1986–87 Leeds United A.F.C. season

Leeds United
1986–87 season
ChairmanLeslie Silver
ManagerBilly Bremner
StadiumElland Road
Second Division4th
Play-offsFinal
FA CupSemi-final
League CupSecond round
Full Members' CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Ian Baird
John Sheridan
(15 each)
All:
Ian Baird (19)
Highest home attendance31,395 vs Charlton Athletic
(29 May 1987, Play-offs)
Lowest home attendance3,960 vs Bradford City (1 October 1986, Full Members' Cup)
Average home league attendance31,178

The 1986–87 season was Leeds United's 60th season in the Football League, and their fifth consecutive season in the Football League Second Division, the second tier of English football, where they finished 4th, qualifying for the Football League Second Division play-offs, where they lost in the final to Charlton Athletic. Alongside the Second Division, the club competed in the FA Cup and the Football League Cup, being eliminated in the semi-finals of the former and the second round of the latter.

Background

Leeds United had played in the second tier of English football since they were relegated in the 1981–82 season.[1] Billy Bremner had been appointed as their manager in October 1985, replacing Eddie Gray.[2] After leading the club to 14th position in the league that season, Bremner made a number of changes to playing staff, including bringing in at least ten players. Along with the fourth-place finish in the league, Bremner oversaw Leeds' run to the semi-final of the 1986–87 FA Cup where they lost to Coventry City F.C.[3]

Season summary

Competitions

Second Division

Main article: 1986–87 Football League § Second Division

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Portsmouth (P) 42 23 9 10 53 28 +25 78 Promotion to the First Division
3 Oldham Athletic 42 22 9 11 65 44 +21 75 Qualification for the Second Division play-offs
4 Leeds United 42 19 11 12 58 44 +14 68
5 Ipswich Town 42 17 13 12 59 43 +16 64
6 Crystal Palace 42 19 5 18 51 53 −2 62
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(P) Promoted

Matches

Win Draw Loss
Second Division match results
Date Opponent Venue Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
23 August 1986 Blackburn Rovers Away 1–2 Ritchie 8,346
25 August 1986 Stoke City Home 2–1 Sheridan, Baird 13,334
30 August 1986 Sheffield United Home 0–1 18,294
2 September 1986 Barnsley Away 1–0 Baird 6,839
6 September 1986 Huddersfield Town Away 1–1 Sheridan 9,306
13 September 1986 Reading Home 3–2 Edwards, Ritchie, Buckley 12,248
20 September 1986 Bradford City Away 0–2 13,525
27 September 1986 Hull City Home 3–0 Ritchie (pen.), Baird, Ormsby 13,551
4 October 1986 Plymouth Argyle Away 1–1 Baird 11,923
11 October 1986 Crystal Palace Home 3–0 Sheridan (pen.), Ormsby, Edwards 14,316
18 October 1986 Portsmouth Home 3–1 Sheridan (pen.), Ritchie, Baird 21,361
25 October 1986 Grimsby Town Away 0–0 7,223
1 November 1986 Shrewsbury Town Home 1–0 Aspin 14,966
8 November 1986 Millwall Away 0–1 6,869
15 November 1986 Oldham Athletic Home 0–2 21,052
21 November 1986 Birmingham City Away 1–2 Sheridan 7,836
29 November 1986 Derby County Home 2–0 Sheridan, Edwards 19,129
6 December 1986 West Bromwich Albion Away 0–3 19,853
13 December 1986 Brighton & Hove Albion Home 3–1 Sheridan, Snodin, Baird 12,014
21 December 1986 Stoke City Away 2–7 Baird, Sheridan (pen.) 12,358
26 December 1986 Sunderland Home 1–1 Bennett (o.g.) 21,286
27 December 1986 Oldham Athletic Away 1–0 Ritchie 8,477
1 January 1987 Ipswich Town Away 0–2 14,125
3 January 1987 Huddersfield Town Home 1–1 Baird 17,983
24 January 1987 Blackburn Rovers Home 0–0 14,452
7 February 1987 Sheffield United Away 0–0 12,494
14 February 1987 Barnsley Home 2–2 Baird, Sheridan 14,216
28 February 1987 Bradford City Home 1–0 Edwards 21,802
7 March 1987 Grimsby Town Home 2–0 Ritchie, Sheridan (pen.) 14,270
10 March 1987 Portsmouth Away 1–1 Adams 13,745
21 March 1987 Crystal Palace Away 0–1 8,781
28 March 1987 Plymouth Argyle Home 4–0 Sheridan, Baird (3) 18,618
4 April 1987 Millwall Home 2–0 Baird, Ritchie 18,304
8 April 1987 Hull City Away 0–0 9,531
14 April 1987 Shrewsbury Town Away 2–0 Sheridan, Pearson 4,186
18 April 1987 Ipswich Town Home 3–2 McDonald, Sheridan, Ormsby 24,839
20 April 1987 Sunderland Away 1–1 Pearson 14,725
22 April 1987 Reading Away 1–2 Pearson 7,415
25 April 1987 Birmingham City Home 4–0 Sheridan, Baird (2), Edwards 19,100
2 May 1987 Derby County Away 1–2 Ashurst 20,087
4 May 1987 West Bromwich Albion Home 3–2 Sheridan (pen.), Pearson, Ormsby 24,688
9 May 1987 Brighton & Hove Albion Away 1–0 Edwards 8,139

Source:[4]

Play-offs

Main articles: 1987 Football League play-offs and 1987 Football League Second Division play-off Final
Semi-final, first leg
Leeds United1–0Oldham Athletic
Edwards [5][6]
Attendance: 29,472
Referee: George Tyson
Semi-final, second leg
Oldham Athletic2–1 (a.e.t.)
Leeds United win on away goals		Leeds United
Williams, Cecere [5][7] Edwards
Attendance: 19,216
Final, first leg
Charlton Athletic1–0Leeds United
Melrose [5][8]
Attendance: 16,680
Referee: Roger Milford
Final, second leg
Leeds United1–0Charlton Athletic
Ormsby [5][9]
Attendance: 31,395
Referee: Brian Hill
Final replay
Leeds United1–2 (a.e.t.)Charlton Athletic
Sheridan [5][10] Shirtliff
Attendance: 15,841
Referee: Allan Gunn

FA Cup

Main article: 1986–87 FA Cup
FA Cup match details
Round Date Opponent Venue Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
Third round 11 January 1987 Telford United Away[a] 2–1 Baird (2) 6,460
Fourth round 3 February 1987 Swindon Town Away 2–1 Quinn (o.g.), Baird 14,031
Fifth round 21 February 1987 Queens Park Rangers Home 2–1 Baird, Ormsby 31,324
Sixth round 15 March 1987 Wigan Athletic Away 2–0 Stiles, Adams 12,479
Semi-final 12 April 1987 Coventry City Neutral 2–3 (a.e.t.) Rennie, Edwards 51,372

Source:[11]

League Cup

Main article: 1986–87 Football League Cup
League Cup match details
Round Date Opponent Venue Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
Second round, first leg 23 September 1986 Oldham Athletic Away 2–3 Aspin, Taylor 5,569
Second round, second leg 8 October 1986 Oldham Athletic Home 0–1 11,449

Source:[12]

Full Members' Cup

Main article: 1986–87 Full Members' Cup
Full Members' Cup match details
Round Date Opponent Venue Result
F–A		 Scorers Attendance
First round 1 October 1986 Bradford City Home 0–1 (a.e.t.) 3,960

Source:[13]

Notes

  1. ^ Match played at The Hawthorns instead of Telford's home stadium

References

  1. ^ "Leeds United". Football Club History Database. Archived from the original on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  2. ^ Chapman, Daniel (2019). 100 Years of Leeds United. Icon Books Limited. pp. 285–86. ISBN 978-178578-430-9.
  3. ^ Sobot, Lee (11 October 2020). "When Leeds United were eight minutes away from going back up under Billy Bremner". Yorkshire Evening Post. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  4. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 204–205. ISBN 9780356143545. OCLC 1036852697.
  5. ^ a b c d e Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 409–410. ISBN 9780356143545. OCLC 1036852697.
  6. ^ Hill, Tony. "Leeds United 1–0 Oldham Athletic – 14 May 1987". ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  7. ^ Hill, Tony. "Oldham Athletic 2–1 Leeds United (a.e.t.) – 17 May 1987". ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  8. ^ Hill, Tony. "Charlton Athletic 1–0 Leeds United – 23 March 1987". ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  9. ^ Hill, Tony. "Leeds United 1–0 Charlton Athletic – 25 March 1987". ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  10. ^ Hill, Tony. "Charlton Athletic 2–1 Leeds United (a.e.t.) – 29 May 1987". ozwhitelufc.net.au. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  11. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 486–489. ISBN 9780356143545. OCLC 1036852697.
  12. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 451–454. ISBN 9780356143545. OCLC 1036852697.
  13. ^ Dunk, Peter, ed. (1987). Rothmans Football Yearbook: 1987–88. London: Queen Anne Press. p. 458. ISBN 9780356143545. OCLC 1036852697.