1986–87 Football League

The Football League
Season 1986–87
Champions Everton
Relegated Lincoln City

The 19861987 season was the 88th completed season of The Football League.

Play-offs to determine promotion places were introduced in 1987 so that more clubs remained eligible for promotion closer to the end of the season, and at the same time to aid in the reduction over two years of the number of clubs in the First Division from 22 to 20.

At the same time, automatic promotion and relegation between the Fourth Division and the Football Conference was introduced for one club, replacing the annual application for re-election to the League of the bottom four clubs and linking the League to the developing National League System pyramid.

Overview

The First Division

The First Division championship went to Everton in their final season under the management of Howard Kendall before his departure to Athletic Bilbao. To date, this remains Everton's last league title. His side overcame a spate of injuries to fight off competition from runners-up Liverpool and third-placed Tottenham. Fourth place went to George Graham’s emerging young Arsenal side who also won the League Cup in his first season in charge. Fifth place in the league went to newly promoted Norwich City, whose manager Ken Brown built a strong squad on a limited budget to achieve a finish which would have been enough to qualify for UEFA Cup had it not been for the ongoing ban on English clubs in European competitions.

Wimbledon finished sixth in the First Division in only their tenth season as a Football League club. Dave Bassett’s men had led the league for the first two weeks of September, but sixth place was still much higher than most pundits had tipped them for at the start of the season.

Aston Villa were relegated to the Second Division just five years after they won the European Cup. Chairman Doug Ellis had sensed from the start that 1986-87 would be a tough season for the club, so he axed manager Graham Turner in September and replaced him with Manchester City’s Billy McNeill. But McNeill was unable to stop the rot and Villa went down in bottom place. McNeill was subsequently sacked and replaced by Watford’s Graham Taylor.

Villa were joined on the way down by Manchester City and Leicester City. In the first season of the relegation/promotion play-offs, Charlton Athletic beat Second Division Leeds United to retain their top flight status.

Manchester United, whose blistering start to the previous season had ended in failure, started the 1986-87 season badly and entered November second from bottom in the league. Manager Ron Atkinson paid for these failings with his job and in came the Aberdeen manager Alex Ferguson to replace him. Ferguson rejuvenated United and they climbed up the table to finish in a secure 11th place.

The Second Division

Just two clubs were promoted from the Second Division this season. Champions Derby County were promoted for a second successive season; 12 seasons after they were last crowned champions of the First Division. Under the management of Arthur Cox they arrested an alarming slide which had seen them spend their centenary season (1984–85) in the 3rd Division. Runners-up spot went to Portsmouth, who were also automatically promoted.

The three playoff places were occupied by Oldham Athletic, Leeds United and Ipswich Town. Oldham and Ipswich blew their chances in the semi-finals, while Leeds were defeated by Charlton in the final to miss out on promotion — an FA Cup semi-final defeat had ended their chances of success in the cup competitions.

The relegation/promotion play-offs which operated between the Second and Third Divisions saw Sunderland go down to the Third Division for the first time in their history after losing to Gillingham in the promotion-relegation play-offs. Gillingham were subsequently defeated in a play-off final replay that saw Swindon Town promoted to the second tier. Lawrie McMenemy was sacked by the Rokerites at the end of March and Bob Stokoe, manager of the 1973 FA Cup winning team, was brought in as his successor, but was unable to keep Sunderland clear of the drop. Brighton and Grimsby were automatically relegated to the Third Division.

The Third Division

The three promotion places in this division were gained by three clubs who were among the least fancied promotion contenders at the start of the season. Champions Bournemouth were promoted to the Second Division for the first time in their history thanks to the efforts of hard working manager Harry Redknapp. Runners-up spot went to Bruce Rioch’s Middlesbrough, who had begun the season on the verge of extinction and had been forced to play their first home game of the season at Hartlepool’s ground because the official receiver had locked them out of Ayresome Park.

The relegation/promotion play-offs between the Third and Fourth Divisions saw Bolton Wanderers go down to the bottom division for the first time. Carlisle, Darlington and Newport County were also relegated.

The Fourth Division

The stars of the Fourth Division during 1986-87 were Graham Carr’s runaway champions Northampton Town, with young midfielder Eddie McGoldrick being the key player in his side’s season of success. Also automatically promoted were Preston and Southend with Aldershot winning the promotion/relegation playoffs.

Down at the bottom end of the division, an injury time winner for Torquay United kept them in the Football League after a police dog had bitten one of their players. The introduction of automatic relegation to the Conference saw Lincoln City lose their league status in favour of Conference champions Scarborough.

1986-87 saw many famous clubs reach their lowest ebb throughout the league. In the Fourth Division it was Burnley — league champions 27 years earlier — who plummeted to new depths. They finished third from bottom in the league and only a win on the last day of the season prevented them from going down to the Conference.

Final league tables and results

The tables and results below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation website,[1] with home and away statistics separated.

As of this season, there were no more re-election procedures, but instead, the club finishing last in the Fourth Division was demoted to Conference. The first casualty of this new practice were Lincoln City.

First Division

Football League, First Division
Season 1986–87
Champions Everton (9th English title)
Relegated Aston Villa,
Leicester City
Manchester City
FA Cup winners Coventry City (1st FA Cup title)
European Cup 1987–88 No qualifications [2] [notes 1]
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1215 (2.63 per match)
Top goalscorer Clive Allen (Tottenham Hotspur), 33 [3]
Biggest home win Sheff WedQPR 7–1 (2 May 1987);
Nottingham ForestAston Villa 6–0 (20 Sept 1986)
Biggest away win ChelseaNottingham Forest 2–6 (20 Sep 1986);
Aston VillaArsenal 0–4 (29 Nov 1986);
ChelseaWimbledon 0–4 (6 Dec 1986);
NewcastleEverton 0–4 (26 Dec 1986);
SouthamptonArsenal 0–4 (15 Nov 1986)
Highest scoring Sheff WedQPR 7–1 (2 May 1987);
LiverpoolNorwich City 6–2 (1 Nov 1986);
West HamChelsea 5–3 (11 Oct 1986);
ChelseaNottingham Forest 2–6 (20 Sep 1986)
Longest winning run Everton (7 games)
Longest unbeaten run Arsenal (17 games)
Longest losing run Newcastle United (6 games)

No European qualification took place due to the Heysel Stadium disaster suspension in place.

Everton finished as champions for the second time in three seasons. Liverpool finished runners-up and were also runners-up in the Football League Cup to fourth-placed Arsenal, who won their first major trophy for eight years. Tottenham Hotspur finished third and failed to win any trophies despite being in strong contention for all three domestic trophies, reaching the semi-finals of the Football League Cup and the final of the FA Cup. Newly-promoted Norwich City completed the top five.

Aston Villa, who had been league champions in 1981 and European Cup winners in 1982, finished the season relegated in bottom place. Going down with them were Manchester City and Leicester City. Charlton Athletic survived their first top division season in 30 years by defeating Second Division Leeds United in the playoffs.

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Everton 4216414911104727207631+4586Excluded from the European Cup 1987-88[notes 1]
2 Liverpool 421533431685829267242+3077Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1987-88[notes 1]
3 Tottenham Hotspur 421434401475928296843+2571Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1987-88[notes 1]
4 Arsenal 421254311285827235835+2370Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1987-88[notes 1]
5 Norwich City 429102272087626315351+268Excluded from the UEFA Cup 1987-88[notes 1]
6 Wimbledon 421155322284925285750+766
7 Luton Town 4214522913471018324745+266
8 Nottingham Forest 4212813614631228376451+1365
9 Watford 4212543820641129346754+1363
10 Coventry City 4214433517381015285045+563Excluded from the 1987-88 European Cup Winners' Cup[notes 1]
11 Manchester United 4213353818111914275245+756
12 Southampton 4211554424351325446968+152
13 Sheffield Wednesday 429753924461119355859–152
14 Chelsea 42867303057923345364–1152
15 West Ham United 4210473328461119395267–1552
16 Queens Park Rangers 429753127441317374864–1650
17 Newcastle United 4210473329271214364765–1847
18 Oxford United 428853025351314444469–2546
19 Charlton Athletic 427772622441319334555–1044 [notes 2]
20 Leicester City 429753924221715525476–2242
21 Manchester City 42867282409128333657–2139
22 Aston Villa 427772525151520544579–3436
  1. All English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985
  2. Charlton Athletic were able to retain their place in the 1st Division through play-offs.
Key
League Champions, excluded from the European Cup
FA Cup Winners, but excluded from the Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup spot, but excluded
League Cup winners, excluded from UEFA Cup
Into play-offs
Relegated

Second Division play-offs

Both the semifinals and the finals were decided over two legs.
The full results can be found at: Football League Division Two play-offs 1987.

Semi-finals
1st leg –14 May; 2nd leg –17 May 1987
Finals
1st leg –23 May; 2nd leg –25 May 1987
 
19th  Charlton Athletic (Div 1) 0 2 2  
5th  Ipswich Town 0 1 1  
  19th  Charlton Athletic (Div 1) 1 0 1
  4th  Leeds United 0 1 1
3rd  Oldham Athletic 0 2 2
4th  Leeds United [notes2 1] 1 1 2  
  1. Leeds United won on away goals.
Replay

29 May 1987
Leeds United 1 –2 (a.e.t.) Charlton Athletic (Div 1)
Report/Soccerbase
St. Andrews, Birmingham
Attendance: 18,000

First Division results

Home ╲ Away ARS AST CHACHECOVEVELEILIVLUTMCIMUNNEWNORNOTOXFQPRSHWSOUTOTWATWHUWDN
Arsenal 21 21 31 00 01 41 01 30 30 10 01 12 00 00 31 20 10 00 31 00 31
Aston Villa 04 20 00 10 01 20 22 21 00 33 20 14 00 12 01 12 31 03 11 40 00
Charlton Athletic 02 30 00 11 32 20 00 01 50 00 11 12 01 00 21 11 13 02 43 21 01
Chelsea 10 41 01 00 12 31 33 13 21 11 13 00 26 40 31 20 11 02 00 10 04
Coventry City 21 01 21 30 11 10 10 01 22 11 30 21 10 30 41 10 11 43 10 13 10
Everton 01 30 21 22 31 51 00 31 00 31 30 40 20 31 00 20 30 10 32 40 30
Leicester City 11 11 10 22 11 02 21 11 40 11 11 02 31 20 41 61 23 12 12 20 31
Liverpool 21 33 20 30 20 31 43 20 00 01 20 62 30 40 21 11 10 01 10 10 12
Luton Town 00 21 10 10 20 10 10 41 10 21 00 00 42 23 10 00 21 31 02 21 00
Manchester City 30 31 21 12 01 13 12 01 11 11 00 22 10 10 00 10 24 11 12 31 31
Manchester United 20 31 01 01 11 00 20 10 10 20 41 01 20 32 10 31 51 33 31 23 01
Newcastle United 12 21 03 10 12 04 20 02 22 31 21 41 32 00 02 23 20 11 22 40 10
Norwich City 11 11 11 22 11 01 21 21 00 11 00 20 21 21 10 10 43 21 13 11 00
Nottingham Forest 10 60 40 01 00 10 21 11 22 20 11 21 11 20 10 32 00 20 11 11 32
Oxford United 00 22 32 11 20 11 00 13 42 00 20 11 01 21 01 21 31 24 13 00 31
Queens Park Rangers 14 10 00 11 31 01 01 13 22 10 11 21 11 31 11 22 21 20 32 23 21
Sheffield Wednesday 11 21 11 20 22 22 22 01 10 21 10 20 11 23 61 71 31 01 01 22 02
Southampton 04 50 22 12 20 02 40 21 30 11 11 41 12 13 30 51 11 20 31 10 22
Tottenham Hotspur 12 30 10 13 10 20 50 10 00 10 40 11 30 23 31 10 11 20 21 40 12
Watford 20 42 41 31 23 21 51 20 20 11 10 10 11 11 30 03 01 11 10 22 01
West Ham United 31 11 13 53 10 10 41 25 20 20 00 11 02 12 01 11 02 31 21 10 23
Wimbledon 12 32 20 21 21 12 10 13 01 00 10 31 20 21 11 11 30 22 22 21 01

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

First Division maps

Locations of the Football League First Division London teams 1986–1987

Second Division

There were just two guaranteed promotion places in the Second Division this season due to the introduction of the playoffs and the phased reorganization of the league. Derby County finished top of the Second Division to clinch a second successive promotion and reclaim the First Division place they had last held in 1980. Portsmouth, absent from the First Division for nearly 30 years and who had missed promotion by a single place in the previous two seasons, finally achieved promotion by finishing second. Oldham Athletic and Ipswich Town failed to progress beyond the semi-finals of the new playoffs, leaving Leeds United to take on Charlton Athletic in a two-legged contest for a First Division place. Charlton won the replay to keep their First Division status and condemn Leeds to a sixth successive season in the Second Division.

Financially troubled Grimsby Town were relegated, along with Brighton & Hove Albion. Sunderland's second relegation in three seasons condemned them to Third Division football for the first time in their history as they went down after losing in the playoffs.

Football League, Second Division
Season 1986–87
Champions Derby County (4th title)
Promoted Portsmouth
Relegated Brighton & Hove Albion,
Grimsby Town,
Sunderland
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1131 (2.45 per match)
Top goalscorer Micky Quinn (Portsmouth), 22 [3]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Derby County 4214614218113722206438+2684
2 Portsmouth 421722371167816175328+2578
3 Oldham Athletic 421362361693929286544+2175
4 Leeds United 4215424316471015285844+1468
5 Ipswich Town 421263291057930335943+1664
6 Crystal Palace 4212453520711316335153–262
7 Plymouth Argyle 4212634023471022346257+561
8 Stoke City 4211554021551123326353+1058
9 Sheffield United 4210833119551119305049+158
10 Bradford City 4210563627551126356262±055
11 Barnsley 42876262366923294952–355
12 Blackburn Rovers 4211463022461115334555–1055
13 Reading 4211463323371119365259–753
14 Hull City 4210652522381016334155–1453
15 West Bromwich Albion 428672922561022275149+251
16 Millwall 4210562716441312293945–651
17 Huddersfield Town 429663830461116315461–751
18 Shrewsbury Town 4211372414431417394153–1251
19 Birmingham City 428942721381020384759–1250
20 Sunderland 428672523461124364959–1048 [notes3 1]
21 Grimsby Town 425881821561021383959–2044
22 Brighton & Hove Albion 427682220261315343754–1739
  1. Sunderland lost in the first round of the play-offs and were thus relegated.
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated

Third Division play-offs

Both the semifinals and the finals were decided over two legs.
The full results can be found at: Football League Division Three play-offs 1987.

Semi-finals
1st leg –14 May; 2nd leg –17 May 1987
Finals
1st leg –22 May; 2nd leg –25 May 1987
 
20th  Sunderland (Div 2) 2 4 6  
5th  Gillingham [notes4 1] 3 3 6  
  3rd  Swindon Town [notes4 2] 0 2 2
  5th  Gillingham 1 1 2
3rd  Swindon Town 3 0 3
4th  Wigan Athletic 2 0 2  
Replay

29 May 1987
Swindon Town 2 –0 Gillingham
Report/Soccerbase
Selhurst Park, South Norwood, London
Attendance: 18,491
  1. After the second leg and an extra time the aggregate was 6–6, but Gillingham had scored 4 times at Sunderland, versus
    Sunderland 3 times at Gillingham, and thus Gillinham progressed to finals on away goals.
  2. Swindon won the replay 2–0, and were thus promoted to Division 2.

Second Division results

Home ╲ Away BAR BIR BLBBRABHACRYDERGRIHUDHULIPSLEEMILOLDPLYPORREASHUSHRSTKSUNWBA
Barnsley 22 11 20 31 23 01 10 01 11 21 01 10 11 11 02 20 22 21 02 10 22
Birmingham City 11 11 21 20 41 11 10 11 00 22 21 11 13 32 01 11 21 02 00 20 01
Blackburn Rovers 42 10 21 11 02 31 22 12 02 00 21 10 10 12 10 00 02 21 21 61 01
Bradford City 00 00 20 20 12 01 42 43 20 34 20 40 03 22 10 30 11 00 14 32 13
Brighton & Hove Albion 11 20 02 22 20 01 01 11 21 12 01 01 12 11 00 11 20 30 10 03 20
Crystal Palace 01 60 20 11 20 10 03 10 51 33 10 21 21 00 10 13 12 23 10 20 11
Derby County 32 22 32 10 41 10 40 20 11 21 21 11 01 42 00 30 20 31 00 32 11
Grimsby Town 01 01 10 00 12 01 01 01 22 11 00 10 22 11 02 32 10 01 11 11 31
Huddersfield Town 22 22 12 52 21 12 20 00 13 12 11 30 54 12 20 20 11 21 22 02 21
Hull City 34 32 00 21 10 30 11 11 00 21 00 21 10 03 02 02 00 30 04 10 20
Ipswich Town 10 30 31 10 10 30 02 11 30 00 20 00 01 30 01 11 22 10 20 11 10
Leeds United 22 40 00 10 31 30 20 20 11 30 32 20 02 40 31 32 01 10 21 11 32
Millwall 10 02 22 12 31 01 01 10 40 01 10 10 00 31 11 21 10 40 11 11 01
Oldham Athletic 20 22 30 21 11 10 14 11 20 00 21 01 21 21 00 40 31 30 20 11 21
Plymouth Argyle 20 00 11 32 22 31 11 50 11 40 20 11 10 32 23 10 10 32 13 24 10
Portsmouth 21 20 10 21 10 20 31 21 10 10 11 11 20 30 01 10 12 30 30 31 21
Reading 00 22 40 01 21 10 20 23 32 10 14 21 01 23 20 22 20 31 01 10 11
Sheffield United 10 11 41 22 01 10 01 12 00 42 00 00 21 20 21 10 33 11 31 21 11
Shrewsbury Town 10 10 01 01 10 00 01 41 12 30 21 02 12 20 11 10 00 10 41 01 10
Stoke City 12 02 10 23 11 31 02 51 20 11 00 72 20 02 10 11 30 52 10 30 11
Sunderland 23 20 30 23 11 10 12 01 21 10 10 11 11 02 21 00 11 12 11 20 03
West Bromwich Albion 01 32 01 22 00 12 20 11 10 11 34 30 01 20 00 10 12 10 12 41 22

Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second Division maps

Locations of the Football League Second Division London teams 1986–1987

Third Division

A.F.C. Bournemouth won promotion to the Second Division for the first time in their history as Third Division champions, going up with runners-up Middlesbrough, who had started the season in receivership. Swindon Town became the third team to go up to the Second Division this season by winning the playoffs and securing their second successive promotion.

Newport County, Darlington and Carlisle United went down automatically. The Fourth Division would be familiar territory for Newport and Darlington, but Carlisle had not played in the Fourth Division for nearly a quarter of a century and just three years earlier had been in the race for a First Division place. Defeat in the playoffs meant that Bolton Wanderers, four times FA Cup winners, would be playing Fourth Division football for the first time in their history in the 1987-88 season.

Football League, Third Division
Season 1986–87
Champions Bournemouth (1st title)
Promoted Middlesbrough,
Swindon Town
Relegated Bolton Wanderers,
Carlisle United,
Darlington,
Newport County
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1471 (2.66 per match)
Top goalscorer Andy Jones (Port Vale), 29 [3]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Bournemouth 4619314414107632267640+3697
2 Middlesbrough 4616523811125629196730+3794
3 Swindon Town 4614543719117540287747+3087 [notes5 1]
4 Wigan Athletic 4615534726105836348360+2385
5 Gillingham 4616524214741223346548+1778
6 Bristol City 461463421578821216336+2777
7 Notts County 461463522477925327756+2176
8 Walsall 4616435027651230408067+1375
9 Blackpool 461175352059939397459+1564
10 Mansfield Town 469953023671022325255–361
11 Brentford 46977393268925346466–260
12 Port Vale 468694336761033347670+657
13 Doncaster Rovers 4611843219371324435662–657
14 Rotherham United 4610672923561219344857–957
15 Chester City 46797322868929316159+256
16 Bury 469773026561224345460–655
17 Chesterfield 46115736332101120365669–1354
18 Fulham 468873541491024365977–1853
19 Bristol Rovers 467882629641323464975–2651
20 York City 4611843429151721505579–2449
21 Bolton Wanderers 46851029262101117324658–1245 [notes5 2]
22 Carlisle United 4675112635331713433978–3938
23 Darlington 4661072528161620494577–3237
24 Newport County 4649102634441523524986–3737
  1. Swindon Town were winners of the play-offs and were thus promoted.
  2. Bolton Wanderers lost in the first round of the play-offs and were thus relegated.
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
Relegated

Fourth Division play-offs

Both the semifinals and the finals were decided over two legs, and only the aggregates are given in the schemata below.
The full results can be found at: Football League Division Four play-offs 1987.

Semi-finals
1st leg –14 May; 2nd leg –17 May 1987
Finals
1st leg –23 May; 2nd leg –25 May 1987
 
21st  Bolton Wanderers (Div 3) 0 2 2  
6th  Aldershot 1 2 3  
  6th  Aldershot 2 1 3
  4th  Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 0 0
4th  Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 0 2
5th  Colchester United 0 0 0  

Third Division maps

Locations of the Football League Third Division London teams 1986–1987

Fourth Division

Northampton Town collected 99 points, more than any Football League side this season, to seal the Fourth Division title and a place in the Third Division. Also going up automatically were Preston North End and Southend United. The fourth promotion place went to Aldershot, whose surprise victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the playoffs saw them move up from the Fourth Division for the first time in over a decade.

The introduction of automatic relegation from the Football League saw Lincoln City go down in bottom place, a second successive relegation for a club who had been in the league for 66 years and who had been on the verge of Second Division football as recently as 1983. They were replaced in the league by GM Vauxhall Conference champions Scarborough. Narrowly escaping the drop were Torquay United, who had been forced to apply for re-election to the league on several occasions under the old system due to low finishes, and this time escaped the drop with a winning goal in injury time after time was added on following a police dog's attack on an injured player. Burnley, league champions as recently as 1960 and First Division members as recently as 1976, escaped the drop by winning their final game of the season, though in slightly less dramatic circumstances than those which enabled Torquay's escape.

Football League, Fourth Division
Season 1986–87
Champions Northampton Town (1st title)
Promoted Aldershot,
Preston North End,
Southend United
Failed re-election Lincoln City
Matches played 552
Goals scored 1456 (2.64 per match)
Top goalscorer Richard Hill (Northampton Town), 28 [3]
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GD Pts Notes
1 Northampton Town 46202156201076473310353+5099
2 Preston North End 4616433618108536297247+2590
3 Southend United 46144543271111125286855+1380
4 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4612383624124733266950+1979
5 Colchester United 4615354120641323366456+870
6 Aldershot 4613554022751124356457+770 [notes6 1]
7 Orient 4615264025571124366461+369
8 Scunthorpe United 4615355227391121307357+1666
9 Wrexham 468132382477932277051+1965
10 Peterborough United 461076292177928295750+765
11 Cambridge United 4612653723551323396062–262
12 Swansea City 4613373121481125405661–562
13 Cardiff City 4661252418941024324850–261
14 Exeter City 461110237170131016325349+456
15 Halifax Town 4610583232551327425974–1555
16 Hereford United 4610673323451427386061–153
17 Crewe Alexandra 468963835551332377072–253
18 Hartlepool United 4661162430571120354465–2151
19 Stockport County 469682527461315424069–2951
20 Tranmere Rovers 4661073237571122355472–1850
21 Rochdale 468873130391123435473–1950
22 Burnley 469773135361422395374–2149
23 Torquay United 4688728292101128435672–1648
24 Lincoln City 468783027451415384565–2048
  1. Aldershot were winners of the play-offs and were thus promoted.
Key
Division Champions, promoted
Promoted
Participated in play-offs
Promoted through play-offs
New club in the league (none)
Relegated to Conference

Fourth Division maps

Locations of the Football League Fourth Division London teams 1986–1987

See also

References

  1. "England 1986–87". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-24.
  2. All English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985
  3. 1 2 3 4 "English League Leading Goalscorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2010-10-31.
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