1987–88 Wimbledon F.C. season
# 1987–88 Wimbledon F.C. season

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During the 1987–88 English football season, Wimbledon F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. It was Wimbledon's second consecutive season in the top flight and eleventh consecutive season in the Football League. They ended the season as FA Cup winners and finished seventh in the league. It was their first season under the management of Bobby Gould, who had been appointed following the resignation of Dave Bassett at the end of the previous season.

## Season summary

Wimbledon continued to exceed expectations in the First Division, finishing in seventh in the final table, one place lower than their sixth place the previous season. However, Wimbledon's greatest success during the season, perhaps in their entire history, came in the FA Cup, defeating West Bromwich Albion (4–1, home), Mansfield Town (1-2, away), Newcastle United (1-3, away), Watford (2–1, home) and Luton Town (2-1, neutral) to reach their first ever FA Cup Final, against that season's champions Liverpool. Wimbledon took a lead in the 37th minute when Lawrie Sanchez scored a looping header from Dennis Wise's free kick on the left. Liverpool created many chances, with Peter Beardsley finding the net but his goal being disallowed, but failed to pull a goal back, with Dave Beasant saving a penalty from John Aldridge after Clive Goodyear was (incorrectly) adjudged to have fouled inside the box; Beasant was the first goalkeeper to ever save a penalty in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Wimbledon held on to win their first (and only) FA Cup. Due to the ban on English clubs competing in European competition as a result of the Heysel disaster, Wimbledon were denied the opportunity to compete in the Cup Winners' Cup.

## Kit

Wimbledon's kit was manufactured by Spall and sponsored by Truman. Wimbledon's kit for the FA Cup final were sponsored by Danish brewery Carlsberg, who had signed a deal to sponsor Wimbledon's kits for the next season.

## First-team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | - | - | - |
| — | GK | ENG | Dave Beasant (captain) |
| — | GK | ENG | Simon Tracey |
| — | DF | ENG | Kevin Bedford |
| — | DF | ENG | Peter Cawley |
| — | DF | ENG | Brian Gayle |
| — | DF | ENG | Clive Goodyear |
| — | DF | ENG | John Scales |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Thorn |
| — | DF | ENG | Eric Young |
| — | DF | IRL | Terry Phelan |
| — | MF | ENG | Alan Cork |
| — | MF | ENG | Wally Downes |
| — | MF | ENG | Carlton Fairweather |
| — | MF | ENG | John Gannon |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| — | MF | ENG | Ian Hazel |
| — | MF | WAL | Vinnie Jones |
| — | MF | ENG | Paul Miller |
| — | MF | ENG | Vaughan Ryan |
| — | MF | NIR | Lawrie Sanchez |
| — | MF | ENG | Dennis Wise |
| — | FW | ENG | Laurie Cunningham |
| — | FW | ENG | John Fashanu |
| — | FW | ENG | Paul Fishenden |
| — | FW | ENG | Terry Gibson |
| — | DF | ENG | Mick Smith |
| — | DF | ENG | Andy Clement |
| — | FW | ENG | Andy Sayer |
| — | MF | ENG | Steve Galliers |

## Staff

* Manager: Bobby Gould
* Assistant manager: Don Howe
* Chief scout: Ron Suart
* Youth team manager: David Kemp
* Physiotherapist: Steve Allen
* Kit man: Sid Neal, Joe Dillon

## Transfers

### In

* Terry Gibson from Manchester United, £200,000, 24 August

## Results

### First Division

**October**

* 17 October: Luton Town 2-0 Wimbledon

**November**

* 4 November: Wimbledon 1-1 Liverpool
* 7 November: Wimbledon 2-0 Southampton
* 14 November: Coventry 3-3 Wimbledon
* 21 November: Wimbledon 2-1 Manchester United
* 28 November: Chelsea 1-1 Wimbledon

**December**

* 5 December: Wimbledon 1-1 Nottingham Forest
* 12 December: Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Wimbledon
* 18 December: Wimbledon 1-0 Norwich City
* 26 December: West Ham United 1-2 Wimbledon

**January**

* 2 January: Oxford United 2-5 Wimbledon

**March**

* 5 March: Wimbledon 2-0 Luton Town

**May**

* 9 May: Manchester United 2-1 Wimbledon

**Unknown date**

* Wimbledon 3-1 Arsenal
* Wimbledon 4-1 Charlton Athletic
* Wimbledon 2-2 Chelsea
* Wimbledon 1-2 Coventry City
* Wimbledon 2-1 Derby County
* Wimbledon 1-1 Everton
* Wimbledon 0-0 Newcastle United
* Wimbledon 1-0 Norwich City
* Wimbledon 1-1 Nottingham Forest
* Wimbledon 1-1 Oxford United
* Wimbledon 2-2 Portsmouth
* Wimbledon 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
* Wimbledon 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
* Wimbledon 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
* Wimbledon 1-2 Watford
* Wimbledon 1-1 West Ham United
* Arsenal 3-0 Wimbledon
* Charlton Athletic 1-1 Wimbledon
* Derby County 0-1 Wimbledon
* Everton 2-2 Wimbledon
* Liverpool 2-1 Wimbledon (matchday 31)
* Newcastle United 1-2 Wimbledon
* Norwich City 0-1 Wimbledon
* Nottingham Forest 0-0 Wimbledon
* Portsmouth 2-1 Wimbledon
* Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Wimbledon
* Southampton 2-2 Wimbledon
* Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Wimbledon
* Watford 1-0 Wimbledon

| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 6 | Arsenal | 40 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 58 | 39 | +19 | 66 |
| 7 | Wimbledon | 40 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 58 | 47 | +11 | 57 |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 40 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 56 |

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

