# 1988–89 Leicester City F.C. season

During the 1988–89 English football season, Leicester City F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.

## Season summary

In the 1988–89 season, Leicester failed to put consecutive wins in the league for the first time since the 1977–78 relegation season from the top flight. The only highlight in the league for the Foxes was a 2–0 win over champions Chelsea, which delayed their promotion celebrations and also ending their 27-match unbeaten run. Leicester's 15th place finish meant the Foxes finished in the bottom half of the Second Division for a second consecutive season, which they had not done since 1951.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 59 |
| 14 | Bradford City | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 52 | 59 | −7 | 56 |
| 15 | Leicester City | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 56 | 63 | −7 | 55 |
| 16 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 11 | 21 | 14 | 75 | 72 | +3 | 54 |
| 17 | Oxford United | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 62 | 70 | −8 | 54 |

## Results

Leicester City's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 27 August 1988 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 13,082 | Mauchlen |
| 29 August 1988 | Portsmouth | A | 0–2 | 10,737 | |
| 3 September 1988 | Birmingham City | A | 3–2 | 7,932 | Newell, Cross, Quinn |
| 10 September 1988 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–1 | 10,816 | |
| 17 September 1988 | Oxford United | A | 1–1 | 6,610 | Cross |
| 21 September 1988 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 1–0 | 9,117 | Newell |
| 24 September 1988 | Watford | H | 2–2 | 10,957 | Walsh, Reid |
| 1 October 1988 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | 7,050 | Quinn |
| 4 October 1988 | Hull City | A | 2–2 | 5,079 | McAllister, Williams |
| 8 October 1988 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–0 | 9,021 | Quinn |
| 15 October 1988 | Stoke City | H | 2–0 | 10,312 | Newell (2) |
| 22 October 1988 | Leeds United | A | 1–1 | 17,263 | Quinn |
| 26 October 1988 | Swindon Town | H | 3–3 | 9,751 | McAllister (2, 1 pen), King (own goal) |
| 29 October 1988 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–3 | 5,178 | |
| 5 November 1988 | Manchester City | H | 0–0 | 14,080 | |
| 12 November 1988 | Walsall | A | 1–0 | 6,895 | Newell |
| 19 November 1988 | Crystal Palace | A | 2–4 | 8,843 | Newell, McAllister |
| 26 November 1988 | Bradford City | H | 1–0 | 9,533 | Quinn |
| 3 December 1988 | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–1 | 5,789 | Quinn |
| 10 December 1988 | Sunderland | H | 3–1 | 11,093 | Newell, Cross, Reid |
| 17 December 1988 | Barnsley | A | 0–3 | 6,477 | |
| 26 December 1988 | Bournemouth | H | 0–1 | 13,896 | |
| 31 December 1988 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 4–0 | 10,820 | Turner, Cross, Newell, McAllister |
| 2 January 1989 | Ipswich Town | A | 0–2 | 14,037 | |
| 14 January 1989 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 10,567 | Turner, Reid |
| 21 January 1989 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | 20,785 | Reid |
| 4 February 1989 | Hull City | H | 0–2 | 9,996 | |
| 11 February 1989 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 9,572 | McAllister |
| 18 February 1989 | Leeds United | H | 1–2 | 14,151 | Cross |
| 25 February 1989 | Stoke City | A | 2–2 | 9,666 | Reid, Walsh |
| 28 February 1989 | Swindon Town | A | 1–2 | 7,456 | Newell |
| 4 March 1989 | Walsall | H | 1–0 | 9,375 | Cross |
| 11 March 1989 | Manchester City | A | 2–4 | 22,266 | McAllister, Newell |
| 15 March 1989 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 1–1 | 7,750 | McAllister |
| 18 March 1989 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 1–1 | 6,703 | Cross |
| 25 March 1989 | Birmingham City | H | 2–0 | 9,564 | Mauchlen (2) |
| 27 March 1989 | Bournemouth | A | 1–2 | 8,913 | McAllister |
| 1 April 1989 | Oxford United | H | 1–0 | 8,187 | McAllister |
| 8 April 1989 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–0 | 8,103 | |
| 11 April 1989 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | 7,266 | |
| 15 April 1989 | Chelsea | H | 2–0 | 19,468 | Reid, Cross |
| 22 April 1989 | Watford | A | 1–2 | 11,262 | Newell |
| 29 April 1989 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | 8,703 | Paris |
| 1 May 1989 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–2 | 7,223 | Newell |
| 6 May 1989 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–2 | 9,917 | North, Cross |
| 13 May 1989 | Sunderland | A | 2–2 | 15,819 | McAllister, Newell (pen) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 7 January 1989 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 23,838 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 1st leg | 28 September 1988 | Watford | H | 4–1 | 9,512 | Reid, Walsh, Cross, McAllister (pen) |
| R2 2nd leg | 11 October 1988 | Watford | A | 2–2 (won 6–3 on agg) | 9,087 | Mauchlen, Newell |
| R3 | 2 November 1988 | Norwich City | H | 2–0 | 14,586 | Newell, Reid |
| R4 | 30 November 1988 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 26,764 | |
| R4R | 14 December 1988 | Nottingham Forest | A | 1–2 | 26,676 | Clarke |

### Full Members Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 8 November 1988 | Watford | A | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | 3,626 | |

## 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 | Martin Hodge |
| - | MF | SCO | Ali Mauchlen (captain) |
| - | DF | ENG | Tony Spearing |
| - | MF | NIR | Paul Ramsey |
| - | DF | ENG | Steve Walsh |
| - | DF | ENG | Grant Brown |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Reid |
| - | FW | ENG | Nicky Cross |
| - | FW | ENG | Mike Newell |
| - | MF | SCO | Gary McAllister |
| - | MF | ENG | Phil Turner |
| - | FW | NIR | Jimmy Quinn |
| - | GK | ENG | Paul Cooper |
| - | DF | ENG | Alan Paris |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| - | MF | SCO | Peter Weir |
| - | GK | ENG | Carl Muggleton |
| - | DF | ENG | Simon Morgan |
| - | MF | IRL | Martin Russell |
| - | MF | ENG | Darren Williams |
| - | MF | ENG | Paul Groves |
| - | DF | IRL | Tony Brien |
| - | MF | ENG | Gary Mills |
| - | MF | IRL | Mick Kennedy |
| - | DF | ENG | Gary Charles (on loan from Nottingham Forest) |
| - | FW | ENG | Marc North |
| - | DF | IRL | Peter Eccles |
| - | MF | ENG | Dave Puttnam |
| - | FW | ENG | Steve Wilkinson |