 December 1987Sheffield UnitedA2–2Banks, Cooper9,26922nd
12 December 1987Plymouth ArgyleH2–1Cork (2)5,74721st
19 December 1987Leeds UnitedA0–320,11121st
26 December 1987Stoke CityH0–39,50021st
28 December 1987Aston VillaA1–1Shearer20,94821st
1 January 1988Shrewsbury TownA1–3Cork5,44823rd
2 January 1988Blackburn RoversH1–2May (pen)10,73523rd
16 January 1988Crystal PalaceA1–2Shearer9,01323rd
13 February 1988Swindon TownH0–35,45823rd
27 February 1988Birmingham CityH2–2Banks, Barham5,44123rd
1 March 1988Bradford CityA1–0Banks12,78223rd
5 March 1988ReadingH0–26,09423rd
12 March 1988MiddlesbroughA0–213,86623rd
19 March 1988MillwallA1–4Mitchell6,18123rd
26 March 1988West Bromwich AlbionH1–3Cork4,50323rd
2 April 1988Manchester CityH1–0Madrick7,83523rd
4 April 1988BarnsleyA0–17,95023rd
8 April 1988Ipswich TownH1–2Banks4,02323rd
19 April 1988Oldham AthleticH2–2Shearer, Banks5,54723rd
23 April 1988Hull CityA0–45,22123rd
30 April 1988BournemouthH1–2Cork2,79423rd
2 May 1988Leicester CityA0–39,80323rd
7 May 1988Sheffield UnitedH0–28,64423rd

FA Cup

Main article: 1987–88 FA Cup

DateRoundOpponents**Home/
Away****Result
F–A**ScorersAttendance
9 January 1988Round 3Manchester CityH2–2Shearer (2)18,102
12 January 1988Round 3 replayManchester CityA0–024,565
25 January 1988Round 3 2nd replayManchester CityH0–321,510

League Cup

Main article: 1987–88 Football League Cup

DateRoundOpponents**Home/
Away****Result
F–A**ScorersAttendance
18 August 1987Round 1 1st LegRotherham UnitedA4–4Shearer (3), Barham3,353
25 August 1987Round 1 2nd LegRotherham UnitedH1–3Shearer4,528

Full Members Cup

Main article: 1987–88 Full Members Cup

DateRoundOpponents**Home/
Away****Result
F–A**ScorersAttendance
10 November 1987Round 1Leicester CityA0–13,440

Appearances and goals

NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ian BanksMF419202010469
Mark BarhamMF24 (2)1001 (1)11026 (3)2
Junior BentMF5 (2)00 (1)000005 (3)0
Ian BrayDF29 (1)030001033 (1)0
Malcolm BrownDF23 (2)020100026 (2)0
David BurkeDF100002000120
Vince ChapmanDF4 (2)00000004 (2)0
Graham CooperFW20 (5)50 (2)00 (1)00020 (8)5
David CorkFW368302010428
David CowlingMF5 (1)00010006 (1)0
Brian CoxGK200302000250
Paul FranceDF5 (3)03000008 (3)0
Chris HutchingsDF230000000230
Paul KirkhamFW0 (1)00000000 (1)0
Carl MadrickFW3 (5)10000003 (5)1
Lee MartinGK180000010190
Andy MayMF27 (1)330201033 (1)3
Seamus McDonaghGK6000000060
Willie McStayDF4 (4)00000105 (4)0
Graham MitchellDF28 (1)130000031 (1)1
Duncan ShearerFW31 (2)1032241037 (2)16
Malcolm ShottonDF140000000140
Simon TrevittDF31 (6)130200036 (6)1
Gordon TuckerDF19 (4)00 (1)0200 (1)021 (6)0
Steve WalfordDF120000010130
Peter WardFW19 (7)220101023 (7)2
Simon WebsterDF220302010280
Julian WinterMF5 (2)000000 (1)05 (3)0

References

References

  1. (1988). "Rothmans Football yearbook. 1988-89". Queen Anne Press.
  2. (16 February 2007). "Former Huddersfield boss Malcolm Macdonald relives 10-1 Manchester City thrashing ahead of weekend's FA Cup rematch".
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