# 1987–88 Chester City F.C. season

The 1987–88 season was the 50th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester City, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the second season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in 1986. 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 | 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 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 | L | D | W | L | W | W | L | W | W | W | L | D | D | L | D | W | D | D | D | D | L | D | L | L | L | D | D | L | W | L | W | L | L | W | L | D | W | W | L | W | D | L | D | D | D | W |
| Position | 24 | 19 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 18 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 15 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 15 August | Northampton Town | H | L | 0–5 | | 3,458 |
| 22 August | Southend United | A | D | 2–2 | Graham, Parry | 2,369 |
| 29 August | York City | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,010 |
| 31 August | Rotherham United | A | L | 2–5 | Rimmer (pen), Graham | 2,551 |
| 5 September | Aldershot | H | W | 4–1 | Croft, Rimmer (2, 1 pen), Bennett | 1,700 |
| 12 September | Blackpool | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 4,035 |
| 16 September | Fulham | H | L | 1–2 | Graham | 2,469 |
| 19 September | Grimsby Town | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 1,897 |
| 26 September | Sunderland | A | W | 2–0 | Rimmer, Croft | 12,760 |
| 29 September | Gillingham | A | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 5,193 |
| 3 October | Notts County | H | L | 1–2 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,365 |
| 17 October | Bristol Rovers | A | D | 2–2 | Rimmer, Bennett | 3,038 |
| 20 October | Brentford | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 4,027 |
| 24 October | Mansfield Town | H | L | 0–2 | | 2,453 |
| 31 October | Preston North End | A | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 5,657 |
| 4 November | Port Vale | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 2,789 |
| 7 November | Walsall | H | D | 1–1 | Lightfoot | 3,269 |
| 21 November | Bristol City | A | D | 2–2 | Rimmer (2, 1 pen) | 8,103 |
| 28 November | Chesterfield | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer | 1,843 |
| 5 December | Doncaster Rovers | H | D | 1–1 | Rimmer (pen) | 1,853 |
| 12 December | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | L | 0–1 | | 6,738 |
| 18 December | Bury | H | D | 4–4 | Bennett, Rimmer (2), Howlett | 1,772 |
| 26 December | Sunderland | H | L | 1–2 | Abel | 6,663 |
| 28 December | Wigan Athletic | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,394 |
| 1 January | York City | A | L | 0–2 | | 2,686 |
| 2 January | Blackpool | H | D | 1–2 | Bennett | 3,093 |
| 9 January | Southend United | H | D | 1–1 | Maddy | 2,065 |
| 16 January | Grimsby Town | A | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 2,594 |
| 30 January | Rotherham United | H | W | 1–0 | Barrow | 2,059 |
| 6 February | Aldershot | A | L | 1–4 | Barrow | 2,578 |
| 13 February | Wigan Athletic | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer (pen) | 3,088 |
| 20 February | Northampton Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,285 |
| 27 February | Notts County | A | L | 0–1 | | 5,868 |
| 2 March | Gillingham | H | W | 3–1 | Rimmer (3, 1 pen) | 1,638 |
| 5 March | Bristol Rovers | H | L | 0–3 | | 2,067 |
| 11 March | Doncaster Rovers | A | D | 2–2 | Bennett (2, 1 pen) | 1,482 |
| 19 March | Preston North End | H | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 3,724 |
| 26 March | Mansfield Town | A | W | 2–1 | Lundon, Bennett | 2,918 |
| 2 April | Walsall | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,978 |
| 4 April | Bristol City | H | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 2,849 |
| 9 April | Port Vale | A | D | 1–1 | Lundon | 4,278 |
| 15 April | Fulham | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,131 |
| 23 April | Brentford | H | D | 1–1 | Barrow | 1,777 |
| 30 April | Chesterfield | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,225 |
| 2 May | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | D | 2–2 | Abel, Barrow | 3,345 |
| 7 May | Bury | A | W | 1–0 | Bennett | 1,942 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 14 November | Runcorn (5) | H | L | 0–1 | | 3,533 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 18 August | Blackpool (3) | A | L | 0–2 | | 3,114 |
| First round second leg | 26 August | Blackpool (3) | H | W | 1–0 | Rimmer | 2,143 |

## Associate Members' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Group stage | 13 October | Carlisle United (4) | A | L | 1–2 | Rimmer | 1,418 |
| Group stage | 28 October | Blackpool (3) | H | W | 2–1 | Rimmer, Bennett | 1,226 |
| First round | 19 January | Burnley (4) | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,436 |

## 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 ||||||||||||
| | Mike Astbury | 5 | – | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Billy Stewart | 31 | – | 27 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Mike Stowell | 16 | – | 14 | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | Graham Abel | 51 | 2 | 45 | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – |
| | Jason Banks | 2+1 | – | 1+1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Graham Barrow | 42 | 4 | 38 | 4 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Gary Bennett | 44+3 | 11 | 41+2 | 10 | 0+1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | 1 |
| | Barry Butler | 19+1 | – | 15+1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| | Tony Caldwell | 4 | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Brian Croft | 31+11 | 2 | 26+11 | 2 | 1 | – | 1 | – | 3 | – |
| | Derek Fazackerley | 49 | – | 43 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – |
| | David Glenn | 20+2 | – | 19+2 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Milton Graham | 27+1 | 3 | 24+1 | 3 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Ricky Greenough | 31+4 | – | 28+3 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2+1 | – |
| | Craig Hawtin | 3+2 | – | 3+1 | – | – | – | 0+1 | – | – | – |
| | Steve Hetzke | 17 | – | 14 | – | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Peter Houghton | 10+2 | – | 9+2 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Gary Howlett | 6 | 1 | 6 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Kevin Langley | 9 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Chris Lightfoot | 16+1 | 1 | 15+1 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | John Lowey | 9 | – | 9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Sean Lundon | 24 | 2 | 22 | 2 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | Paul Maddy | 20+1 | 1 | 17+1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 3 | – |
| | Steve Moore | 1+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Aidan Newhouse | 0+1 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Robbie Painter | 0+2 | – | 0+2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Mark Parry | 5+1 | 1 | 4+1 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Stuart Rimmer | 40 | 27 | 34 | 24 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| | Colin Woodthorpe | 40+1 | – | 34+1 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | 3 | – |
| | Own goals | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 52 | 55 | 46 | 51 | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 |