| Season | 1987–88 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Middlesbrough (Second Division) Walsall (Third Division) Swansea City (Fourth Division) |
| Matches | 19 |
| Goals | 50 (2.63 per match) |
| Biggest home win | Walsall 4–0Bristol City (Third Division) |
| Biggest away win | Notts County 1–3Walsall (Third Division) Bristol City 1–3Walsall (Third Division) |
| Highest scoring | Torquay 3–3Swansea (6 goals) |
| Highest attendance | 40,550 –Chelsea vMiddlesbrough (Second Division final) |
| Lowest attendance | 4,602 –Torquay vScunthorpe (Fourth Division semi-final) |
| Average attendance | 16,094 |
←1987 1989 → | |
TheFootball League play-offs for the1987–88 season were held in May 1988, with the two-legged finals taking place at the finalists home stadiums. The play-off semi-finals were also played over two legs and were contested by the teams who finished in 3rd, 4th and 5th place in theFootball League Second Division andFootball League Third Division and the 4th, 5th, 6th placed teams in theFootball League Fourth Division table, along with a team from the league above. The winners of the semi-finals progressed through to the finals, with the winner of these matches either gaining promotion or avoiding relegation for thefollowing season.
The Football League play-offs have been held every year since 1987. They take place for each division following the conclusion of the regular season and are contested by the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places. For the first three seasons the final was played over two legs but this was changed to a single match atWembley Stadium from 1990. Additionally, for the 1986–87 and 1987-88 play-offs the semi-finals included a team from the next league who had finished above therelegation positions up, e.g. one team from the first tier and three teams from the second tier. The team from the higher division would be relegated if they failed to win the play-offs, with the play-off winner being promoted in their place.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Chelsea | 40 | 9 | 15 | 16 | 50 | 68 | –18 | 42 |
| 19 | Portsmouth | 40 | 7 | 14 | 19 | 36 | 66 | –30 | 35 |
| 20 | Watford | 40 | 7 | 11 | 22 | 27 | 51 | –24 | 32 |
| 21 | Oxford United | 40 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 44 | 80 | –36 | 31 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Middlesbrough | 44 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 63 | 36 | +27 | 78 |
| 4 | Bradford City | 44 | 22 | 11 | 11 | 74 | 54 | +20 | 77 |
| 5 | Blackburn Rovers | 44 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 68 | 52 | +16 | 77 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 0–2 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
Durie 46'Nevin 68' |
Chelsea won 6–1 on aggregate.
| Middlesbrough | 2–0 (a.e.t.) | Bradford City |
|---|---|---|
| Slaven 35' Hamilton 91' |
Middlesbrough won 3–2 on aggregate.
| Middlesbrough | 2–0 | Chelsea |
|---|---|---|
| Slaven 30' Senior 81' |
| Chelsea | 1–0 | Middlesbrough |
|---|---|---|
| Durie 18' |
Middlesbrough won 2–1 on aggregate and were promoted to the First Division. Chelsea was relegated to the Second Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Sheffield United | 44 | 13 | 7 | 24 | 45 | 74 | –29 | 46 |
| 22 | Reading | 44 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 44 | 70 | –26 | 42 |
| 23 | Huddersfield Town | 44 | 6 | 10 | 28 | 41 | 100 | –59 | 28 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Walsall | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 82 |
| 4 | Notts County | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 82 | 49 | +33 | 81 |
| 5 | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 77 | 62 | +15 | 75 |
| Notts County | 1–3 | Walsall |
|---|---|---|
| Yates | Kelly Shakespeare |
| Bristol City | 1–0 | Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
| Walsh |
| Sheffield United | 1–1 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
| Morris 49' | Shutt 17' |
Bristol City won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Walsall | 1–1 | Notts County |
|---|---|---|
| Christie 60' | Yates 12' |
Walsall won 4–2 on aggregate.
| Bristol City | 1–3 | Walsall |
|---|---|---|
| Walsh 40' | Christie 60' Kelly 78',90' |
| Walsall | 0–2 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
| Newman 31' Shutt 64' |
Walsall 3–3 Bristol City on aggregate - Walsall won 4-2 on pens to decide who would host the replay.
| Walsall | 4–0 | Bristol City |
|---|---|---|
| Kelly 12',17',63' Hawker 19' |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Rotherham United | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 50 | 66 | –16 | 52 |
| 22 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 48 | 58 | –10 | 50 |
| 23 | York City | 46 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 48 | 91 | –43 | 33 |
| 24 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 40 | 84 | –44 | 33 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 76 | 51 | +25 | 77 |
| 5 | Torquay United | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 66 | 41 | +25 | 77 |
| 6 | Swansea City | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 62 | 56 | +6 | 70 |
| Swansea City | 1–0 | Rotherham United |
|---|---|---|
| McCarthy 85' |
| Rotherham United | 1–1 | Swansea City |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson 46' | McCarthy 19' |
Swansea City won 2–1 on aggregate.
| Scunthorpe United | 1–1 | Torquay United |
|---|---|---|
| Lister 81' (pen.) | Loram |
Torquay United won 3–2 on aggregate.
Swansea City won 5–4 on aggregate.