# 1986–87 Chester City F.C. season

The 1986–87 season was the 49th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the first season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in the previous season. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, the Football League Cup and the Associate Members' Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 56 | 62 | −6 | 57 |
| 14 | Rotherham United | 46 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 48 | 57 | −9 | 57 |
| 15 | Chester City | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 56 |
| 16 | Bury | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 55 |
| 17 | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 56 | 69 | −13 | 54 |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Result | D | D | D | D | L | L | W | L | D | D | D | D | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | D | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | D | D | W | W | W | L | L | W | L | W | D | L | L | W | L | L | L | W | L |
| Position | 10 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 20 | 23 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 22 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 15 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 23 August | Carlisle United | H | D | 2–2 | Holden (pen), Houghton | 3,425 |
| 30 August | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 2,985 |
| 6 September | Fulham | H | D | 2–2 | Greenough, Bennett | 2,568 |
| 13 September | Swindon Town | A | D | 1–1 | Barrow | 5,669 |
| 16 September | Bournemouth | A | L | 0–2 | | 3,027 |
| 27 September | Darlington | A | L | 0–1 | | 1,902 |
| 1 October | Doncaster Rovers | H | W | 1–0 | Holden (pen) | 2,578 |
| 4 October | Bristol City | H | L | 0–3 | | 2,796 |
| 11 October | Newport County | A | D | 2–2 | Kelly (2) | 2,119 |
| 15 October | Gillingham | H | D | 1–1 | Greenough | 2,169 |
| 18 October | Mansfield Town | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,377 |
| 21 October | York City | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,322 |
| 25 October | Bolton Wanderers | A | D | 1–1 | Houghton | 4,607 |
| 1 November | Walsall | H | D | 0–0 | | 2,872 |
| 4 November | Rotherham United | A | L | 0–3 | | 2,439 |
| 8 November | Brentford | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett (pen) | 2,016 |
| 22 November | Bristol Rovers | H | W | 3–1 | Bennett (2), Croft | 2,026 |
| 29 November | Middlesbrough | A | W | 2–1 | Greenough, Abel | 9,464 |
| 14 December | Port Vale | A | L | 1–2 | Kelly | 3,347 |
| 19 December | Chesterfield | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,706 |
| 26 December | Wigan Athletic | A | D | 2–2 | Bennett (2) | 4,187 |
| 27 December | Blackpool | H | L | 1–4 | Barrow | 4,002 |
| 24 January | Fulham | A | W | 5–0 | Kelly (2), Graham, Barrow, Bennett | 3,067 |
| 7 February | Bournemouth | H | D | 2–2 | Kelly, Bennett | 2,838 |
| 14 February | Gillingham | A | W | 2–1 | Rimmer, Woodthorpe | 4,467 |
| 17 February | Notts County | H | L | 1–2 | Bennett | 2,784 |
| 21 February | Darlington | H | W | 6–0 | Barrow (2), Graham, Bennett (2), Rimmer | 2,380 |
| 27 February | Doncaster Rovers | A | D | 1–1 | Woodthorpe | 2,176 |
| 7 March | Bolton Wanderers | H | D | 0–0 | | 2,764 |
| 14 March | Mansfield Town | A | W | 3–2 | Rimmer, Kelly, Graham | 2,742 |
| 18 March | York City | H | W | 2–1 | Walwyn (o.g.), Greenough | 2,325 |
| 21 March | Newport County | H | W | 2–0 | Houghton, Rimmer | 2,561 |
| 25 March | Bury | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,729 |
| 28 March | Bristol City | A | L | 0–1 | | 8,230 |
| 1 April | Swindon Town | H | W | 2–0 | Greenough, Rimmer | 2,626 |
| 4 April | Brentford | A | L | 1–3 | Kelly | 3,496 |
| 11 April | Rotherham United | H | W | 1–0 | Greenough | 2,174 |
| 18 April | Notts County | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 4,528 |
| 20 April | Wigan Athletic | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 3,813 |
| 22 April | Walsall | A | L | 0–1 | | 5,117 |
| 25 April | Chesterfield | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 1,667 |
| 28 April | Bristol Rovers | A | L | 2–3 | Greenough, Rimmer | 2,323 |
| 2 May | Middlesbrough | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 3,780 |
| 4 May | Blackpool | A | L | 0–1 | | 2,069 |
| 6 May | Carlisle United | A | W | 2–0 | Rimmer (pen), Bennett | 1,287 |
| 9 May | Port Vale | H | L | 1–2 | Graham | 3,013 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 15 November | Rotherham United (3) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett (pen) | 2,749 |
| First round replay | 18 November | Rotherham United (3) | A | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 2,692 |
| First round second replay | 24 November | Rotherham United (3) | H | W | 1–0 | Croft | 3,203 |
| Second round | 6 December | Doncaster Rovers (3) | H | W | 3–1 | Bennett (pen), Graham, Houghton | 3,821 |
| Third round | 10 January | Wrexham (4) | A | W | 2–1 | Bennett (2) | 9,265 |
| Fourth round | 31 January | Sheffield Wednesday (1) | H | D | 1–1 | Kelly | 8,146 |
| Fourth round replay | 4 February | Sheffield Wednesday (1) | A | L | 1–3 | Bennett | 20,726 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 27 August | Derby County (2) | A | W | 1–0 | Houghton | 8,531 |
| First round second leg | 3 September | Derby County (2) | H | L | 1–2 | Bennett | 4,012 |

## Associate Members' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Group stage | 2 December | Crewe Alexandra (4) | A | W | 2–1 | Kelly, Bennett | 1,271 |
| Group stage | 16 December | Preston North End (4) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,125 |
| First round | 20 January | Lincoln City (4) | H | D | 1–1 | Bennett | 1,194 |
| 1,194 |||
| Area quarterfinal | 10 February | Bolton Wanderers (3) | A | W | 2–1 | Bennett, Barrow | 3,900 |
| Area semifinal | 23 March | Wrexham (4) | A | W | 3–1 | Barrow, Fazackerkey (pen), Rimmer | 5,662 |
| Area final | 8 April | Mansfield Town (3) | A | L | 0–2 | | 7,679 |
| Area final | 15 April | Mansfield Town (3) | H | W | 1–0 | Woodthorpe | 8,187 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | AM Cup | AM Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||
| | John Butcher | 20 | – | 17 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Billy Stewart | 42 | – | 29 | – | 5 | – | 2 | – | 6 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | Graham Abel | 57 | 1 | 41 | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | – | 7 | – |
| | Graham Barrow | 54 | 7 | 41 | 5 | 6 | – | 2 | – | 5 | 2 |
| | Gary Bennett | 40+8 | 23 | 26+7 | 13 | 7 | 5 | 1+1 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| | Barry Butler | 60 | – | 44 | – | 7 | – | 2 | – | 7 | – |
| | Brian Croft | 13+17 | 2 | 10+11 | 1 | 1+3 | 1 | – | – | 2+3 | – |
| | Derek Fazackerley | 30 | 1 | 23 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 5 | 1 |
| | David Glenn | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Milton Graham | 58 | 5 | 42 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 2 | – | 7 | – |
| | Ricky Greenough | 57 | 7 | 44 | 7 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 7 | – |
| | Andy Holden | 8 | 2 | 8 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Peter Houghton | 45+5 | 5 | 35+2 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2+3 | – |
| | Terry Howard | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | John Kelly | 57 | 12 | 42 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 2 | – | 6 | 1 |
| | Martin Lane | 29 | – | 21 | – | 4 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| | Sean Lundon | 19 | – | 12 | – | 5 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Ian Richardson | 5+5 | – | 4+4 | – | – | – | 1+1 | – | – | – |
| | Stuart Rimmer | 42+8 | 14 | 34+4 | 13 | 2+3 | – | – | – | 6+1 | 1 |
| | Mark Sconce | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 0+1 | – |
| | Colin Woodthorpe | 40+1 | 3 | 30 | 2 | 2+1 | – | 2 | – | 6 | 1 |
| | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 62 | 83 | 46 | 61 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 10 |