First Division Table 1987/88

  P W D L F A GD Pts
CFirst Division Champions 1 Liverpool 40 26 12 2 87 24 +63 90
  2 Manchester Utd 40 23 12 5 71 38 +33 81
  3 Nottingham Forest 40 20 13 7 67 39 +28 73
  4 Everton 40 19 13 8 53 27 +26 70
  5 Queens Park Rangers 40 19 10 11 48 38 +10 67
  6 Arsenal 40 18 12 10 58 39 +19 66
  7 Wimbledon 40 14 15 11 58 47 +11 57
  8 Newcastle Utd 40 14 14 12 55 53 +2 56
  9 Luton Town 40 14 11 15 57 58 -1 53
  10 Coventry City 40 13 14 13 46 53 -7 53
  11 Sheffield Wednesday 40 15 8 17 52 66 -14 53
  12 Southampton 40 12 14 14 49 53 -4 50
  13 Tottenham Hotspur 40 12 11 17 38 48 -10 47
  14 Norwich City 40 12 9 19 40 52 -12 45
  15 Derby County 40 10 13 17 35 45 -10 43
  16 West Ham Utd 40 9 15 16 40 52 -12 42
  17 Charlton Athletic 40 9 15 16 38 52 -14 42
PPlay-off position 18 Chelsea 40 9 15 16 50 68 -18 42
RRelegation position 19 Portsmouth 40 7 14 19 36 66 -30 35
RRelegation position 20 Watford 40 7 11 22 27 51 -24 32
RRelegation position 21 Oxford Utd 40 6 13 21 44 80 -36 31

3 points for a win
Goal difference (GD) applies if teams are level on points.
Goals scored applies if teams are level on points and goal difference.

C = League Champions
R = Relegated

During the 1986/87 and 1987/88 seasons the three bottom teams were relegated and the fourth from bottom went into the play-offs with the third, fourth, & fifth, clubs from division 2.

The competing clubs were, Chelsea (D1), Blackburn Rovers, Bradford City and Middlesbrough (D2).

Divisions 1 & 2 Play-ff Semi-Finals

  1st leg: Sun May 15th        2nd leg: Wed May 18th
  ---------------------        ---------------------
   Blackburn 0-2 Chelsea        Chelsea 4-1 Blackburn
   Bradford  1-0 M'boro         M'boro  2-0 Bradford (a.e.t.)

  Agregate scores
  ---------------
   Chelsea 6-1 Blackburn
   M'boro  3-2 Bradford

Play-off Final

  1st leg: Wed May 25th     2nd leg: Sat May 28th
  ---------------------     ---------------------
   M'boro 2-0 Chelsea        Chelsea 1-0 M'boro

  Agregate scores
  ---------------
   M'boro 2-1 Chelsea

   Middlesbrough promoted to the first division.
   Chelsea relegated to the second division.