# 1987–88 Mansfield Town F.C. season

The 1987–88 season was Mansfield Town's 51st season in the Football League and 17th in the Third Division they finished in 19th position with 54 points.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 1 | Sunderland (C, P) | 46 | 27 | 12 | 7 | 92 | 48 | +44 | 93 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion (P) | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 69 | 47 | +22 | 84 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 3 | Walsall (O, P) | 46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 68 | 50 | +18 | 82 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 4 | Notts County | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 82 | 49 | +33 | 81 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 5 | Bristol City | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 77 | 62 | +15 | 75 | Qualification for the Third Division play-offs |
| 6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 18 | 19 | 9 | 70 | 51 | +19 | 73 | |
| 7 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 70 | 61 | +9 | 72 | |
| 8 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 68 | 56 | +12 | 66 | |
| 9 | Fulham | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 69 | 60 | +9 | 66 | |
| 10 | Blackpool | 46 | 17 | 14 | 15 | 71 | 62 | +9 | 65 | |
| 11 | Port Vale | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 58 | 56 | +2 | 65 | |
| 12 | Brentford | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 53 | 59 | −6 | 62 | |
| 13 | Gillingham | 46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 77 | 61 | +16 | 59 | |
| 14 | Bury | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 58 | 57 | +1 | 59 | |
| 15 | Chester City | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 58 | |
| 16 | Preston North End | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 58 | |
| 17 | Southend United | 46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 65 | 83 | −18 | 55 | |
| 18 | Chesterfield | 46 | 15 | 10 | 21 | 41 | 70 | −29 | 55 | |
| 19 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 48 | 59 | −11 | 54 | |
| 20 | Aldershot | 46 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 64 | 74 | −10 | 53 | |
| 21 | Rotherham United (R) | 46 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 50 | 66 | −16 | 52 | Qualification for the Fourth Division play-offs |
| 22 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 48 | 58 | −10 | 50 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |
| 23 | York City (R) | 46 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 48 | 91 | −43 | 33 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |
| 24 | Doncaster Rovers (R) | 46 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 40 | 84 | −44 | 33 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |

## Results
### Football League Third Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 15 August 1987 | Bristol City | H | 2–0 | 5,441 | Cassells, Stringfellow |
| 2 | 29 August 1987 | Chesterfield | H | 0–1 | 5,223 | |
| 3 | 31 August 1987 | Sunderland | A | 1–4 | 13,994 | Stringfellow |
| 4 | 4 September 1987 | Fulham | H | 0–2 | 3,519 | |
| 5 | 12 September 1987 | Grimsby Town | A | 3–2 | 3,436 | Cassells, Hodges, Charles |
| 6 | 15 September 1987 | Wigan Athletic | H | 0–1 | 3,263 | |
| 7 | 19 September 1987 | Southend United | H | 1–0 | 2,857 | Stringfellow |
| 8 | 26 September 1987 | Rotherham United | A | 1–2 | 3,839 | Kent |
| 9 | 29 September 1987 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 2–0 | 3,159 | Stringfellow (2) |
| 10 | 3 October 1987 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–2 | 2,980 | Charles |
| 11 | 11 October 1987 | Notts County | A | 1–1 | 8,573 | Charles |
| 12 | 17 October 1987 | Gillingham | H | 2–2 | 2,957 | Charles, Stringfellow |
| 13 | 20 October 1987 | Northampton Town | H | 3–1 | 3,646 | Charles, Hodges, Coleman |
| 14 | 24 October 1987 | Chester City | A | 2–0 | 2,461 | Charles, Cassells |
| 15 | 31 October 1987 | Blackpool | H | 0–0 | 3,223 | |
| 16 | 3 November 1987 | Bury | A | 0–1 | 2,248 | |
| 17 | 7 November 1987 | Preston North End | H | 0–0 | 3,632 | |
| 18 | 21 November 1987 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–1 | 3,285 | Kent |
| 19 | 28 November 1987 | Walsall | A | 1–2 | 4,327 | Charles |
| 20 | 12 December 1987 | Brentford | A | 2–2 | 3,729 | Cassells, Stringfellow |
| 21 | 20 December 1987 | Port Vale | H | 4–0 | 3,173 | Kent (4) |
| 22 | 26 December 1987 | Rotherham United | H | 0–1 | 4,771 | |
| 23 | 28 December 1987 | York City | A | 2–2 | 2,781 | Charles, Kent |
| 24 | 1 January 1988 | Chesterfield | A | 1–3 | 5,070 | Cassells |
| 25 | 2 January 1988 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–0 | 3,320 | Ryan |
| 26 | 15 January 1988 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | 3,079 | Cassells |
| 27 | 6 February 1988 | Fulham | A | 0–0 | 3,330 | |
| 28 | 13 February 1988 | York City | H | 2–1 | 2,756 | Charles, Owen |
| 29 | 20 February 1988 | Bristol City | A | 2–1 | 9,528 | Kent, Graham |
| 30 | 27 February 1988 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 3,192 | Cassells |
| 31 | 1 March 1988 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2–0 | 1,187 | Cassells, Coleman |
| 32 | 5 March 1988 | Gillingham | A | 0–0 | 3,627 | |
| 33 | 12 March 1988 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 8,002 | Owen |
| 34 | 19 March 1988 | Blackpool | A | 0–2 | 2,847 | |
| 35 | 22 March 1988 | Aldershot | H | 1–0 | 2,344 | Charles |
| 36 | 26 March 1988 | Chester City | H | 1–2 | 2,918 | Charles |
| 37 | 28 March 1988 | Wigan Athletic | A | 1–2 | 3,217 | Kent |
| 38 | 2 April 1988 | Preston North End | A | 0–1 | 6,278 | |
| 39 | 5 April 1988 | Walsall | H | 1–3 | 4,901 | Charles |
| 40 | 10 April 1988 | Northampton Town | A | 0–2 | 6,917 | |
| 41 | 19 April 1988 | Aldershot | A | 0–3 | 2,339 | |
| 42 | 23 April 1988 | Bury | H | 0–0 | 2,384 | |
| 43 | 26 April 1988 | Sunderland | H | 0–4 | 6,935 | |
| 44 | 30 April 1988 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–3 | 11,503 | Stringfellow |
| 45 | 2 May 1988 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | 2,664 | Kent, Charles |
| 46 | 7 May 1988 | Port Vale | A | 1–1 | 3,617 | Owen |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 14 November 1987 | Preston North End | A | 1–1 | 7,415 | Stringfellow |
| R1 Replay | 17 November 1987 | Preston North End | H | 4–2 | 4,682 | Cassells (2), Charles, Kent |
| R2 | 5 December 1987 | Lincoln City | H | 4–3 | 5,671 | Cassells, Lowery, Kent, Foster |
| R3 | 9 January 1988 | Bath City | H | 4–0 | 5,080 | Ryan, Charles (2), Withey (o.g.) |
| R4 | 30 January 1988 | Wimbledon | H | 1–2 | 10,642 | Kent |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st leg | 18 August 1987 | Birmingham City | H | 2–2 | 4,425 | Stringfellow (2) |
| R1 2nd leg | 25 August 1987 | Birmingham City | A | 1–0 | 6,054 | Cassells |
| R2 1st leg | 23 September 1987 | Oxford United | A | 1–1 | 4,651 | Kent |
| R2 2nd leg | 6 October 1987 | Oxford United | H | 0–2 | 6,295 | |

### League Trophy

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| PR | 13 October 1987 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 1–0 | 1,280 | Lowery |
| PR | 27 October 1987 | Hartlepool United | H | 3–2 | 2,170 | Eves, Cassells, Smith (o.g.) |
| R1 | 19 January 1988 | Scunthorpe United | H | 1–0 | 3,637 | Charles |
| QF | 16 February 1988 | Preston North End | A | 1–2 | 5,332 | Kent |

## Squad statistics

* Squad list sourced from 1987–88 Mansfield Town F.C. season at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | League Trophy | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Andy Beasley | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| GK | Kevin Hitchcock | 33 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| GK | Eric Steele | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | Nicky Andersen | 3(9) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(10) | 0 |
| DF | Steve Chambers | 1(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 3(9) | 0 |
| DF | Simon Coleman | 44 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 2 |
| DF | George Foster | 44 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 57 | 1 |
| DF | Paul Garner | 14(5) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18(5) | 0 |
| DF | Mike Graham | 46 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59 | 1 |
| DF | Tony Kenworthy | 29(1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34(1) | 0 |
| DF | Craig McKernon | 9(5) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13(8) | 0 |
| DF | John Ryan | 30(2) | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 40(2) | 2 |
| MF | Steve Charles | 46 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 59 | 14 |
| MF | Jason Danskin | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 |
| MF | David Hodges | 21(1) | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 24(3) | 2 |
| MF | Mark Kearney | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| MF | Tony Lowery | 44 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 57 | 2 |
| MF | Phil Stubbins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| FW | Keith Cassells | 40 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 15 |
| FW | Mel Eves | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | Kevin Kent | 45 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 58 | 16 |
| FW | Michael Marks | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| FW | Gordon Owen | 15(2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15(2) | 3 |
| FW | Ian Stringfellow | 22(8) | 8 | 3(1) | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 29(10) | 11 |
| FW | Neil Whatmore | 0(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | 0 |
| FW | Steve Williams | 0(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(4) | 0 |
| – | Own goals | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 1 | – | 2 |