# 1987–88 Kent Football League

The 1987–88 Kent Football League season (known as the Winstonlead Kent League for sponsorship reasons) was the twenty-second in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition featuring teams based in and around the county of Kent in England.
The League structure comprised two divisions: Division One and Division Two with the latter known as the Reserves Section (reserves teams were not permitted in Division One). Additionally there were two league cup competitions: the Challenge Cup for the Division One clubs and another for the teams in Division Two.

## Division One

The league featured nineteen clubs, eighteen of which competed in the previous season together with one additional club:
* Danson, transferred from the London Spartan League
The league was won, for the second successive season, by Greenwich Borough.
At the end of the season both bottom clubs, Herne Bay and Crockenhill, were re-elected to continue their membership of the division.

### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
| 1 | Greenwich Borough | 36 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 111 | 50 | +61 | 83 | |
| 2 | Faversham Town | 36 | 23 | 7 | 6 | 92 | 36 | +56 | 76 | |
| 3 | Whitstable Town | 36 | 20 | 8 | 8 | 57 | 37 | +20 | 68 | |
| 4 | Sittingbourne | 36 | 17 | 11 | 8 | 68 | 53 | +15 | 62 | |
| 5 | Hythe Town | 36 | 19 | 4 | 13 | 70 | 58 | +12 | 61 | |
| 6 | Kent Police | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 69 | 66 | +3 | 56 | |
| 7 | Cray Wanderers | 36 | 16 | 7 | 13 | 72 | 51 | +21 | 55 | |
| 8 | Beckenham Town | 36 | 16 | 5 | 15 | 61 | 55 | +6 | 53 | |
| 9 | Tunbridge Wells | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 52 | |
| 10 | Ramsgate | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 50 | |
| 11 | Darenth Heathside | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 44 | |
| 12 | Alma Swanley | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 44 | |
| 13 | Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 45 | 61 | −16 | 41 | |
| 14 | Slade Green | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 39 | |
| 15 | Danson | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 44 | 68 | −24 | 39 | |
| 16 | Deal Town | 36 | 11 | 5 | 20 | 40 | 67 | −27 | 38 | |
| 17 | Thames Polytechnic | 36 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 37 | 65 | −28 | 38 | |
| 18 | Herne Bay | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 35 | 69 | −34 | 35 | Re-elected |
| 19 | Crockenhill | 36 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 21 | 82 | −61 | 18 | Re-elected |

### Challenge Cup

The 1987–88 Kent Football League Challenge Cup was won, for the second occasion in three seasons, by Tunbridge Wells.
The competition, contested by all nineteen clubs in Division One, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring three ties) culminating in the final which was played on a neutral ground (at Herne Bay F.C. this season).

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | Whitstable Town | 0 | Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Kent Police | Kent Police | Kent Police | 1 | | | | |
| Kent Police | Kent Police | Kent Police | 2 | Kent Police | Kent Police | Kent Police | 1 | | | | |
| Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | Metropolitan Police (Hayes) | 1 | | | | | Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | 4 |
| | | | | | | | | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | 1 |
| Hythe Town | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | 3 | | | | | | | | | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | 1 |
| Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | Sittingbourne | 2 | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | Hythe Town | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | 1 | | | | |
| Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | Darenth Heathside | 0 | Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | 1 | | | | |
| Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | Cray Wanderers | 1 | | | | | | | | |

#### Second Round

* Tunbridge Wells 3 – 1 Beckenham Town
* Whitstable Town 3– 2 Faversham Town
* Deal Town 2 – 3 Kent Police
* Metropolitan Police (Hayes) 3 – 2 Thames Polytechnic
* Hythe Town 4 – 1 Crockenhill
* Sittingbourne 1 – 0 Herne Bay
* Darenth Heathside 1 – 1 (aet) Alma Swanley
* Replay: Alma Swanley 1 – 3 Darenth Heathside
* Greenwich Borough 1 – 2 Cray Wanderers

#### First Round

* Slade Green 0 – 1 Deal Town
* Metropolitan Police (Hayes) 2 – 1 Ramsgate
* Alma Swanley 1 – 0 Danson (played at Danson F.C.)
* Byes for the other thirteen clubs
Sources:
* Final: "Bank Holiday Results, Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League, Division One cup final". Kentish Express. 5 May 1988. p. 60. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Semi-finals: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Cup semi-finals". Kent Messenger. 31 March 1988. p. 87. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Cup third rd". Kent Messenger. 11 March 1988. p. 79. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Second Round: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: League Cup 2nd round". Kent Messenger. 20 November 1987. p. 79. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League Cup, round 2 replay". Kentish Express. 3 December 1987. p. 71. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "Senior soccer details: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead League Cup first round". Kent Messenger. 9 October 1987. p. 79. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.

## Reserves Section

The letter "R" following team names indicates a club's reserves team.
Division Two featured mostly reserves teams (which were not permitted in Division One) from clubs from Kent and the adjacent area whose first team played in Division One and other higher ranked leagues. There was a League Cup competition for the teams in the section.

### Division Two

The league featured eighteen clubs (including one non-reserve team, Snowdown Colliery Welfare), seventeen of which had competed in the division the previous season together with one additional club, newly reformed Beckenham Town R.
The division was won for a then record third successive season (and the fourth time in five seasons) by Fisher Athletic R.
At the end of the season both bottom clubs, Hythe Town R and Herne Bay R were re-elected to continue their membership of the division. Prior to the start of the next season champions Fisher Athletic R and Darenth Heathside R withdrew.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Season End Notes |
| 1 | Fisher Athletic R | 34 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 111 | 21 | +90 | 85 | Resigned |
| 2 | Ashford Town R | 34 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 77 | 25 | +52 | 74 | |
| 3 | Faversham Town R | 34 | 21 | 4 | 9 | 71 | 38 | +33 | 67 | |
| 4 | Dover Athletic R | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | 64 | 47 | +17 | 63 | |
| 5 | Sittingbourne R | 34 | 19 | 5 | 10 | 72 | 52 | +20 | 62 | |
| 6 | Darenth Heathside R | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 63 | 43 | +20 | 59 | Resigned |
| 7 | Snowdown Colliery Welfare | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 59 | 47 | +12 | 57 | |
| 8 | Whitstable Town R | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 31 | 44 | −13 | 46 | |
| 9 | Sheppey United R | 34 | 14 | 3 | 17 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 45 | |
| 10 | Hastings Town R | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 60 | 69 | −9 | 45 | |
| 11 | Ramsgate R | 34 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 54 | 56 | −2 | 41 | |
| 12 | Deal Town R | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 59 | 75 | −16 | 39 | |
| 13 | Folkestone R | 34 | 12 | 3 | 19 | 47 | 80 | −33 | 39 | |
| 14 | Beckenham Town R | 34 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 54 | 74 | −20 | 33 | |
| 15 | Thames Polytechnic R | 34 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 39 | 73 | −34 | 33 | |
| 16 | Thanet United R | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | 36 | 68 | −32 | 30 | |
| 17 | Hythe Town R | 34 | 8 | 4 | 22 | 41 | 85 | −44 | 28 | Re-elected |
| 18 | Herne Bay R | 34 | 8 | 2 | 24 | 41 | 86 | −45 | 26 | Re-elected |

### Division Two Cup

The 1987–88 Kent Football League Division Two Cup was won, for a second successive season, by Sittingbourne R.
The competition, contested by all eighteen clubs in the division, comprised five single match tie rounds (with the first round featuring two ties) culminating in the final which was played on a neutral ground (at Faversham Town F.C. this season).

#### Quarter-finals, Semi-finals and Final

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final |
| Ashford Town R | Ashford Town R | 2 | | | | | | |
| Deal Town R | Deal Town R | 0 | | | | | | |
| Deal Town R | Deal Town R | 0 | Ashford Town R | 4 | 0 | | | |
| | | | Sittingbourne R | 4 | 1 | | | |
| Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | 4 | Sittingbourne R | 4 | 1 | | | |
| Hastings Town R | Hastings Town R | 1 | | | | | | |
| Hastings Town R | Hastings Town R | 1 | | | | Sittingbourne R | Sittingbourne R | 3 |
| | | | | | | Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 2 |
| Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 1 | | | | | | | Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 2 |
| Beckenham Town R | Beckenham Town R | 0 | | | | | | |
| Beckenham Town R | Beckenham Town R | 0 | Sheppey United R | Sheppey United R | 3 | | | |
| | | | Fisher Athletic R | Fisher Athletic R | 2 | | | |
| Fisher Athletic R | Fisher Athletic R | 4 | Fisher Athletic R | Fisher Athletic R | 2 | | | |
| Darenth Heathside R | Darenth Heathside R | 1 | | | | | | |
* 1 2 After extra time, score at 90 minutes: 2–2

#### Second Round

* Herne Bay R 1 – 4 Ashford Town R
* Deal Town R 6 – 0 Thames Polytechnic R
* Thanet United R 2 – 4 Sittingbourne R
* Folkestone R 2 – 3 Hastings Town R
* Ramsgate R v Sheppey United R
* Whitstable Town R 1– 2 Beckenham Town R
* Faversham Town R 0 – 1 Fisher Athletic R
* Dover Athletic R 2 – 3 Darenth Heathside R

#### First Round

* Ashford Town R 1 – 0 Hythe Town R
* Faversham Town R 3 – 1 Snowdown Colliery Welfare
* Byes for the other fourteen clubs
Sources:
* Final: "Mawson double seals cup in late late thriller". East Kent Gazette. 19 May 1988. p. 27. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Semi-finals: "Reserves tilt for cup". East Kent Gazette. 7 April 1988. p. 40. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Soccer Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 League Cup, semi-final". Kentish Express. 21 April 1988. p. 38. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Reserves crash out in replay". Kentish Express. 28 April 1988. p. 71. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Quarter-finals: "Results And Fixtures: Winstonlead Kent League Cup, round 3". Kentish Express. 11 February 1988. p. 69. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Soccer Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2: League Cup, Round 3". Kentish Express. 10 March 1988. p. 60. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "McLeod Double Secures Semis Spot". East Kent Gazette. 10 March 1988. p. 42. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* Second Round: "Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, second round". Kentish Express. 12 November 1987. p. 62. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Results, Fixtures, Tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Dvision 2 Cup". Kentish Express. 19 November 1987. p. 61. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Soccer Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: Division 2 Cup, round 2". Kentish Express. 26 November 1987. p. 63. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.; "Holiday Results, Fixtures, Tables: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League: League Cup". Kentish Express. 7 January 1988. p. 60. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
* First Round: "Soccer Results And Fixtures: Results: Saturday: Winstonlead Kent League Division 2: League Cup". Kentish Express. 8 October 1987. p. 62. Retrieved 13 June 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.