The 1987–88 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 85th in the Football League and their 35th in the Second Division. They finished in 19th position in the division, expanded for this season to 23 teams as part of a restructuring process, and again avoided relegation only by two points. They entered the 1987–88 FA Cup in the third round proper and lost in the fifth round to Nottingham Forest, and were beaten by Mansfield Town over two legs in the first round of the League Cup and by Derby County in the first round of the Full Members' Cup.

Football League Second Division

The league programme did not end on the same day for all clubs. Although Birmingham were in 18th place after their last match, on 6 May, the last Second Division fixture was played the following day, when they were overtaken by Shrewsbury Town, so finished 19th.

DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance15 August 19871stStoke CityHW2–0Rees 213,13722 August 19871stAston VillaAW2–0Handysides, Rees30,87029 August 19873rdAFC BournemouthHD1–1Kennedy8,2841 September 19875thMillwallAL1–3Rees6,7585 September 198714thCrystal PalaceHL0–67,01112 September 198710thSwindon TownAW2–0Handysides, Whitton9,12815 September 19876thBlackburn RoversHW1–0Whitton6,03219 September 19875thShrewsbury TownHD0–07,18326 September 19878thPlymouth ArgyleAD1–1McElhinney og8,91230 September 19878thWest Bromwich AlbionAL1–2Kennedy15,3993 October 19877thHuddersfield TownHW2–0Whitton 26,28210 October 19878thReadingHD2–1Whitton, Kennedy6,14717 October 19879thBradford CityAL0–412,25620 October 19877thSheffield UnitedAW2–0Withe 29,28724 October 19879thMiddlesbroughHD0–07,40431 October 19876thOldham AthleticAW2–1Frain, Whitton pen5,4863 November 19876thBarnsleyHW2–0Whitton 26,6227 November 19877thHull CityAL0–27,90114 November 19878thLeicester CityHD2–2Whitton 28,66621 November 198710thManchester CityAL0–322,69028 November 19879thIpswich TownHW1–0Frain6,7185 December 198710thLeeds UnitedAL1–4Kennedy15,98712 December 198710thAston VillaHL1–2Kennedy27,78919 December 198712thBlackburn RoversAL0–28,54226 December 198715thPlymouth ArgyleHL0–19,16628 December 198714thShrewsbury TownAD0–06,3671 January 198814thAFC BournemouthAL2–4Dicks, Wigley7,9632 January 198815thSwindon TownHD1–1Childs7,82916 January 198815thStoke CityAL1–3Kennedy10,0766 February 198816thCrystal PalaceAL0–38,8099 February 198816thMillwallHW1–0Whitton5,87827 February 198816thHuddersfield TownAD2–2Robinson, Whitton5,4415 March 198817thBradford CityHD1–1Whitton8,1018 March 198817thWest Bromwich AlbionHL0–112,33112 March 198817thReadingAD1–1Handysides6,59819 March 198817thOldham AthleticHL1–3Wigley6,01226 March 198817thMiddlesbroughAD1–1Atkins15,4652 April 198817thHull CityHD1–1Williams7,0595 April 198818thLeicester CityAL0–213,5419 April 198817thSheffield UnitedHW1–0Kennedy7,04623 April 198817thBarnsleyAD2–2Whitton pen, Jeffels og4,94930 April 198817thManchester CityHL0–38,0142 May 198818thIpswich TownAL0–111,1276 May 198818thLeeds UnitedHD0–06,024

League table (part) +Final Second Division table (part)Team17thAFC Bournemouth441310215668−124918thShrewsbury Town441116174254−124919thBirmingham City441115184166−254820thWest Bromwich Albion441211215069−194721stSheffield United44137244574−2946

Results summary

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird round9 January 1988GillinghamAW3–0Greenall og, Williams, Handysides9,267Fourth round30 January 1988BarnsleyAW2–0Rees, Wigley13,219Fifth round20 February 1988Nottingham ForestHL0–134,494

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round 1st leg18 August 1987Mansfield TownAD2–2Whitton, Handysides4,425First round 2nd leg25 August 1987Mansfield TownHL0–16,054

Full Members' Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceFirst round25 November 1987Derby CountyAL1–3Whitton8,277

Appearances and goals

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute. Players with name in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham. Players marked left the club during the playing season. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

+ Players' appearances and goals by competitionNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotalGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGK Roger Hansbury220300000250GK Tony Godden220002010250DF Kevin Ashley0 (1)000000 (1)00 (2)0DF Adrian Bird6 (3)00010108 (3)0DF Julian Dicks 321302000371DF Vince Overson370201000400DF Ray Ranson380300010420DF Brian Roberts261102000291DF Tommy Williams331312010392MF Ian Atkins8100000081MF Des Bremner370202010420MF Gary Childs23 (9)1300 (1)01027 (10)1MF John Frain12 (2)210001013 (2)2MF Ian Handysides28 (2)331210033 (2)5MF Kevin Langley7000000070MF Ronnie Morris0 (1)00000000 (1)0MF Paul Tait0 (1)00000000 (1)0MF John Trewick25 (1)01 (1)0001028 (2)0MF Steve Wigley432312010493MF Mark Yates1 (2)00000001 (2)0FW Andy Kennedy15 (13)710201019 (13)7FW Tony Rees 17 (6)421200 (1)021 (7)5FW Colin Robinson3 (1)10000003 (1)1FW Guy Russell6 (3)00000006 (3)0FW Neil Sproston0 (1)00000000 (1)0FW Phil Starbuck3000000030FW Steve Whitton32 (1)1420211137 (1)16FW Peter Withe *8200000082

See also Birmingham City F.C. seasons

Sources

For match dates, league positions and results: For line-ups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 410–11, 480.

References