1987–88 Football League Trophy

The Football League Trophy 1987–88, known as the Sherpa Van Trophy 1987–88 for sponsorship reasons (although the competition began under its previous title of the Freight Rover Trophy), was the 5th staging of the Football League Trophy, a knockout competition for English football clubs in the Third and Fourth Divisions (now known as League One and Two).

The winners were Wolverhampton Wanderers, who defeated Burnley 2–0 in the final. This marked the only time two previous English champions have met in the final of this competition, and made Wolves the only former champions to have won the trophy.

The competition began on 13 October 1987 and ended with the final on 29 May 1988. The tournament begins with clubs divided into a Northern and a Southern section, and teams entering a preliminary group stage. Each section then gradually eliminates the qualifying teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists face each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy.

Preliminary round

Northern Section

Group 1 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Burnley 6 2 2 0 0 5 3 +3 Rochdale 1 2 0 1 1 2 3 -1 Tranmere Rovers 1 2 0 1 1 1 2 -1 0Oct 130000Rochdale 0–0 Tranmere Rovers 0Oct 270000Tranmere Rovers 1–2 Burnley 0Nov 240000Burnley 3–2 Rochdale Group 4 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Bury 4 2 1 1 0 5 2 +3 Crewe Alexandra 2 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 Wigan Athletic 1 2 0 0 2 4 7 -3 0Oct 130000Wigan Athletic 2–2 Crewe Alexandra 0Nov 240000Bury 5–2 Wigan Athletic 0Dec 040000Crewe Alexandra 0–0 Bury Group 7 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Halifax Town 3 2 1 0 1 4 2 +2 Scunthorpe United 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1 Grimsby Town 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1 0Oct 130000Scunthorpe United 2–0 Grimsby Town 0Oct 270000Grimsby Town 2–1 Halifax Town 0Nov 240000Halifax Town 3–0 Scunthorpe United 0Play-off to determine second place: 0Dec 150000Grimsby Town 1–2 Scunthorpe United

Group 2 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Carlisle United 6 2 2 0 | 3 | 1 | +2 Chester City 3 2 1 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 Blackpool 0 2 0 2 | 1 | 3 | -2 0Oct 130000Carlisle United 2–1 Chester City 0Oct 280000Chester City 2–1 Blackpool 0Nov 240000Blackpool 0–1 Carlisle United Group 5 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Darlington 6 2 2 0 0 6 4 +2 Chesterfield 3 2 1 0 1 3 2 +1 York City 0 2 0 0 2 3 6 -3 0Oct 130000York City 3–4 Darlington 0Nov 240000Chesterfield 2–0 York City 0Dec 050000Darlington 2–1 Chesterfield Group 8 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Mansfield Town 6 2 2 0 0 4 2 +2 Hartlepool United 3 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 Doncaster Rovers 0 2 0 0 2 0 2 -2 0Oct 130000Doncaster Rovers 0–1 Mansfield Town 0Oct 270000Mansfield Town 3–2 Hartlepool United 0Nov 240000Hartlepool United 1–0 Doncaster Rovers

Group 3 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Preston North End 4 2 1 1 0 5 2 +3 Bolton Wanderers 4 2 1 1 0 3 1 +2 Stockport County 0 2 0 0 2 3 8 -5 0Oct 130000Bolton Wanderers 0–0 Preston NE 0Oct 270000Preston NE 5–2 Stockport County 0Nov 240000Stockport County 1–3 Bolton Wanderers Group 6 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Sunderland 6 2 2 0 0 10 1 +9 Rotherham United 3 2 1 0 1 2 7 -5 Scarborough 0 2 0 0 2 0 4 -4 0Oct 130000Rotherham United 1–0 Scarborough 0Oct 280000Scarborough 0–3 Sunderland 0Nov 240000Sunderland 7–1 Rotherham United

Southern Section

Group 1 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Brentford 3 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 Notts County 3 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 Northampton Town 3 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 0Oct 130000Notts County 1–0 Northampton Town 0Oct 280000Northampton Town 1–0 Brentford 0Nov 240000Brentford 3–2 Notts County Group 4 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Colchester United 4 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 Peterborough 3 2 1 0 1 5 3 +2 Cambridge United 1 2 0 1 1 0 3 -3 0Oct 130000Colchester United 3–2 Peterborough United 0Nov 240000Cambridge United 0–0 Colchester United 0Dec 010000Peterborough United 3–0 Cambridge United Group 7 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Brighton 6 2 2 0 0 9 3 +6 Southend United 3 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 Fulham 0 2 0 0 2 1 7 -6 0Oct 130000Southend United 1–0 Fulham 0Oct 270000Fulham 1–6 Brighton 0Nov 250000Brighton 3–2 Southend United

Group 2 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Walsall 4 2 1 1 0 5 3 +2 Cardiff City 3 2 1 0 1 4 5 -1 Wrexham 1 2 0 1 1 4 5 -1 0Oct 130000Cardiff City 3–2 Wrexham 0Oct 270000Wrexham 2–2 Walsall 0Nov 240000Walsall 3–1 Cardiff City Group 5 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Torquay United 6 2 2 0 0 4 0 +4 Hereford United 3 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 Bristol Rovers 0 2 0 0 2 0 4 -4 0Oct 130000Torquay United 2–0 Bristol Rovers 0Oct 280000Bristol Rovers 0–2 Hereford United 0Nov 250000Hereford United 0–2 Torquay United Group 8 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Wolves 4 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2 Bristol City 3 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 Swansea City 1 2 0 1 1 1 3 -2 0Oct 270000Swansea City 1–1 Wolves 0Nov 100000Bristol City 2–0 Swansea City 0Nov 240000Wolves 3–1 Bristol City

Group 3 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Aldershot 4 2 1 1 0 5 3 +2 Leyton Orient 2 2 0 2 0 4 4 0 Gillingham 1 2 0 1 1 3 5 -2 0Oct 130000Aldershot 3–1 Gillingham 0Oct 270000Gillingham 2–2 Leyton Orient 0Nov 240000Leyton Orient 2–2 Aldershot Group 6 Team Pts Pld W D L F A GD Newport County 6 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 Port Vale 3 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 Exeter City 0 2 0 0 2 0 3 -3 0Oct 130000Newport County 2–0 Port Vale 0Oct 260000Port Vale 2–0 Exeter City 0Nov 240000Exeter City 0–1 Newport County

First round

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 19 January Burnley 1–0 Chester City 19 January Bury 1–0 Bolton Wanderers 19 January Halifax Town 2–1 Chesterfield 19 January Mansfield Town 1–0 Scunthorpe United 19 January Preston North End 3–1 Rochdale 19 January Sunderland 1–0 Crewe Alexandra 26 January Darlington 3–2 Rotherham United 3 February Carlisle United 0–2 Hartlepool United

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 19 January Aldershot 1–0 Bristol City 19 January Colchester United 1–1 Leyton Orient Colchester United won on penalties 19 January Newport County 2–3 Hereford United 19 January Torquay United 1–0 Port Vale 19 January Walsall 1–2 Peterborough United 19 January Wolves 4–0 Brentford 20 January Brighton 4–2 Southend United 20 January Notts County 2–0 Cardiff City

Quarter-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 9 February Bury 0–1 Burnley 9 February Sunderland 0–1 Hartlepool United 16 February Preston North End 2–1 Mansfield Town 18 February Darlington 1–2 Halifax Town

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 9 February Colchester United 2–3 Notts County 9 February Wolves 4–0 Peterborough United 10 February Hereford United 0–1 Brighton 16 February Aldershot 0–1 Torquay United

Area semi-finals

Northern Section Date Home team Score Away team 8 March Burnley 0–0 Halifax Town Burnley won on penalties 8 March Hartlepool United 0–2 Preston North End

Southern Section Date Home team Score Away team 8 March Wolves 1–0 Torquay United 9 March Brighton 1–5 Notts County

Area finals

Northern Area final

Burnley v Preston North End

12 April 1988 19:45 BST

Burnley	0–0	Preston North End

Turf Moor, Burnley Attendance: 15,680

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Preston North End v Burnley

19 April 1988 19:45 BST

Preston North End	1–3 (a.e.t.)	Burnley
Brazil		Oghani Hoskin Comstive

Deepdale, Preston Attendance: 17,592

Burnley won 3–1 on aggregate.

Southern Area final

Notts County v Wolverhampton Wanderers

12 April 1988 19:30 BST

Notts County	1–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers
McParland		Bull

Meadow Lane, Nottingham Attendance: 10,041

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Wolverhampton Wanderers v Notts County

19 April 1988 19:30 BST

Wolverhampton Wanderers	3–0	Notts County
Bull Downing

Molineux, Wolverhampton Attendance: 18,413

Wolverhampton Wanderers won 4–1 on aggregate.

Final

Burnley v Wolverhampton Wanderers

29 May 1988 15:00 BST

Burnley	0–2	Wolverhampton Wanderers
		Mutch  22' Dennison  51'

Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 80,841 Referee: Roger Milford (Somerset)

External links

• Official website