1988-89 in English football
Encyclopedia
The 1988–89 season was the 109th season of competitive football
in England
.
semi-final between Liverpool
and Nottingham Forest
at Hillsborough
killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital shortly after. The final death toll became 96 in March 1993, when Tony Bland died after being in a coma for nearly four years. A subsequent inquiry into the tragedy
led to the Taylor Report
, in which Lord Justice Taylor of Gosforth ordered that all top division clubs should have all-seater stadiums from the 1994–95 season onwards.
gained exclusive rights to show Football League matches, both in live and highlights form. Most of their coverage was of live matches on Sunday afternoons of top-flight games. They would hold the exclusive rights until 1992, when they lost coverage of the newly formed Premier League to Sky Television
.
It ended a long-term partnership with the BBC
, who in turn struck up a partnership with the FA
for exclusive coverage of the FA Cup
. The BBC did not show another live English league match until 2009.
relocated from the Old Showground
to Glanford Park
in the first relocation of a Football League team since Southend United
moved to Roots Hall
in 1955.
won the league title with a goal scored in the last minute of the last game of the season
, as they beat Liverpool
2–0 at Anfield
to claim the championship trophy and deny Kenny Dalglish
's men a unique second double, with goals from Alan Smith
and Michael Thomas. Third place in the league was occupied by League Cup
and Simod Cup winners Nottingham Forest
. In their second season back in the top flight, Derby County
beat eventual champions Arsenal home and away on their way to achieving an impressive fifth place finish, while Dave Stringer
's Norwich
made the most of their limited resources by finishing fourth.
Ian Rush
returned to Liverpool after a season with Juventus
and was once again a prolific goalscorer. Mark Hughes
returned to Manchester United
after two seasons with Barcelona
and his brilliance earned him the PFA Player of the Year
award – although he couldn't help his side finish any higher than a disappointing 11th in the First Division.
Newcastle United
endured a disastrous season and succumbed to relegation after finishing bottom of the First Division. They were joined by West Ham United
, who later sacked long-serving manager John Lyall
; he was replaced by the Swindon Town
manager Lou Macari
. The other relegated side was Middlesbrough
.
returned to the First Division at the first time of asking by totalling 99 points as Second Division champions. Manchester City
ended their two-year exile from the top flight by finishing runners-up in the Second Division. The third promotion place went to Steve Coppell
's stylish Crystal Palace
side.
A disastrous season saw Walsall
slip out of the Second Division after just one season. They were then joined by Birmingham City
, who fell into the league's third tier for the first time in their history. Shrewsbury Town
's luck finally ran out as they occupied the final relegation spot and fell back into the league's third tier after 10 years.
and expertise of manager Graham Turner
saw Wolves
promoted for the second season running as Third Division champions. Dave Bassett
's Sheffield United
followed Wolves up in second place. The Third Division playoffs
were won by John Rudge
's hard working Port Vale
side.
The Third Division relegation spots were filled by Gillingham
, Chesterfield
, Southend United
and Aldershot
.
were crowned Champions. 22 points from their final 8 games saw Frank Clark's Leyton Orient
make a late run into the Fourth Division playoffs and win the final to gain promotion. The automatic promotion places went to Tranmere Rovers
and Crewe Alexandra
.
At the bottom end of the table, Darlington
struggled all season long and not even the arrival of enthusiastic young manager Brian Little
could save them from losing their league place – which was gained by Conference champions Maidstone United
.
went out of business on 27 February. They were then expelled from the Conference for failing to fulfill their fixtures but reformed three months later.
by beating Everton
3–2 at Wembley. Ian Rush
, who had returned to Anfield after a year at Juventus the previous summer, scored twice. This year's FA Cup featured a famous upset as First Division Coventry City, who had won the competition two years earlier, sunk to a 2–1 loss in the third round at lowly Sutton United. The joy of the non-leaguers was ended emphatically though in the next round as they were thumped 8–0 by Norwich City. Also, Third Division Brentford
went on an impressive run to the quarter-finals before losing to Liverpool
at Anfield
.
's Nottingham Forest ended their nine-year trophy drought by beating holders Luton Town
3–1 in the final to win the League Cup. Nottingham Forest also won the Simod Cup, beating Everton 4–3 in the final after extra time, having come twice from behind. Garry Parker scored a brilliant goal for Nottingham Forest, running nearly the full length of the Wembley pitch, before beating Neville Southall in the Everton Goal. This is arguably one of the best goals scored in a Wembley final.
Like Wolverhampton Wanderers the previous season, Bolton Wanderers announced their intentions to return to the big time by winning the Sherpa Van Trophy at Wembley against Torquay United 4–1.
, who had returned to Manchester United after two unhappy seasons with Barcelona in Spain & Bayern Munich in Germany. PFA Young Player of the Year
award went to Arsenal's young winger Paul Merson
, who helped his side win their first league title for 18 years.
FWA Footballer of the Year
was Liverpool captain Steve Nicol
, while a special award was credited to the Liverpool players for their compassion shown to families bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster
.
Down in the Third Division, 24-year-old Wolves striker Steve Bull
scored 53 goals in all competitions and made a scoring debut for the England national football team
.
, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Manchester United in their First Division 2–0 home win over West Ham United
.
15 October 1988: Ian Olney
, 18-year-old winger, makes his debut for Aston Villa
in their 2–2 draw with Charlton Athletic
at Selhurst Park
.
22 October 1988: Mark Robins
, 18-year-old striker, makes his debut for Manchester United as a substitute in their First Division 1–1 draw with Wimbledon
at Plough Lane
.
26 October 1988: Mark Crossley
, 19-year-old goalkeeper, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest
in 2–1 home win over Liverpool
in First Division at the City Ground
.
6 November 1988: Gary Charles
, 18-year-old defender, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest
in their 4–1 home defeat by Arsenal
in the First Division at the City Ground.
4 February 1989: John Ebbrell
, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Everton
in their First Division 1–1 draw with Wimbledon at Plough Lane.
1 April 1989: David May, 18-year-old defender, makes his debut for Blackburn Rovers
in a 1–1 Second Division draw with fellow promotion rivals Swindon Town
at the County Ground
.
6 May 1989: Gary Speed
, 19-year-old Welsh
midfielder, makes his debut for Leeds United
in 0–0 Second Division draw with Oldham Athletic at Elland Road
.
13 May 1989: Steve Howey
, 17-year-old defender, makes his debut as a substitute for relegated Newcastle United
on the final day of the First Division season, when they lose 2–0 to Manchester United
at Old Trafford
. Graeme Le Saux
, 20-year-old Jersey
born defender, makes his debut for Second Division champions Chelsea
in 3–2 win against Portsmouth
at Fratton Park
.
pay £850,000 for Bradford City
and Scotland
midfielder Stuart McCall
.
17 June 1988 – Newcastle United
buy Scottish striker John Hendrie
from Bradford City for £500,000.
21 June 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur pay a club record £1.7 million for Manchester City
striker Paul Stewart.
1 July 1988 – Everton are reported to have made an offer for 23-year-old West Ham United striker Tony Cottee.
4 July 1988 - Uruguay
an Danny Bergara, 46, becomes the first foreign manager in English football when he takes over at Fourth Division club Rochdale.
5 July 1988 – After three years in Italy
with Bari
, former Aston Villa
striker Paul Rideout
returns to England
in a £430,000 move to Southampton
.
6 July 1988 – Everton are reported to be on the verge of signing winger Pat Nevin
from Chelsea.
7 July 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur
complete a British transfer record £2 million deal for Newcastle United
midfielder Paul Gascoigne
(21), who had been expected to sign for Manchester United
. Gascoigne has signed a contract at White Hart Lane
until the end of the 1992–93 season
.
12 July 1988 – The long hunt for a new Wales national football team
manager ends when Swansea City manager Terry Yorath
is appointed on a part-time basis.
13 July 1988 – Gordon Cowans
ends his three-year spell at Bari to rejoin Aston Villa in a £250,000 deal, while Everton strengthen their midfield in a £925,000 move for Chelsea
and Scotland
midfielder Pat Nevin
.
19 July 1988 – England defender Gary Stevens
moves to Scotland
in a £1 million move from Everton
to Rangers
in the costliest transfer involving a British defender. He is replaced at Goodison Park
by Newcastle United's Neil McDonald.
20 July 1988 – After two seasons at FC Barcelona
(the second of which was spent on loan at Bayern Munich) Mark Hughes
returns to Manchester United for a club record £1.8 million, breaking the previous record of £1.75million that the club paid for Bryan Robson
seven years ago.
24 July 1988 – Arsenal have emerged as contenders to sign Tony Cottee after making a £2 million bid for him.
25 July 1988 – Less than three weeks after Tottenham broke the national transfer record by signing Paul Gascoigne
, a new record is set when Everton complete the long-awaited signing of West Ham United's
23-year-old striker Tony Cottee
for £2.2 million.
28 July 1988 - Billy Bonds, the oldest player in the Football League at 41, announces his retirement as a player but will remain with West Ham United as youth team coach.
1 August 1988 – West Ham United
sign striker David Kelly
from Walsall
for £600,000, as star striker Tony Cottee
prepares for a national record £2.3 million move to Everton. Newcastle United sign defender Andy Thorn
from FA Cup
winners Wimbledon
for a club record £850,000.
2 August 1988 – Tony Cottee completes his transfer to Everton.
8 August 1988 - Graham Roberts
returns to England in a £470,000 move to Chelsea
from Glasgow Rangers.
10 August 1988 – Steve Hodge
, whose place at Tottenham was put under threat by the arrival of Paul Gascoinge, returns to Nottingham Forest
in a £550,000 deal.
16 August 1988 – Manchester United defender Paul McGrath
comes off the transfer list at his own request.
17 August 1988 – Nottingham Forest sign England midfielder Steve Hodge
from Tottenham Hotspur for £550,000.
18 August 1988 – After an unhappy season at Juventus, Ian Rush
returns to Liverpool for £2.8million. It is the third time in two months that the national transfer fee record has been broken.
23 August 1988 – Kevin Moran leaves Manchester United on a free transfer after 10 years and joins Spanish side Sporting Gijon on a free transfer.
26 August 1988 – Alan Ball prepares Portsmouth's
challenge for an immediate return to the First Division by paying Aston Villa
£315,000 for striker Warren Aspinall
.
27 August 1988 – Millwall F.C.
begin their life as a First Division
side by drawing 2–2 at Aston Villa. There is just one fixture programme in the First Division this month, and top place goes to Arsenal who thrash FA Cup holders Wimbledon 5–1.
31 August 1988 – Norwich City sign Irish midfielder Andy Townsend
from Southampton for £300,000. Chelsea defender Steve Wicks
retires from playing due to a back injury.
1 September 1988 – Brighton & Hove Albion, newly promoted back to the Second Division, sign Barnet
defender Nicky Bissett for £115,000 – a record fee for a non league player. Richard Thompson, 24, becomes the youngest chairman in the Football League when he takes over at Queen's Park Rangers in place of David Bulstrode, who died suddenly today at the age of 47.
5 September 1988 – Paul Gascoigne and Tony Cottee, the two most expensive signings by British clubs, receive their first full international call ups by England
manager Bobby Robson
for next week's fixture against Denmark
.
12 September 1988 – Nearly a decade after leaving them for Sunderland
, goalkeeper Chris Turner returns to Sheffield Wednesday in a £175,000 move from Manchester United.
16 September 1988 - Andy Gray returns to his native Scotland after 13 years to sign for Glasgow Rangers.
18 September 1988 – Southampton
midfielder Glenn Cockerill
suffers a broken jaw in a clash with Arsenal
midfielder Paul Davis
in a First Division match at Highbury
which ended in a 2–2 draw. Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar
is hospitalised with meningitis
and is expected to be out of action until the new year.
20 September 1988 – Paul Davis is charged by the Football Association with bringing the game into disrepute.
28 September 1988 – Wimbledon sign Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Hans Segers
for £150,000. Leeds United
, fourth from bottom in the Second Division, sack manager Billy Bremner
after three years at the helm.
29 September 1988 – Paul Davis is fined a record £3,000 and banned for nine matches.
30 September 1988 – September finishes with Norwich City as surprise leaders of the First Division, while FA Cup holders Wimbledon occupy bottom place and newly promoted Millwall are in third place with 11 points from their opening five games. The Second Division promotion race is headed by a Blackburn Rovers
side who have spent much of the decade pushing for promotion, and are level on points with Watford
who are looking for an immediate return to the First Division. This season is the first of the promotion-only playoffs in the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions. Ipswich Town
, Portsmouth
, Bradford City
and Oldham Athletic
occupy the four playoff places, while pre-season promotion favourites Leeds United
occupy a lowly 18th place.
1 October 1988 - Millwall, in the First Division for the first time, go top of the league after six games with a 3-2 win over Queen's Park Rangers.
2 October 1988 – Aston Villa sell defender Neale Cooper to Glasgow Rangers for £300,000.
7 October 1988 – Derby County manager Arthur Cox
dismisses speculation that he will take over at Leeds United.
9 October 1988 – Former Newcastle United striker Jackie Milburn
dies of cancer aged 64.
10 October 1988 – Howard Wilkinson
ends six years as Sheffield Wednesday manager by agreeing to drop down a division to Leeds United, where he succeeds the sacked Billy Bremner
, while Willie McFaul
(formerly player and coach) ends his 22-year association with Newcastle United
when he is sacked as manager. Reserve team coach Colin Suggett
is put in charge, with the club's board saying that he will stay in the role until the end of the season.
13 October 1988 – Ron Atkinson
steps down as West Bromwich Albion manager for the second time, taking over at Atletico Madrid in Spain
, in a contract worth £250,000 per year.
17 October 1988 – Liverpool
midfielder Jan Molby is found guilty of reckless driving
and driving under the influence of alcohol, and is sentenced to three months in prison.
19 October 1988 – England
begin their World Cup qualifying series with a goalless draw against Sweden
at Wembley.
20 October 1988 – Liverpool sign 20-year-old defender David Burrows
from West Bromwich Albion
for £550,000.
21 October 1988 – Wimbledon pay a club record £500,000 for Reading
defender Keith Curle
.
22 October 1988 - Southampton make history by fielding three brothers in the same team in their 2-1 league defeat to Sheffield Wednesday; 24-year-old Danny Wallace
lines up alongside twin brothers Rod
and Ray
.
24 October 1988 – Following the dismissal of Willie McFaul
as manager, Newcastle United make an ambitious approach to prise Howard Kendall
back to England from Atletico Bilbao in Spain.
26 October 1988 – Howard Kendall decides against taking the offer to manage Newcastle United.
27 October 1988 – Manchester United pay Luton Town £650,000 for 31-year-old Northern Irish
full-back Mal Donaghy
.
28 October 1988 – Derby County
, enjoying a good run of form in the First Division, pay a club record £1million for Oxford United and Wales
striker Dean Saunders
, while Manchester United - without a win for the last month - look to kick-start their season by boosting their defence with a £650,000 move for Luton Town's Northern Irish
defender Mal Donaghy
.
29 October 1988 – Mark Lawrenson
is sacked as Oxford United manager after a dispute with the club's board over the sale Dean Saunders
. His assistant Brian Horton
, the former Hull City
manager, is appointed as his successor.
31 October 1988 – Norwich City are month-end leaders for the second month running, now with a six-point lead over nearest rivals Arsenal who have a game in hand, while Millwall are still third and the bottom three places are occupied by Newcastle United (now preparing to offer the vacant manager's job to former Celtic
manager David Hay
), Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Middlesbrough, who two seasons ago were in the Third Division and threatened with closure due to financial problems, finish the month in a creditable seventh place. Watford are looking well set up for an immediate return to the First Division as they lead the Second Division by five points over Blackburn Rovers. The playoff zone is occupied by West Bromwich Albion
, Portsmouth
, Chelsea
and Manchester City
. Leeds United continue to struggle, only being out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
1 November 1988 – Out of favour Manchester United striker Peter Davenport becomes Middlesbrough's
record signing in a £750,000 deal. Keith Burkinshaw, former Tottenham Hotspur manager, takes over as manager of Third Division strugglers Gillingham
.
15 November 1988 – Everton midfielder Adrian Heath
is sold to Espanyol of Spain for £600,000.
16 November 1988 - England draw 1-1 with Saudi Arabia
in a friendly in Riyadh
, with Arsenal winger Brian Marwood
making his international debut as a substitute. Manchester United sell winger Jesper Olsen
to Bordeaux
of France
for £400,000, where he links up with former Tottenham Hotspur striker Clive Allen
.
18 November 1988 – Oxford United captain Tommy Caton
returns to the First Division
in a £100,000 move to Charlton Athletic
.
25 November 1988 – Wimbledon
defender Terry Phelan
is omitted from tomorrow's squad for the First Division fixture against Liverpool due to a court appearance he faces on a charge of cannabis
possession.
27 November 1988 – Aston Villa drop plans to sign England stiker Gary Lineker
from FC Barcelona
, more than two years after he joined the Spanish giants from Everton, after Barca coach Johann Cruyff told Villa boss Graham Taylor that he would have to pay up to £4 million for Lineker – an amount which would have almost doubled the record fee paid by a British club.
30 November 1988 – November draws to a close with Norwich City still top of the First Division, with Arsenal, Millwall, Liverpool, Coventry City, Southampton and Derby all in close contention. Newcastle United, however, occupy bottom place in the league with the dismissal of manager Willie McFaul
and the appointment of Jim Smith
from Queens Park Rangers seen as the last resort to avoid relegation. Watford and Blackburn Rovers lead the way in the Second Division, level on 33 points. Manchester City, Chelsea, Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion occupy the playoff zone. Leeds United's turnaround in form has seen they climb from 21st place to 14th in the space of a month.
1 December 1988 – Jan Molby is released from prison after serving 45 days of his three-month prison sentence for motoring offences.
4 December 1988 – Newcastle United's long search for a manager ends when they recruit Jim Smith
from Queen's Park Rangers, who put coach Peter Shreeves
in temporary charge of the first team.
7 December 1988 - Striker John Robertson returns to his native Scotland
to rejoin Hearts
in a £750,000 deal after just seven months after Newcastle United.
14 December 1988 – Luton Town
sign 23-year-old Northern Irish
striker Iain Dowie
from Isthmian League
side Hendon
for £30,000. Queen's Park Rangers appoint their 34-year-old former England striker Trevor Francis
as player-manager.
22 December 1988 – Kenny Sansom
ends 10 years at Arsenal in a £300,000 move to Newcastle United.
24 December 1988 – Aston Villa sell striker Garry Thompson
to Watford
for £325,000.
27 December 1988 - Walsall, bottom of the Second Division, sack manager Tommy Coakley
, their manager for two-and-a-half years, after an 11th successive league defeat.
31 December 1988–1988 draws to a close with Arsenal now leaders of the First Division with a one-point gap over second-placed Norwich City. Millwall are still in surprise contention with a fourth place standing that puts them just seven points off top place. Newcastle United's form under new manager Jim Smith has improved as they have climbed two places off the bottom, but West Ham United are now bottom placed with a mere 13 points which put them six points adrift of safety. Chelsea's strong run of form has seen them climb to the top of the Second Division, level on 40 points with second placed West Bromwich Albion. The playoff zone is now occupied by Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Portsmouth, while AFC Bournemouth (in only their second season at this level) harbour dreams of First Division football as they lie just a single point short of the playoff zone.
5 January 1989 - Neil Warnock
leaves Scarborough
to become manager of Notts County
, to replace John Barnwell
who was sacked a month ago.
6 January 1989 – Manchester City boost their Second Division promotion push with a £250,000 move for Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Gary Megson
.
7 January 1989 – Sutton United
, of the GM Vauxhall Conference
, knock Coventry City
(the 1987 winners) out of the FA Cup with a shock 2–1 win.
9 January 1989 – Sheffield Wednesday reject a transfer request from defender Mel Sterland
.
12 January 1989 – After just seven months at Newcastle United, goalkeeper Dave Beasant
signs for Second Division leaders Chelsea
in a £725,000 deal which contracts him to the Stamford Bridge
club until 1994.
17 January 1989 – Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough
reveals that he is open to offers for midfielder Neil Webb
after the player rejected a new contract with the club. John Barnwell returns to management with Walsall.
23 January 1989 – New Portsmouth
chairman Jim Gregory announces plans to build a new stadium on disused railway land adjacent to their current Fratton Park
stadium.
28 January 1989 – Sutton United's FA Cup adventure ends in the Fourth Round when they are hammered 8–0 by Norwich City
, who are also challenging for the First Division title in their first full season under manager Dave Stringer
.
31 January 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the First Division, but now with a six-point margin. Manchester United have re-emerged as outsiders for the title as they now occupy fifth place, but Millwall are now seventh as their unexpected bid is slipping away. Newcastle United are back in bottom place after failing to gain a single league point this month, and are level on points with West Ham United. Chelsea continue to lead the way in the Second Division, while Watford now stand second – level on points with third placed Manchester City. West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers and a Sunderland side in the hunt for a second successive promotion complete the top six, with a resurgent Leeds United now just three points and five places short of the playoff zone.
2 February 1989 – Liverpool sell midfielder Nigel Spackman
to Queen's Park Rangers for £500,000.
8 February 1989 – Midfielder Peter Reid
moves from Everton to Queen's Park Rangers on a free transfer. Watford boost their Second Division promotion challenge with a £125,000 move for Halifax Town's 19-year-old winger Lee Richardson
.
9 February 1989 – Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough
is fined £5,000 and banned from the touchline for the rest of the season for punching supporters who invaded the pitch in the recent Football League Cup quarter-final victory over Queen's Park Rangers. On the same day, Trevor Francis signs former England team-mate Peter Reid
for Queen's Park Rangers on a free transfer from Everton.
14 February 1989 – Just three months after quitting West Bromwich Albion to take over at Spanish
side Atletico Madrid, Ron Atkinson
returns to England
to succeed Peter Eustace
as manager of First Division strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
.
23 February 1989 – Midfielder Carlton Palmer
follows Ron Atkinson to Sheffield Wednesday from West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee of £750,000.
24 February 1989 – Roy Hattersley
, deputy Labour Party
leader, warns that the Conservative
government's proposed ID card scheme will increase violence outside football grounds.
27 February 1989 - Newport County, relegated from the Football League last season, are wound up in the High Court
with huge debts.
28 February 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the First Division as February ends, with Norwich City still second, but Millwall's bid for the title has re-emerged as they have climbed up from seventh to third place this month, while Coventry City and Manchester United have gained ground in the top five. West Ham United are now bottom of the division having gained only one league point all month. Manchester City have overtaken Chelsea (now second) as Second Division leaders. The playoff zone is occupied by Blackburn Rovers, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and surprise promotion contenders AFC Bournemouth.
2 March 1989 – Chelsea sign Dutch defender Ken Monkou
from Feyenoord for £100,000.
3 March 1989 - Rangers sign defender Mel Sterland
from Sheffield Wednesday for £800,000.
8 March 1989 – England achieve their first win of the World Cup qualifying series with a 2–0 win over Albania
in Tirana
.
9 March 1989 – Trevor Francis
, Queen's Park Rangers player-manager, breaks the club's transfer record by paying Southampton
£800,000 for striker Colin Clarke.
12 March 1989 – Arsenal are reported to be interested in signing Celtic striker Frank McAvennie
, 18 months after he returned to his native Scotland from West Ham United.
14 March 1989 – Manchester City, pushing for promotion from the Second Division, pay £600,000 for Luton Town midfielder David Oldfield
.
15 March 1989 – Southampton
sign 18-year-old defender Jason Dodd
from GM Vauxhall Conference side Bath City for £50,000.
18 March 1989 – Brentford's FA Cup dream ends in the quarter-finals when they lose 4–0 to Liverpool at Anfield
. Nottingham Forest keep in line for a unique cup double as they defeat Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford
. West Ham United and Norwich City draw 0–0 at Upton Park
.
19 March 1989 – Wimbledon's defence of the FA Cup ends in a 1–0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park
.
21 March 1989 - Fourth Division strugglers Stockport County
sack player-manager Asa Hartford
and replace him with Rochdale manager Danny Bergera.
22 March 1989 – Norwich City move closer to their first-ever FA Cup final by defeating West Ham United 3–1 in the quarter-final replay at Carrow Road
, while Southampton pay a club record £700,000 for Portsmouth midfielder Barry Horne
. West Ham United
also break their transfer fee record by paying £1.1million to bring striker Frank McAvennie
back to the club after 18 months at Celtic
. McAvennie has returned to Upton Park
in a surprise move where he is expected to help steer the Hammers to survival, having rejected the chance to join title chasing Arsenal
.
20 March 1989 – Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday are reported to be interested in signing midfielder Gordon Strachan from Manchester United.
21 March 1989 - Southampton pay a club record £750,000 for Portsmouth midfielder Barry Horne
.
23 March 1989 – Gordon Strachan
leaves Manchester United after nearly five years to join Leeds United
for £300,000, as Howard Wilkinson prepares the club for a promotion challenge next season. Trevor Francis bolsters the QPR midfield with a £350,000 move for Brentford's
Andy Sinton
. Frank McAvennie rejects the chance to join title chasing Arsenal in favour of returning to relegation threatened West Ham United for a club record £1.1 million.
31 March 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the league for the fourth month-end in succession, while Liverpool are beginning to look like title contenders as they now occupy third place with two games in hand and an eight-point deficit behind the leaders. West Ham United are facing an uphill task to beat the drop as they occupy bottom place with 22 points from 27 games, but Newcastle United's relegation battle that not so long ago appeared dead and buried is still very much alive as they are now just one point adrift of safety. Chelsea have returned to the top of the Second Division, exchanging places with Manchester City, while the playoff zone is occupied by West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town and AFC Bournemouth.
5 April 1989 - Newport County lose a final appeal against their closure in the High Court more than a month ago; they are expelled from the GM Vauxhall Conference
and their record for the season is expunged.
10 April 1989 - Walsall announce the sale of Fellows Park
, their home since 1903, and will relocate to a new stadium at Bescot
from the start of the 1990-91 season.
15 April 1989 – English football endures its greatest ever tragedy with the death of 94 Liverpool
supporters, and injury of an estimated 300 others, at the FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest
at Hillsborough
. Some of the injured are in a serious condition and there are fears that the death toll could rise even higher. The match is postponed, while the other semi-final sees Everton beat Norwich City 1–0 at Villa Park
to set the scene for a second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons, but there is already talk the FA Cup final might not take place.
17 April 1989 – Within 48 hours of the tragedy at Hillsborough, Home Secretary
Douglas Hurd
promises to pass new legislation which will force all Football League
teams to remove standing accommodation from their stadiums. The Football Association gives the go-ahead for the FA Cup to continue, with the re-staged match to take place at Old Trafford on 7 May.
18 April 1989 – The Hillsborough disaster
death toll reaches 95 when 14-year-old Lee Nichol dies in hospital from his injuries. Many more of the injured are still in hospital, and there are fears that six spectators who had to be resuscitated have suffered brain damage.
19 April 1989 – The Sun newspaper
sparks controversy with the front page headline entitled "The Truth", which includes allegations that Liverpool fans robbed injured and dying spectators, assaulted a policeman who was attempting to revive another spectator, and urinated on the corpses of victims.
26 April 1989 – England beat Albania 5–0 at Wembley in their third World Cup qualifying game.
28 April 1989 – 14 of the 25 Liverpool fans charged with manslaughter in connection with the Heysel disaster of May 1985, in which 39 spectators died at the European Cup final
, and are sentenced to up to three years in prison.
30 April 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the league as April draws to a close, but are now just three points ahead of a Liverpool side who have superior goal difference and a game in hand. Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur still have a mathematical chance of winning the title, while at the other end of the table Newcastle United and West Ham United now need something little short of a miracle to avoid relegation. Chelsea have sealed an immediate return to the First Division as Second Division champions, while Manchester City are just five points away from returning as runners-up after a two-year exile. Watford and Crystal Palace are now the only other teams who can go up automatically, while Blackburn Rovers and Swindon Town
(the latter challenging for a third promotion in four seasons; which would match the record set by Swansea City
in 1981 and Wimbledon
in 1986) complete the top six. West Bromwich Albion, who two months ago looked all set for automatic promotion, are now four points outside the playoff zone with three games to go and their promotion dream appears to be over. Nottingham Forest beat Everton 4-3 in the Simod Cup
final at Wembley to become the first club in English football to win two domestic cups in the same season.
1 May 1989 - Maidstone United
clinch the GM Vauxhall Conference title and are promoted to the Football League, giving them a clash next season with fellow Kent
club Gillingham, who are relegated to the Fourth Division on the same day.
2 May 1989 - Manchester United beat Wimbledon 1-0 in a league game at Old Trafford which is watched by 23,2368 - the club's lowest home crowd in the league since August 1971.
3 May 1989 – Newcastle United are relegated from the First Division after a five-year tenure, with a 2-1 defeat at a West Ham United side whose victory keeps their own survival hopes alive.
6 May 1989 - Darlington are relegated from the Football League after 68 years when they lose 5-1 to Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park
.
7 May 1989 – Three weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest is rescheduled at Old Trafford
and they win 3–1 to keep their dream of a unique second double alive.
10 May 1989 - England striker Gary Lineker
collects a European Cup Winners' Cup
medal as FC Barcelona
beat Sampdoria 2-0 in the final.
13 May 1989 – Middlesbrough join Newcastle United in being relegated from the First Division, though West Ham United could still stay up at the expense of Aston Villa.
20 May 1989 – Liverpool
lift the FA Cup with a 3–2 win over Everton
. Ian Rush
scores twice for Liverpool while John Aldridge
scores the other goal, and Stuart McCall
scores both of Everton's goals. They only need a win, draw or a defeat by a single goal in their game against Arsenal next Friday to complete a unique second double.
23 May 1989 – West Ham United are relegated after eight successive seasons of First Division football as they lose 5-1 to Liverpool at Anfield
.
24 May 1989 – All-seater Football League stadiums are among the suggestions made at a Football Association meeting as officials discuss ways of reducing the risk of any Hillsborough-style tragedies in the future.
26 May 1989 –
27 May 1989 – Steve Bull
, who scored 52 goals in all competitions for Third Division Wolverhampton Wanderers
this season (as well as a total of 50 last season, when they were Fourth Division champions) scores on his debut for England
against Scotland
in a friendly at Hampden Park
.
28 May 1989 – Bolton Wanderers
claim their first major trophy since the 1958 FA Cup
by beating Torquay United
4–1 in the Sherpa Van Trophy
final.
1 June 1989 – Trevor Steven
, the Everton winger, becomes the latest Englishman to sign for Rangers
when he agrees terms for a £1.5million transfer. Kenny Sansom leaves Newcastle United after less than six years and returns to London
in an exchange deal to Queen's Park Rangers, with Wayne Fereday
moving in the opposite direction.
3 June 1989 – England make it three wins from their opening four World Cup qualifying games with a 3–0 win over Poland
at Wembley. On the same day, the domestic season draws to a close when Crystal Palace overhaul a 3–1 deficit to defeat Blackburn Rovers 4–3 on aggregate to win promotion to the First Division after an eight-year exile.
5 June 1989 – John Lyall
, the longest-serving manager currently employed in the Football League
, is sacked after 15 years in charge of West Ham United
, who were recently relegated from the First Division. He had been with the club for 34 years, since joining them as an apprentice on leaving school in 1955 at the age of 15.
6 June 1989 – Gary Lineker expresses an interest in returning to England after three years with FC Barcelona.
7 June 1989 - Sheffield Wednesday sign 20-year-old striker Dalian Atkinson
from Ipswich Town
for £400,000.
9 June 1989 - Leeds United prepare for a promotion challenge for next season by signing midfielder Vinny Jones from Wimbledon for £650,000.
11 June 1989 – Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be on the verge of signing Gary Lineker.
15 June 1989 - Manchester United agree to sign midfielder Neil Webb from Nottingham Forest - with a fee set to be confirmed at a tribunal early next month.
16 June 1989 – Ipswich Town
striker Dalian Atkinson
, 20, signs for Sheffield Wednesday
, managed by Ron Atkinson
(no relation), for £450,000.
18 June 1989 – Gerry Francis
, the Bristol Rovers manager, is in talks with West Ham United about the managerial vacancy.
20 June 1989 – Leeds United further prepare for their promotion challenge by signing Wimbledon midfielder Vinny Jones for £650,000.
21 June 1989 – Gary Lineker
ends three years in Spain
with FC Barcelona
and returns to England
in a £1.1million move to Tottenham Hotspur
, ending speculation that he was due to link up with former Barcelona strike-partner Mark Hughes
at Manchester United
.
22 June 1989 – Glenn Hysen
, the Fiorentina and Sweden
defender, has reportedly agreed to sign for Manchester United in a £600,000 deal.
30 June 1989 - Billy Bremner
is appointed manager of Doncaster Rovers
for the second time following the dismissal of Joe Kinnear
.
was sold to Olympique Marseille of France in a £4.5 million deal, in the latest of big money deals which saw players desert English clubs for foreign clubs who were prepared to pay higher wages. Gary Lineker
ended his three-year spell at FC Barcelona
to join Tottenham. He had played under Tottenham manager Terry Venables
during his first season at Barcelona.
Lineker's strike partner Mark Hughes
also left Barcelona and returned to his old club Manchester United in a £1.8 million deal. Hughes had been a disappointment in his first season at Barcelona but had recaptured his form during a successful season-long loan deal at Bayern Munich.
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
First Division
Second Division
Third Division
Fourth Division
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Hillsborough disaster
On 15 April, a crowd crush at the FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
semi-final between Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
killed 94 people and injured more than 300. A 95th Liverpool supporter died in hospital shortly after. The final death toll became 96 in March 1993, when Tony Bland died after being in a coma for nearly four years. A subsequent inquiry into the tragedy
Tragedy (event)
A tragedy is an event in which one or more losses, usually of human life, occurs that is viewed as mournful. Such an event is said to be tragic....
led to the Taylor Report
Taylor Report
The Hillsborough Stadium Disaster Inquiry report, better known as the Taylor Report is a document, whose development was overseen by Lord Taylor of Gosforth, concerning the aftermath and causes of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. An interim report was published in August 1989, and the final...
, in which Lord Justice Taylor of Gosforth ordered that all top division clubs should have all-seater stadiums from the 1994–95 season onwards.
Changes to Football on Television
One of the biggest changes in the history of football on television began in this season, as ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
gained exclusive rights to show Football League matches, both in live and highlights form. Most of their coverage was of live matches on Sunday afternoons of top-flight games. They would hold the exclusive rights until 1992, when they lost coverage of the newly formed Premier League to Sky Television
Sky Television plc
Sky Television plc was a public limited company which operated its four-channel satellite television service, launched by Rupert Murdoch's News International on 5 February 1989...
.
It ended a long-term partnership with the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, who in turn struck up a partnership with the FA
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
for exclusive coverage of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. The BBC did not show another live English league match until 2009.
Scunthorpe's new stadium
Scunthorpe UnitedScunthorpe United F.C.
Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One....
relocated from the Old Showground
Old Showground
The Old Showground was the original stadium of the English football club Scunthorpe United and had been built in c.1867.Scunthorpe United played at the Old Showground until 1988, when they moved to Glanford Park - the first newly-constructed Football League stadium since Southend United's Roots...
to Glanford Park
Glanford Park
Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and the current home of Scunthorpe United. It is the smallest stadium by capacity in the Championship ....
in the first relocation of a Football League team since Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
moved to Roots Hall
Roots Hall
Roots Hall is a multi-use sports stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, England, primarily used for football games and is the home of the Football League Two club Southend United. With a capacity of 12,392 Roots Hall is the largest football stadium in Essex, and is the current venue for the final of...
in 1955.
First Division
ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
won the league title with a goal scored in the last minute of the last game of the season
Liverpool 0–2 Arsenal (26 May 1989)
The final match of the 1988–89 English Football League season was contested on 26 May 1989, between Liverpool and Arsenal, at Liverpool's Anfield ground. By sheer coincidence, it was the match between the top two teams in the First Division and the teams were close enough on points for the match to...
, as they beat Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
2–0 at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
to claim the championship trophy and deny Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
's men a unique second double, with goals from Alan Smith
Alan M. Smith
Alan Martin Smith is an English former football striker. He played for Leicester City and Arsenal at professional level, and won thirteen caps for England.-Leicester City:...
and Michael Thomas. Third place in the league was occupied by League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
and Simod Cup winners Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
. In their second season back in the top flight, Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
beat eventual champions Arsenal home and away on their way to achieving an impressive fifth place finish, while Dave Stringer
Dave Stringer
Dave Stringer , is a former player and manager of Norwich City football club.As a player, he won the fans' vote to be Norwich City player of the year in 1972 and made a total of 499 appearances for the club. He ended his playing career with Cambridge United before returning to Norwich city to coach...
's Norwich
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
made the most of their limited resources by finishing fourth.
Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
returned to Liverpool after a season with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and was once again a prolific goalscorer. Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
returned to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
after two seasons with Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and his brilliance earned him the PFA Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
award – although he couldn't help his side finish any higher than a disappointing 11th in the First Division.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
endured a disastrous season and succumbed to relegation after finishing bottom of the First Division. They were joined by West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, who later sacked long-serving manager John Lyall
John Lyall
John Angus Lyall was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.- Youth team career :...
; he was replaced by the Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
manager Lou Macari
Lou Macari
Luigi "Lou" Macari is a Scottish former footballer and football manager of Italian descent.-Playing career:...
. The other relegated side was Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
.
Second Division
ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
returned to the First Division at the first time of asking by totalling 99 points as Second Division champions. Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
ended their two-year exile from the top flight by finishing runners-up in the Second Division. The third promotion place went to Steve Coppell
Steve Coppell
Stephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
's stylish Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
side.
A disastrous season saw Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
slip out of the Second Division after just one season. They were then joined by Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, who fell into the league's third tier for the first time in their history. Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
's luck finally ran out as they occupied the final relegation spot and fell back into the league's third tier after 10 years.
Third Division
The prolific goalscoring of striker Steve BullSteve Bull
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE, is an English former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers...
and expertise of manager Graham Turner
Graham Turner
Graham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
saw Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
promoted for the second season running as Third Division champions. Dave Bassett
Dave Bassett
David Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....
's Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
followed Wolves up in second place. The Third Division playoffs
1989 Football League Third Division play-off Final
The 1989 Football League Third Division play-off final was a two-legged football match played at on 31 May and 3 June 1989, to determine the third and final team to gain promotion from the Third Division to the Second Division of The Football League in the 1988–89 season. Port Vale faced Bristol...
were won by John Rudge
John Rudge
John Robert Rudge is an English former football player and football manager. He is currently working as the director of football at Stoke City....
's hard working Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
side.
The Third Division relegation spots were filled by Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
, Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...
and Aldershot
Aldershot F.C.
Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable...
.
Fourth Division
Rotherham UnitedRotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
were crowned Champions. 22 points from their final 8 games saw Frank Clark's Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
make a late run into the Fourth Division playoffs and win the final to gain promotion. The automatic promotion places went to Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
and Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
.
At the bottom end of the table, Darlington
Darlington F.C.
Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003...
struggled all season long and not even the arrival of enthusiastic young manager Brian Little
Brian Little (footballer)
Brian Little is an English former football player and manager who is currently without a job after being relieved of his duties as manager of Gainsborough Trinity on 22 August 2011. Little has previously managed Darlington, Leicester City, Aston Villa, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Hull City,...
could save them from losing their league place – which was gained by Conference champions Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
.
Non-league
In their first season after relegation from the Football League, Newport CountyNewport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
went out of business on 27 February. They were then expelled from the Conference for failing to fulfill their fixtures but reformed three months later.
Change in playoff format
The play-off system was slightly altered, they were now contested by the four sides just missing out on promotion, with one extra team automatically relegated. The system has stayed in place since then (although it was not until the following season that Wembley Stadium began hosting finals).FA Cup
Liverpool won the FA CupFA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
by beating Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
3–2 at Wembley. Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
, who had returned to Anfield after a year at Juventus the previous summer, scored twice. This year's FA Cup featured a famous upset as First Division Coventry City, who had won the competition two years earlier, sunk to a 2–1 loss in the third round at lowly Sutton United. The joy of the non-leaguers was ended emphatically though in the next round as they were thumped 8–0 by Norwich City. Also, Third Division Brentford
Brentford
Brentford is a suburban town in west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located at the confluence of the River Thames and the River Brent, west-southwest of Charing Cross. Its former ceremonial county was Middlesex.-Toponymy:...
went on an impressive run to the quarter-finals before losing to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
.
League Cup and Simod Cup
Brian CloughBrian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
's Nottingham Forest ended their nine-year trophy drought by beating holders Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
3–1 in the final to win the League Cup. Nottingham Forest also won the Simod Cup, beating Everton 4–3 in the final after extra time, having come twice from behind. Garry Parker scored a brilliant goal for Nottingham Forest, running nearly the full length of the Wembley pitch, before beating Neville Southall in the Everton Goal. This is arguably one of the best goals scored in a Wembley final.
Like Wolverhampton Wanderers the previous season, Bolton Wanderers announced their intentions to return to the big time by winning the Sherpa Van Trophy at Wembley against Torquay United 4–1.
Star players
PFA Player of the Year went to Mark HughesMark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
, who had returned to Manchester United after two unhappy seasons with Barcelona in Spain & Bayern Munich in Germany. PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
award went to Arsenal's young winger Paul Merson
Paul Merson
Paul Charles Merson is a retired English football player, and former player-manager of Walsall. His playing career has included spells at Arsenal, Middlesbrough, Aston Villa, Portsmouth and finishing his playing career at Tamworth. He also played for England 21 times...
, who helped his side win their first league title for 18 years.
FWA Footballer of the Year
Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year
The Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
was Liverpool captain Steve Nicol
Steve Nicol
Stephen "Steve" Nicol is a Scottish former professional footballer. A utility player who played in the all-conquering Liverpool team of the 1980s, he was most recently coach of New England Revolution, and was the longest-tenured head coach in MLS to coach a single club.As a player, Nicol was a...
, while a special award was credited to the Liverpool players for their compassion shown to families bereaved by the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
.
Down in the Third Division, 24-year-old Wolves striker Steve Bull
Steve Bull
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE, is an English former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers...
scored 53 goals in all competitions and made a scoring debut for the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
Star managers
- George GrahamGeorge Graham (footballer)George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
's three years of rebuilding Arsenal paid off as he ended their 18-year title drought with the last goal of the season. He received the Manager of the Year award for his efforts. - Kenny DalglishKenny DalglishKenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
compensated for Liverpool's title disappointment with victory over neighbours Everton in the F.A Cup final. - Brian CloughBrian CloughBrian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
guided Nottingham Forest to a hard-earned League Cup triumph and also victory in the Simod Cup after they had gone nine years without a trophy. - Dave StringerDave StringerDave Stringer , is a former player and manager of Norwich City football club.As a player, he won the fans' vote to be Norwich City player of the year in 1972 and made a total of 499 appearances for the club. He ended his playing career with Cambridge United before returning to Norwich city to coach...
pulled off one of the shocks of the season by taking unfancied Norwich City to fourth place in the First Division. - Steve CoppellSteve CoppellStephen James "Steve" Coppell is an English former footballer and manager, currently without a club.As a player, he was a highly regarded right winger known for his speed and work rate. He won domestic honours with Manchester United and represented England at the World Cup...
's five years of outstanding effort at Crystal Palace paid off as he got them promoted to the First Division as playoff winners. - Graham TurnerGraham TurnerGraham John Turner is an English former footballer who became a manager. He is currently manager of League Two club Shrewsbury Town. His son Mark was also a professional footballer....
's rejuventated Wolves side reached the Second Division with a second successive championship and promotion triumph. - Dave BassettDave BassettDavid Bassett , also frequently known by his nickname of Harry, is an English football manager and a former player....
celebrated his first full season as Sheffield United manager by winning promotion to the Second Division. - John RudgeJohn RudgeJohn Robert Rudge is an English former football player and football manager. He is currently working as the director of football at Stoke City....
took Port Vale to their highest point in decades by guiding them to success in the Third Division promotion playoffs. - Dario GradiDario GradiDario Gradi MBE is an Italian-born English football manager and former player, who was serving as manager of the Crewe Alexandra F.C. Academy. He is a former manager of Crewe Alexandra, with whom he has been associated for almost thirty years.Gradi is notable for his 24-year first spell as manager...
took Crewe Alexandra to third place in the Fourth Division and earned them promotion after years in the league's lowest division. - Frank Clark inspired a late run of excellent form for his Leyton Orient side who won promotion to the Third Division as Fourth Division playoff winners.
Famous debutants
24 September 1988: Russell BeardsmoreRussell Beardsmore
Russell Peter Beardsmore is a former English footballer.Beardsmore began his career with Manchester United. He made his debut in September 1988 against West Ham United and was one of the first wave of "Fergie's Fledglings" to emerge...
, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Manchester United in their First Division 2–0 home win over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
15 October 1988: Ian Olney
Ian Olney
Ian Olney is a former football player, who played as a striker. He started his career at Aston Villa in 1988, for whom he made 88 league appearances, scoring 16 goals, and 4 years later was sold to Oldham Athletic for £750,000, at that time Oldham's transfer record...
, 18-year-old winger, makes his debut for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in their 2–2 draw with Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
at Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park
Selhurst Park is an English football stadium located in the London suburb of South Norwood in the Borough of Croydon. It is the current home ground of Crystal Palace Football Club. Its present capacity is 26,309.-History:...
.
22 October 1988: Mark Robins
Mark Robins
Mark Gordon Robins is an English football manager, appointed manager of Barnsley in 2009.As a player, he was most notable for his exploits with Manchester United, Norwich City and Leicester City...
, 18-year-old striker, makes his debut for Manchester United as a substitute in their First Division 1–1 draw with Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
at Plough Lane
Plough Lane
Plough Lane was a football stadium in Wimbledon, south west London. It was the home ground of Wimbledon Football Club from September 1912 to May 1991, when the club moved their first team home matches to Selhurst Park as part of a groundshare agreement with Crystal Palace. Both clubs' reserve teams...
.
26 October 1988: Mark Crossley
Mark Crossley
Mark Geoffrey Crossley is a former English-born Wales international football goalkeeper, who is currently employed as the Goalkeeping Coach of Football League One side Chesterfield....
, 19-year-old goalkeeper, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in 2–1 home win over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in First Division at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
.
6 November 1988: Gary Charles
Gary Charles
Gary Charles is an English former footballer who played at right-back.-Playing career:Charles won two caps for the England team and turned out at club level for Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Aston Villa, S.L. Benfica, and finally West Ham United. Charles was famously fouled by Paul Gascoigne in...
, 18-year-old defender, makes his debut for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in their 4–1 home defeat by Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in the First Division at the City Ground.
4 February 1989: John Ebbrell
John Ebbrell
John Ebbrell is a retired English football midfielder, currently managing the Centre of Excellence at Tranmere Rovers.-Everton:...
, 19-year-old midfielder, makes his debut for Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in their First Division 1–1 draw with Wimbledon at Plough Lane.
1 April 1989: David May, 18-year-old defender, makes his debut for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in a 1–1 Second Division draw with fellow promotion rivals Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
at the County Ground
County Ground, Swindon
The County Ground is a stadium located near the town centre of Swindon, England. It is home to Swindon Town Football Club and has been for over a century.The current capacity is 15,728, all-seated...
.
6 May 1989: Gary Speed
Gary Speed
Gary Andrew Speed, MBE was a Welsh football player and manager. He was captain of the Wales national football team until he retired from international football in 2004 and he remains the most capped outfield player for Wales and the second overall, having appeared 85 times at senior level between...
, 19-year-old Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
midfielder, makes his debut for Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
in 0–0 Second Division draw with Oldham Athletic at Elland Road
Elland Road
Elland Road is an all-seater football stadium in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It has been the permanent residence of Leeds United A.F.C...
.
13 May 1989: Steve Howey
Steve Howey (footballer)
Stephen Norman "Steve" Howey is a former footballer who played for the England national team. At club level, he made more than 300 appearances in the Football League and the Premier League, playing for Newcastle United, Manchester City, Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United...
, 17-year-old defender, makes his debut as a substitute for relegated Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on the final day of the First Division season, when they lose 2–0 to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. Graeme Le Saux
Graeme Le Saux
Graeme Pierre Le Saux is a retired English footballer of French ancestry who played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton, and for the England national football team. Primarily a left back, he was sometimes also played in midfield or on the left wing.After...
, 20-year-old Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
born defender, makes his debut for Second Division champions Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in 3–2 win against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
at Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
.
Diary of the season
15 June 1988 – EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
pay £850,000 for Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
midfielder Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...
.
17 June 1988 – Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
buy Scottish striker John Hendrie
John Hendrie
John Grattan Hendrie is a Scottish former professional association footballer who played on the right wing or in attack....
from Bradford City for £500,000.
21 June 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur pay a club record £1.7 million for Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
striker Paul Stewart.
1 July 1988 – Everton are reported to have made an offer for 23-year-old West Ham United striker Tony Cottee.
4 July 1988 - Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Danny Bergara, 46, becomes the first foreign manager in English football when he takes over at Fourth Division club Rochdale.
5 July 1988 – After three years in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
with Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, former Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
striker Paul Rideout
Paul Rideout
Paul Rideout is a retired English professional football player who played in the 1980s and 1990s. He is a youth coach with Sporting Kansas City, heading their U-16, U-17 and U-18 teams.-Playing career:...
returns to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in a £430,000 move to Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
.
6 July 1988 – Everton are reported to be on the verge of signing winger Pat Nevin
Pat Nevin
Patrick Kevin Francis Michael "Pat" Nevin is a retired Scottish footballer. In a 20-year career, he played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger. Nevin was a fans' favourite at Chelsea during the 1980s...
from Chelsea.
7 July 1988 – Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
complete a British transfer record £2 million deal for Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
midfielder Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
(21), who had been expected to sign for Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Gascoigne has signed a contract at White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Tottenham, London, England. Built in 1899, it is the home of Tottenham Hotspur and, after numerous renovations, the stadium has a capacity of 36,230....
until the end of the 1992–93 season
1992-93 in English football
The 1992–1993 season was the 113th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
.
12 July 1988 – The long hunt for a new Wales national football team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
manager ends when Swansea City manager Terry Yorath
Terry Yorath
Terence Charles Yorath is a former footballer and has been a manager at both club and international level. He is also the father of television presenter Gabby Logan....
is appointed on a part-time basis.
13 July 1988 – Gordon Cowans
Gordon Cowans
Gordon Sidney Cowans is an English retired football player and coach.Cowans started his career at Aston Villa as an apprentice in 1974, and signed as a professional in 1976...
ends his three-year spell at Bari to rejoin Aston Villa in a £250,000 deal, while Everton strengthen their midfield in a £925,000 move for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
midfielder Pat Nevin
Pat Nevin
Patrick Kevin Francis Michael "Pat" Nevin is a retired Scottish footballer. In a 20-year career, he played for Clyde, Chelsea, Everton, Tranmere Rovers, Kilmarnock and Motherwell as a winger. Nevin was a fans' favourite at Chelsea during the 1980s...
.
19 July 1988 – England defender Gary Stevens
Gary Stevens
Gary Michael Stevens is a retired English footballer who is best remembered playing in defence for a successful Everton side of the 1980s, as well as for the England national football team....
moves to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in a £1 million move from Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in the costliest transfer involving a British defender. He is replaced at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
by Newcastle United's Neil McDonald.
20 July 1988 – After two seasons at FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
(the second of which was spent on loan at Bayern Munich) Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
returns to Manchester United for a club record £1.8 million, breaking the previous record of £1.75million that the club paid for Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
seven years ago.
24 July 1988 – Arsenal have emerged as contenders to sign Tony Cottee after making a £2 million bid for him.
25 July 1988 – Less than three weeks after Tottenham broke the national transfer record by signing Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne
Paul John Gascoigne , commonly referred to as Gazza, is a retired English professional footballer.Playing in the position of midfield, Gascoigne's career included spells at Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Lazio, Rangers, Middlesbrough, Everton and Gansu Tianma, where he scored at least a goal...
, a new record is set when Everton complete the long-awaited signing of West Ham United's
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
23-year-old striker Tony Cottee
Tony Cottee
Anthony Richard "Tony" Cottee is a former football player who now works as a television football commentator...
for £2.2 million.
28 July 1988 - Billy Bonds, the oldest player in the Football League at 41, announces his retirement as a player but will remain with West Ham United as youth team coach.
1 August 1988 – West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
sign striker David Kelly
David Kelly (footballer)
David Thomas Kelly is a retired footballer and former assistant manager of Nottingham Forest. As a child, Kelly suffered from Perthes Disease, but recovered to forge a long and successful career in professional football.-Playing career:Kelly turned out for Walsall, West Ham United, Leicester City,...
from Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
for £600,000, as star striker Tony Cottee
Tony Cottee
Anthony Richard "Tony" Cottee is a former football player who now works as a television football commentator...
prepares for a national record £2.3 million move to Everton. Newcastle United sign defender Andy Thorn
Andy Thorn (footballer)
Andy Thorn is a retired English footballer and the current manager of Coventry City.As a player at Wimbledon, he was part of the side that achieved a famous victory over Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final...
from FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
winners Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
for a club record £850,000.
2 August 1988 – Tony Cottee completes his transfer to Everton.
8 August 1988 - Graham Roberts
Graham Roberts
Graham Roberts was an English actor most famous for his work on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, including 31 years playing George Barford, the gamekeeper in Radio 4 soap opera The Archers. He was born and raised in Chester, and was educated at King's School in the city...
returns to England in a £470,000 move to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
from Glasgow Rangers.
10 August 1988 – Steve Hodge
Steve Hodge
Stephen Brian Hodge is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a high-profile club and international career in the 1980s and 1990s.- Playing career :...
, whose place at Tottenham was put under threat by the arrival of Paul Gascoinge, returns to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in a £550,000 deal.
16 August 1988 – Manchester United defender Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath (footballer)
Paul McGrath is a retired Irish footballer, who played as a defender. McGrath is widely recognised as one of the greatest players to have ever come out of Ireland....
comes off the transfer list at his own request.
17 August 1988 – Nottingham Forest sign England midfielder Steve Hodge
Steve Hodge
Stephen Brian Hodge is a retired English footballer who enjoyed a high-profile club and international career in the 1980s and 1990s.- Playing career :...
from Tottenham Hotspur for £550,000.
18 August 1988 – After an unhappy season at Juventus, Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
returns to Liverpool for £2.8million. It is the third time in two months that the national transfer fee record has been broken.
23 August 1988 – Kevin Moran leaves Manchester United on a free transfer after 10 years and joins Spanish side Sporting Gijon on a free transfer.
26 August 1988 – Alan Ball prepares Portsmouth's
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
challenge for an immediate return to the First Division by paying Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
£315,000 for striker Warren Aspinall
Warren Aspinall
Warren Aspinall is an English former footballer, who played for a number of teams, having the most significant impact at Portsmouth and Carlisle United....
.
27 August 1988 – Millwall F.C.
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
begin their life as a First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
side by drawing 2–2 at Aston Villa. There is just one fixture programme in the First Division this month, and top place goes to Arsenal who thrash FA Cup holders Wimbledon 5–1.
31 August 1988 – Norwich City sign Irish midfielder Andy Townsend
Andy Townsend
Andrew "Andy" David Townsend is a former professional footballer, who played in two World Cups for the Republic of Ireland and is now a television and radio pundit....
from Southampton for £300,000. Chelsea defender Steve Wicks
Steve Wicks
Steve Wicks is an English former professional footballer. He was a tall, solid imposing player who played as a centre half. He most notably played for Chelsea, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers in the 1970s and 1980s...
retires from playing due to a back injury.
1 September 1988 – Brighton & Hove Albion, newly promoted back to the Second Division, sign Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
defender Nicky Bissett for £115,000 – a record fee for a non league player. Richard Thompson, 24, becomes the youngest chairman in the Football League when he takes over at Queen's Park Rangers in place of David Bulstrode, who died suddenly today at the age of 47.
5 September 1988 – Paul Gascoigne and Tony Cottee, the two most expensive signings by British clubs, receive their first full international call ups by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
manager Bobby Robson
Bobby Robson
Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....
for next week's fixture against Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
.
12 September 1988 – Nearly a decade after leaving them for Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
, goalkeeper Chris Turner returns to Sheffield Wednesday in a £175,000 move from Manchester United.
16 September 1988 - Andy Gray returns to his native Scotland after 13 years to sign for Glasgow Rangers.
18 September 1988 – Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
midfielder Glenn Cockerill
Glenn Cockerill
Glenn Cockerill is a retired English footballer who played more than 700 games in The Football League in a 22-year career. He is perhaps best remembered from his eight-year spell at Southampton...
suffers a broken jaw in a clash with Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
midfielder Paul Davis
Paul Davis (footballer)
Paul Vincent Davis is an English former footballer.Born in Dulwich, London, Davis signed for Arsenal as an apprentice in 1977 and turned professional the following year...
in a First Division match at Highbury
Arsenal Stadium
Arsenal Stadium was a football stadium in Highbury, North London, which was the home ground of Arsenal Football Club between 6 September 1913 and 7 May 2006...
which ended in a 2–2 draw. Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce Grobbelaar
Bruce David Grobbelaar is a former football goalkeeper and manager.He played for a number of clubs in a career which spanned for more than 20 years at professional level, most notably Liverpool during their dominant period in the 1980s and early 1990s.-Early years:In his teenage years, Grobbelaar...
is hospitalised with meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
and is expected to be out of action until the new year.
20 September 1988 – Paul Davis is charged by the Football Association with bringing the game into disrepute.
28 September 1988 – Wimbledon sign Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Hans Segers
Hans Segers
Johannes Segers is a Dutch goalkeeper, who spent most of his playing career in England.-Career:Segers was born in Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant. His early career was with home-town club PSV Eindhoven, before being signed for Nottingham Forest by Brian Clough during the 1983-84 season...
for £150,000. Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
, fourth from bottom in the Second Division, sack manager Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
after three years at the helm.
29 September 1988 – Paul Davis is fined a record £3,000 and banned for nine matches.
30 September 1988 – September finishes with Norwich City as surprise leaders of the First Division, while FA Cup holders Wimbledon occupy bottom place and newly promoted Millwall are in third place with 11 points from their opening five games. The Second Division promotion race is headed by a Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
side who have spent much of the decade pushing for promotion, and are level on points with Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
who are looking for an immediate return to the First Division. This season is the first of the promotion-only playoffs in the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions. Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Bradford City
Bradford City A.F.C.
Bradford City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, playing in League Two....
and Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
occupy the four playoff places, while pre-season promotion favourites Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
occupy a lowly 18th place.
1 October 1988 - Millwall, in the First Division for the first time, go top of the league after six games with a 3-2 win over Queen's Park Rangers.
2 October 1988 – Aston Villa sell defender Neale Cooper to Glasgow Rangers for £300,000.
7 October 1988 – Derby County manager Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox
Arthur Cox , is a British actor of television and film.His most regular role was as George, the driver of Jim Hacker in the comedy Yes Minister. His other television credits include The Avengers, Terry and June, and Harbour Lights...
dismisses speculation that he will take over at Leeds United.
9 October 1988 – Former Newcastle United striker Jackie Milburn
Jackie Milburn
John Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
dies of cancer aged 64.
10 October 1988 – Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson
Howard Wilkinson is a former English football player and manager, and has recently stepped down as a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Wednesday after formerly relinquishing the chairman role to Milan Mandaric...
ends six years as Sheffield Wednesday manager by agreeing to drop down a division to Leeds United, where he succeeds the sacked Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
, while Willie McFaul
Willie McFaul
William Stewart McFaul, known as Willie and Iam, is a former Northern Irish football player and now coach....
(formerly player and coach) ends his 22-year association with Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
when he is sacked as manager. Reserve team coach Colin Suggett
Colin Suggett
Colin Suggett is a former professional football player and manager.During the late 1960s he began his career playing for Sunderland, with whom he twice won the FA Youth Cup. He moved to West Brom in July 1969 for a club record fee of £100,000. He then joined Norwich for a £70,000 fee in February...
is put in charge, with the club's board saying that he will stay in the role until the end of the season.
13 October 1988 – Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
steps down as West Bromwich Albion manager for the second time, taking over at Atletico Madrid in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in a contract worth £250,000 per year.
17 October 1988 – Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
midfielder Jan Molby is found guilty of reckless driving
Reckless driving
Reckless driving is a major moving traffic violation. As a legal term, it is used within the United States. This offence has been abolished in the United Kingdom and replaced...
and driving under the influence of alcohol, and is sentenced to three months in prison.
19 October 1988 – England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
begin their World Cup qualifying series with a goalless draw against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
at Wembley.
20 October 1988 – Liverpool sign 20-year-old defender David Burrows
David Burrows (footballer)
David Burrows is an English former footballer. During his career he played for West Bromwich Albion, Liverpool, West Ham United, Everton, Coventry City, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday as well as the England Under-21 and B teams...
from West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for £550,000.
21 October 1988 – Wimbledon pay a club record £500,000 for Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
defender Keith Curle
Keith Curle
Keith Curle is an English former professional football player, who is currently first team coach at Queens Park Rangers.As a player, he was capped three times by England at senior level.-Playing career:...
.
22 October 1988 - Southampton make history by fielding three brothers in the same team in their 2-1 league defeat to Sheffield Wednesday; 24-year-old Danny Wallace
Danny Wallace (footballer)
David Lloyd "Danny" Wallace is an English former footballer who played for Southampton, Manchester United, Millwall, Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers. He won one full cap for England. His football career was ended prematurely by the effects of multiple sclerosis.-Southampton:Wallace was born...
lines up alongside twin brothers Rod
Rod Wallace
Rodney Seymour "Rod" Wallace is a retired English footballer.Wallace played predominantly as a striker or part of an attacking forward line. He started his career at Southampton in 1988 playing 128 league games scoring 45 goals. This form earned him a transfer to Leeds where he won the first...
and Ray
Ray Wallace (footballer)
Raymond George "Ray" Wallace is an English former footballer who played in the Football League and Premier League for Southampton, Leeds United, Swansea City, Reading, Stoke City and Hull City, in the Scottish Football League for Airdrieonians, and in the League of Ireland for Drogheda United...
.
24 October 1988 – Following the dismissal of Willie McFaul
Willie McFaul
William Stewart McFaul, known as Willie and Iam, is a former Northern Irish football player and now coach....
as manager, Newcastle United make an ambitious approach to prise Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall
Howard Kendall is an English football manager and former player. He is most famous for his connection to Everton, a club that he both played for and managed. His uncle Harry Taylor played for Newcastle United and Fulham in the 1950s....
back to England from Atletico Bilbao in Spain.
26 October 1988 – Howard Kendall decides against taking the offer to manage Newcastle United.
27 October 1988 – Manchester United pay Luton Town £650,000 for 31-year-old Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
full-back Mal Donaghy
Mal Donaghy
Malachy Martin "Mal" Donaghy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Luton Town.-Club career:...
.
28 October 1988 – Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
, enjoying a good run of form in the First Division, pay a club record £1million for Oxford United and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
striker Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
, while Manchester United - without a win for the last month - look to kick-start their season by boosting their defence with a £650,000 move for Luton Town's Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
defender Mal Donaghy
Mal Donaghy
Malachy Martin "Mal" Donaghy is a former Northern Ireland international footballer who played for Luton Town.-Club career:...
.
29 October 1988 – Mark Lawrenson
Mark Lawrenson
Mark Thomas Lawrenson is a former professional football player, a defender in the Liverpool and Irish football teams of the 1980s; he since became a radio, television and internet pundit for the BBC and Today FM. He was born in England, but played for the Republic of Ireland because his...
is sacked as Oxford United manager after a dispute with the club's board over the sale Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
. His assistant Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...
, the former Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
manager, is appointed as his successor.
31 October 1988 – Norwich City are month-end leaders for the second month running, now with a six-point lead over nearest rivals Arsenal who have a game in hand, while Millwall are still third and the bottom three places are occupied by Newcastle United (now preparing to offer the vacant manager's job to former Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
manager David Hay
David Hay
David Hay is a former Scottish footballer. After completing secondary education at St Mirin's Academy in Paisley he signed for Celtic in 1966 and became one of the so called 'Quality Street Kids', the great Celtic reserve team that also included players such as Kenny Dalglish, Lou Macari, Danny...
), Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. Middlesbrough, who two seasons ago were in the Third Division and threatened with closure due to financial problems, finish the month in a creditable seventh place. Watford are looking well set up for an immediate return to the First Division as they lead the Second Division by five points over Blackburn Rovers. The playoff zone is occupied by West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. Leeds United continue to struggle, only being out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
1 November 1988 – Out of favour Manchester United striker Peter Davenport becomes Middlesbrough's
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
record signing in a £750,000 deal. Keith Burkinshaw, former Tottenham Hotspur manager, takes over as manager of Third Division strugglers Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
.
15 November 1988 – Everton midfielder Adrian Heath
Adrian Heath
Adrian Paul Heath is an English football manager and former player. He manages American USL Pro Orlando franchise. As a player he is remembered as part of the Everton side of the 1980s, where he won several trophies...
is sold to Espanyol of Spain for £600,000.
16 November 1988 - England draw 1-1 with Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia national football team
Saudi Arabia national football team is the national team of Saudi Arabia and is controlled by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation...
in a friendly in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, with Arsenal winger Brian Marwood
Brian Marwood
Brian Marwood is an English former footballer and is currently one of the main executive staff at Manchester City F.C. under the role of Football Administration Officer.-Hull City:...
making his international debut as a substitute. Manchester United sell winger Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen
Jesper Olsen is a Danish former footballer who most notably played for Ajax of the Netherlands and Manchester United of England. Olsen was a regular left winger for the Danish national team, scoring five goals in 43 matches...
to Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
for £400,000, where he links up with former Tottenham Hotspur striker Clive Allen
Clive Allen
Clive Darren Allen is a retired English footballer, a prolific scorer for a number of clubs.Allen is the son of ex-Tottenham Hotspur forward Les Allen, who was a member of the legendary team which won the First Division title and FA Cup "double" in 1961...
.
18 November 1988 – Oxford United captain Tommy Caton
Tommy Caton
Thomas Stephen "Tommy" Caton was an English football player.Born in Kirkby, Liverpool, Caton was a centre half who played for England schoolboys, before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978...
returns to the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in a £100,000 move to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
.
25 November 1988 – Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
defender Terry Phelan
Terry Phelan
Terrence "Terry" Phelan is a former footballer who played as a left-back for a number of clubs, including Leeds United, Swansea City, Wimbledon, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton and Fulham...
is omitted from tomorrow's squad for the First Division fixture against Liverpool due to a court appearance he faces on a charge of cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
possession.
27 November 1988 – Aston Villa drop plans to sign England stiker Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
from FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
, more than two years after he joined the Spanish giants from Everton, after Barca coach Johann Cruyff told Villa boss Graham Taylor that he would have to pay up to £4 million for Lineker – an amount which would have almost doubled the record fee paid by a British club.
30 November 1988 – November draws to a close with Norwich City still top of the First Division, with Arsenal, Millwall, Liverpool, Coventry City, Southampton and Derby all in close contention. Newcastle United, however, occupy bottom place in the league with the dismissal of manager Willie McFaul
Willie McFaul
William Stewart McFaul, known as Willie and Iam, is a former Northern Irish football player and now coach....
and the appointment of Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
from Queens Park Rangers seen as the last resort to avoid relegation. Watford and Blackburn Rovers lead the way in the Second Division, level on 33 points. Manchester City, Chelsea, Portsmouth and West Bromwich Albion occupy the playoff zone. Leeds United's turnaround in form has seen they climb from 21st place to 14th in the space of a month.
1 December 1988 – Jan Molby is released from prison after serving 45 days of his three-month prison sentence for motoring offences.
4 December 1988 – Newcastle United's long search for a manager ends when they recruit Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
from Queen's Park Rangers, who put coach Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves
Peter Shreeves is a Welsh former football player, manager and coach.-Career:Shreeves was born in Neath in South Wales where his mother had been evacuated to during the early stages of World War II, but was brought up in Islington, London. He began his career with non-league Finchley from where he...
in temporary charge of the first team.
7 December 1988 - Striker John Robertson returns to his native Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to rejoin Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
in a £750,000 deal after just seven months after Newcastle United.
14 December 1988 – Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
sign 23-year-old Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
striker Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie
Iain Dowie is a former footballer and manager. He is currently without a club. He has previously managed Hull City and Queens Park Rangers and was assistant manager of Newcastle United...
from Isthmian League
Isthmian League
The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London and South East England featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs. It is sponsored by Ryman, and therefore officially known as the Ryman League. It was founded in 1905 by amateur clubs in the London area...
side Hendon
Hendon F.C.
Hendon Football Club are an English football club based in Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet. They currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division.In the 2003-04 season they finished fourth in the Isthmian League Premier Division...
for £30,000. Queen's Park Rangers appoint their 34-year-old former England striker Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
as player-manager.
22 December 1988 – Kenny Sansom
Kenny Sansom
Kenneth Graham Sansom is an English former footballer. Until overtaken by Ashley Cole in February 2011, he held the record for the number of caps for an England national football team full back, having appeared 86 times for his country between 1979 and 1988.- Crystal Palace :Sansom started out...
ends 10 years at Arsenal in a £300,000 move to Newcastle United.
24 December 1988 – Aston Villa sell striker Garry Thompson
Garry Thompson (footballer born 1959)
Garry Thompson is a former professional footballer and football manager, who played as a striker. His younger brother, Keith Thompson, was also a professional footballer....
to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
for £325,000.
27 December 1988 - Walsall, bottom of the Second Division, sack manager Tommy Coakley
Tommy Coakley
Tommy Coakley is a Scottish former football player and coach. Coakley, who played as a right winger, made 95 league appearances in a professional career which saw him play in Scotland, England, and the United States...
, their manager for two-and-a-half years, after an 11th successive league defeat.
31 December 1988–1988 draws to a close with Arsenal now leaders of the First Division with a one-point gap over second-placed Norwich City. Millwall are still in surprise contention with a fourth place standing that puts them just seven points off top place. Newcastle United's form under new manager Jim Smith has improved as they have climbed two places off the bottom, but West Ham United are now bottom placed with a mere 13 points which put them six points adrift of safety. Chelsea's strong run of form has seen them climb to the top of the Second Division, level on 40 points with second placed West Bromwich Albion. The playoff zone is now occupied by Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City and Portsmouth, while AFC Bournemouth (in only their second season at this level) harbour dreams of First Division football as they lie just a single point short of the playoff zone.
5 January 1989 - Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
leaves Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
to become manager of Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
, to replace John Barnwell
John Barnwell
John Barnwell is an English former football player and manager. He was until recently the chief executive of the League Managers Association....
who was sacked a month ago.
6 January 1989 – Manchester City boost their Second Division promotion push with a £250,000 move for Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
.
7 January 1989 – Sutton United
Sutton United F.C.
Sutton United Football Club is an English football club currently playing in the Conference South. They are based in Sutton, London, and play their home games at the Borough Sports Ground in Gander Green Lane....
, of the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
, knock Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
(the 1987 winners) out of the FA Cup with a shock 2–1 win.
9 January 1989 – Sheffield Wednesday reject a transfer request from defender Mel Sterland
Mel Sterland
Melvyn "Mel" Sterland is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United and in the Scottish Football League Premier Division for Rangers, and was capped once for England.-Playing career:Sterland's career is distinctly in two...
.
12 January 1989 – After just seven months at Newcastle United, goalkeeper Dave Beasant
Dave Beasant
David John "Dave" Beasant, is a retired English football goalkeeper who began his career in the late 1970s. A well-travelled player, Beasant's former clubs include Wimbledon, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wigan...
signs for Second Division leaders Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in a £725,000 deal which contracts him to the Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
club until 1994.
17 January 1989 – Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
reveals that he is open to offers for midfielder Neil Webb
Neil Webb
Neil John Webb is an English former footballer and television pundit. He played as a midfielder and defender between 1980 and 1997 notably for Portsmouth, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United...
after the player rejected a new contract with the club. John Barnwell returns to management with Walsall.
23 January 1989 – New Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
chairman Jim Gregory announces plans to build a new stadium on disused railway land adjacent to their current Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
stadium.
28 January 1989 – Sutton United's FA Cup adventure ends in the Fourth Round when they are hammered 8–0 by Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
, who are also challenging for the First Division title in their first full season under manager Dave Stringer
Dave Stringer
Dave Stringer , is a former player and manager of Norwich City football club.As a player, he won the fans' vote to be Norwich City player of the year in 1972 and made a total of 499 appearances for the club. He ended his playing career with Cambridge United before returning to Norwich city to coach...
.
31 January 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the First Division, but now with a six-point margin. Manchester United have re-emerged as outsiders for the title as they now occupy fifth place, but Millwall are now seventh as their unexpected bid is slipping away. Newcastle United are back in bottom place after failing to gain a single league point this month, and are level on points with West Ham United. Chelsea continue to lead the way in the Second Division, while Watford now stand second – level on points with third placed Manchester City. West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers and a Sunderland side in the hunt for a second successive promotion complete the top six, with a resurgent Leeds United now just three points and five places short of the playoff zone.
2 February 1989 – Liverpool sell midfielder Nigel Spackman
Nigel Spackman
Nigel James Spackman is an English football manager and former player. He was formerly a midfield player who was an integral part of the much-admired Liverpool team of 1988...
to Queen's Park Rangers for £500,000.
8 February 1989 – Midfielder Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
moves from Everton to Queen's Park Rangers on a free transfer. Watford boost their Second Division promotion challenge with a £125,000 move for Halifax Town's 19-year-old winger Lee Richardson
Lee Richardson (footballer)
Lee James Richardson is a former professional footballer and until 6 May 2009 he was manager of Chesterfield...
.
9 February 1989 – Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
is fined £5,000 and banned from the touchline for the rest of the season for punching supporters who invaded the pitch in the recent Football League Cup quarter-final victory over Queen's Park Rangers. On the same day, Trevor Francis signs former England team-mate Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
for Queen's Park Rangers on a free transfer from Everton.
14 February 1989 – Just three months after quitting West Bromwich Albion to take over at Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
side Atletico Madrid, Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
returns to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to succeed Peter Eustace
Peter Eustace
Peter Eustace is an English former football player and manager. As a player, he made 340 appearances in the Football League representing Sheffield Wednesday, West Ham United, Rotherham United and Peterborough United...
as manager of First Division strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
.
23 February 1989 – Midfielder Carlton Palmer
Carlton Palmer
Carlton Lloyd Palmer is a former English professional football player who played as a midfielder, most notably for Sheffield Wednesday.-Playing career:...
follows Ron Atkinson to Sheffield Wednesday from West Bromwich Albion for a club record fee of £750,000.
24 February 1989 – Roy Hattersley
Roy Hattersley
Roy Sydney George Hattersley, Baron Hattersley is a British Labour politician, author and journalist from Sheffield. He served as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992.-Early life:...
, deputy Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
leader, warns that the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government's proposed ID card scheme will increase violence outside football grounds.
27 February 1989 - Newport County, relegated from the Football League last season, are wound up in the High Court
High Court
The term High Court usually refers to the superior court of a country or state. In some countries, it is the highest court . In others, it is positioned lower in the hierarchy of courts The term High Court usually refers to the superior court (or supreme court) of a country or state. In some...
with huge debts.
28 February 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the First Division as February ends, with Norwich City still second, but Millwall's bid for the title has re-emerged as they have climbed up from seventh to third place this month, while Coventry City and Manchester United have gained ground in the top five. West Ham United are now bottom of the division having gained only one league point all month. Manchester City have overtaken Chelsea (now second) as Second Division leaders. The playoff zone is occupied by Blackburn Rovers, Watford, West Bromwich Albion and surprise promotion contenders AFC Bournemouth.
2 March 1989 – Chelsea sign Dutch defender Ken Monkou
Ken Monkou
Kenneth John "Ken" Monkou is a retired Dutch footballer who played in a defensive role.Born in Suriname but raised in the Netherlands, Monkou's first major side was Feyenoord Rotterdam. He moved to England in May 1989 to sign for newly-promoted to the First Division Chelsea for £100,000...
from Feyenoord for £100,000.
3 March 1989 - Rangers sign defender Mel Sterland
Mel Sterland
Melvyn "Mel" Sterland is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League for Sheffield Wednesday and Leeds United and in the Scottish Football League Premier Division for Rangers, and was capped once for England.-Playing career:Sterland's career is distinctly in two...
from Sheffield Wednesday for £800,000.
8 March 1989 – England achieve their first win of the World Cup qualifying series with a 2–0 win over Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
in Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
.
9 March 1989 – Trevor Francis
Trevor Francis
Trevor John Francis , is a former footballer who won the European Cup with Nottingham Forest and played for England 52 times. He was England's first £1 million player...
, Queen's Park Rangers player-manager, breaks the club's transfer record by paying Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
£800,000 for striker Colin Clarke.
12 March 1989 – Arsenal are reported to be interested in signing Celtic striker Frank McAvennie
Frank McAvennie
Francis "Frank" McAvennie is a former Scottish football striker best known as a player with West Ham United and Celtic, having had two spells with both of these clubs.-Early life:...
, 18 months after he returned to his native Scotland from West Ham United.
14 March 1989 – Manchester City, pushing for promotion from the Second Division, pay £600,000 for Luton Town midfielder David Oldfield
David Oldfield (footballer)
David Charles Oldfield is an ex-professional footballer, currently in charge of the reserve and U18 teams at Peterborough United...
.
15 March 1989 – Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
sign 18-year-old defender Jason Dodd
Jason Dodd
Jason Robert Dodd is an English former footballer and manager, who spent most of his playing career with Southampton, where he was briefly First-Team Coach...
from GM Vauxhall Conference side Bath City for £50,000.
18 March 1989 – Brentford's FA Cup dream ends in the quarter-finals when they lose 4–0 to Liverpool at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. Nottingham Forest keep in line for a unique cup double as they defeat Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
. West Ham United and Norwich City draw 0–0 at Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
.
19 March 1989 – Wimbledon's defence of the FA Cup ends in a 1–0 defeat to Everton at Goodison Park
Goodison Park
Goodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
.
21 March 1989 - Fourth Division strugglers Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
sack player-manager Asa Hartford
Asa Hartford
Richard 'Asa' Hartford is a retired Scottish international midfielder and footballer who became famous for failing a medical examination due to the discovery of a heart condition which put paid to a high profile transfer to Leeds United in November 1971.-Early career:He first played for Drumchapel...
and replace him with Rochdale manager Danny Bergera.
22 March 1989 – Norwich City move closer to their first-ever FA Cup final by defeating West Ham United 3–1 in the quarter-final replay at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
, while Southampton pay a club record £700,000 for Portsmouth midfielder Barry Horne
Barry Horne
Barry Horne was an English animal rights activist. He became known around the world in December 1998, when he engaged in a 68-day hunger strike in an effort to persuade the British government to hold a public inquiry into animal testing, something the Labour Party had said it would do before it...
. West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
also break their transfer fee record by paying £1.1million to bring striker Frank McAvennie
Frank McAvennie
Francis "Frank" McAvennie is a former Scottish football striker best known as a player with West Ham United and Celtic, having had two spells with both of these clubs.-Early life:...
back to the club after 18 months at Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. McAvennie has returned to Upton Park
Boleyn Ground
The Boleyn Ground, more commonly referred to as Upton Park due to its location in Upton Park, London is the football stadium of West Ham United.-History:...
in a surprise move where he is expected to help steer the Hammers to survival, having rejected the chance to join title chasing Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
20 March 1989 – Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday are reported to be interested in signing midfielder Gordon Strachan from Manchester United.
21 March 1989 - Southampton pay a club record £750,000 for Portsmouth midfielder Barry Horne
Barry Horne
Barry Horne was an English animal rights activist. He became known around the world in December 1998, when he engaged in a 68-day hunger strike in an effort to persuade the British government to hold a public inquiry into animal testing, something the Labour Party had said it would do before it...
.
23 March 1989 – Gordon Strachan
Gordon Strachan
Gordon David Strachan OBE is a Scottish football manager and former player. He is currently without a club, having last managed Middlesbrough. Strachan played for Dundee, Aberdeen, Manchester United, Leeds United and Coventry City, as well as the Scotland national team. Prior to Middlesbrough,...
leaves Manchester United after nearly five years to join Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
for £300,000, as Howard Wilkinson prepares the club for a promotion challenge next season. Trevor Francis bolsters the QPR midfield with a £350,000 move for Brentford's
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
Andy Sinton
Andy Sinton
Andrew "Andy" Sinton born 19 March 1966 in Cramlington, Northumberland, is an English former professional footballer and current manager of A.F.C. Telford United...
. Frank McAvennie rejects the chance to join title chasing Arsenal in favour of returning to relegation threatened West Ham United for a club record £1.1 million.
31 March 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the league for the fourth month-end in succession, while Liverpool are beginning to look like title contenders as they now occupy third place with two games in hand and an eight-point deficit behind the leaders. West Ham United are facing an uphill task to beat the drop as they occupy bottom place with 22 points from 27 games, but Newcastle United's relegation battle that not so long ago appeared dead and buried is still very much alive as they are now just one point adrift of safety. Chelsea have returned to the top of the Second Division, exchanging places with Manchester City, while the playoff zone is occupied by West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers, Ipswich Town and AFC Bournemouth.
5 April 1989 - Newport County lose a final appeal against their closure in the High Court more than a month ago; they are expelled from the GM Vauxhall Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
and their record for the season is expunged.
10 April 1989 - Walsall announce the sale of Fellows Park
Fellows Park
Fellows Park was a football stadium in Walsall, England. It was the home ground of Walsall F.C. from 1896 till 1990, when the team moved to the Bescot Stadium....
, their home since 1903, and will relocate to a new stadium at Bescot
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, also known as the Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989-90 by GMI Construction with a reported build cost of £4.5m...
from the start of the 1990-91 season.
15 April 1989 – English football endures its greatest ever tragedy with the death of 94 Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
supporters, and injury of an estimated 300 others, at the FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
at Hillsborough
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...
. Some of the injured are in a serious condition and there are fears that the death toll could rise even higher. The match is postponed, while the other semi-final sees Everton beat Norwich City 1–0 at Villa Park
Villa Park
Villa Park may mean:United Kingdom* Villa Park, an association football stadium in Birmingham, EnglandUnited States* Villa Park, California, a small city in Orange County* Villa Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in DuPage County...
to set the scene for a second all-Merseyside FA Cup final in four seasons, but there is already talk the FA Cup final might not take place.
17 April 1989 – Within 48 hours of the tragedy at Hillsborough, Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Hurd
Douglas Richard Hurd, Baron Hurd of Westwell, CH, CBE, PC , is a British Conservative politician and novelist, who served in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major between 1979 and his retirement in 1995....
promises to pass new legislation which will force all Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
teams to remove standing accommodation from their stadiums. The Football Association gives the go-ahead for the FA Cup to continue, with the re-staged match to take place at Old Trafford on 7 May.
18 April 1989 – The Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
death toll reaches 95 when 14-year-old Lee Nichol dies in hospital from his injuries. Many more of the injured are still in hospital, and there are fears that six spectators who had to be resuscitated have suffered brain damage.
19 April 1989 – The Sun newspaper
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
sparks controversy with the front page headline entitled "The Truth", which includes allegations that Liverpool fans robbed injured and dying spectators, assaulted a policeman who was attempting to revive another spectator, and urinated on the corpses of victims.
26 April 1989 – England beat Albania 5–0 at Wembley in their third World Cup qualifying game.
28 April 1989 – 14 of the 25 Liverpool fans charged with manslaughter in connection with the Heysel disaster of May 1985, in which 39 spectators died at the European Cup final
1985 European Cup Final
The 1985 European Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool of England and Juventus of Italy at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Belgium on 29 May 1985....
, and are sentenced to up to three years in prison.
30 April 1989 – Arsenal remain top of the league as April draws to a close, but are now just three points ahead of a Liverpool side who have superior goal difference and a game in hand. Norwich City, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur still have a mathematical chance of winning the title, while at the other end of the table Newcastle United and West Ham United now need something little short of a miracle to avoid relegation. Chelsea have sealed an immediate return to the First Division as Second Division champions, while Manchester City are just five points away from returning as runners-up after a two-year exile. Watford and Crystal Palace are now the only other teams who can go up automatically, while Blackburn Rovers and Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
(the latter challenging for a third promotion in four seasons; which would match the record set by Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in 1981 and Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in 1986) complete the top six. West Bromwich Albion, who two months ago looked all set for automatic promotion, are now four points outside the playoff zone with three games to go and their promotion dream appears to be over. Nottingham Forest beat Everton 4-3 in the Simod Cup
Full Members Cup
The Full Members Cup was an association football cup competition held in English football from 1985 to 1992. It was also known under its sponsored names of the Simod Cup from 1987 to 1989 and the Zenith Data Systems Cup from 1989 to 1992....
final at Wembley to become the first club in English football to win two domestic cups in the same season.
1 May 1989 - Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
clinch the GM Vauxhall Conference title and are promoted to the Football League, giving them a clash next season with fellow Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
club Gillingham, who are relegated to the Fourth Division on the same day.
2 May 1989 - Manchester United beat Wimbledon 1-0 in a league game at Old Trafford which is watched by 23,2368 - the club's lowest home crowd in the league since August 1971.
3 May 1989 – Newcastle United are relegated from the First Division after a five-year tenure, with a 2-1 defeat at a West Ham United side whose victory keeps their own survival hopes alive.
6 May 1989 - Darlington are relegated from the Football League after 68 years when they lose 5-1 to Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park
Glanford Park
Glanford Park is a football stadium in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England, and the current home of Scunthorpe United. It is the smallest stadium by capacity in the Championship ....
.
7 May 1989 – Three weeks after the Hillsborough disaster, Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final clash with Nottingham Forest is rescheduled at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
and they win 3–1 to keep their dream of a unique second double alive.
10 May 1989 - England striker Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
collects a European Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
medal as FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
beat Sampdoria 2-0 in the final.
13 May 1989 – Middlesbrough join Newcastle United in being relegated from the First Division, though West Ham United could still stay up at the expense of Aston Villa.
20 May 1989 – Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
lift the FA Cup with a 3–2 win over Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. Ian Rush
Ian Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
scores twice for Liverpool while John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
scores the other goal, and Stuart McCall
Stuart McCall
Andrew Stuart Murray McCall , usually known as Stuart McCall, is a former footballer who played in central midfield. He played a total of 763 league games during his career, the 13th highest of all British footballers...
scores both of Everton's goals. They only need a win, draw or a defeat by a single goal in their game against Arsenal next Friday to complete a unique second double.
23 May 1989 – West Ham United are relegated after eight successive seasons of First Division football as they lose 5-1 to Liverpool at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
.
24 May 1989 – All-seater Football League stadiums are among the suggestions made at a Football Association meeting as officials discuss ways of reducing the risk of any Hillsborough-style tragedies in the future.
26 May 1989 –
-
- – Former Leeds UnitedLeeds United A.F.C.Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and EnglandEngland national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
manager Don RevieDon RevieDonald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
dies of Motor Neurone DiseaseMotor neurone diseaseThe motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
at the age of 61.
- – Former Leeds United
-
-
- – ArsenalArsenal F.C.Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
win the league title with the last kick of the season thanks to a late goal from Michael Thomas against LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
which gave them a 2–0 away win. Their triumph gave them their first league championship trophy in 18 years – by a single goal.
- – Arsenal
-
27 May 1989 – Steve Bull
Steve Bull
Stephen George "Steve" Bull, MBE, is an English former footballer who is best remembered for his 13-year spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers...
, who scored 52 goals in all competitions for Third Division Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
this season (as well as a total of 50 last season, when they were Fourth Division champions) scores on his debut for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in a friendly at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
.
28 May 1989 – Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
claim their first major trophy since the 1958 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
by beating Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
4–1 in the Sherpa Van Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
final.
1 June 1989 – Trevor Steven
Trevor Steven
Trevor McGregor Steven is a football talent scout. He was formerly an England footballer who shot to fame with the successful Everton side of the 1980s....
, the Everton winger, becomes the latest Englishman to sign for Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
when he agrees terms for a £1.5million transfer. Kenny Sansom leaves Newcastle United after less than six years and returns to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in an exchange deal to Queen's Park Rangers, with Wayne Fereday
Wayne Fereday
Wayne Fereday is an English former professional footballer who played in the Football League as a winger for Queens Park Rangers, Newcastle United, A.F.C. Bournemouth, West Bromwich Albion and Cardiff City. He was capped by England at under-21 level.Fereday was born in Warley, now in the West...
moving in the opposite direction.
3 June 1989 – England make it three wins from their opening four World Cup qualifying games with a 3–0 win over Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
at Wembley. On the same day, the domestic season draws to a close when Crystal Palace overhaul a 3–1 deficit to defeat Blackburn Rovers 4–3 on aggregate to win promotion to the First Division after an eight-year exile.
5 June 1989 – John Lyall
John Lyall
John Angus Lyall was an English footballer and manager of Scottish descent. His mother, Catherine, was from the Isle of Lewis, his father, James, was from Kirriemuir. He was born in Ilford, Essex.- Youth team career :...
, the longest-serving manager currently employed in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
, is sacked after 15 years in charge of West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, who were recently relegated from the First Division. He had been with the club for 34 years, since joining them as an apprentice on leaving school in 1955 at the age of 15.
6 June 1989 – Gary Lineker expresses an interest in returning to England after three years with FC Barcelona.
7 June 1989 - Sheffield Wednesday sign 20-year-old striker Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Robert Atkinson is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League and Premier League for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City, in La Liga for Real Sociedad, in Ligue 1 for Metz, in the Turkish Super League for Fenerbahçe, in Saudi...
from Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
for £400,000.
9 June 1989 - Leeds United prepare for a promotion challenge for next season by signing midfielder Vinny Jones from Wimbledon for £650,000.
11 June 1989 – Tottenham Hotspur are reported to be on the verge of signing Gary Lineker.
15 June 1989 - Manchester United agree to sign midfielder Neil Webb from Nottingham Forest - with a fee set to be confirmed at a tribunal early next month.
16 June 1989 – Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
striker Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Atkinson
Dalian Robert Atkinson is an English former footballer who played as a striker in the Football League and Premier League for Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Aston Villa and Manchester City, in La Liga for Real Sociedad, in Ligue 1 for Metz, in the Turkish Super League for Fenerbahçe, in Saudi...
, 20, signs for Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, managed by Ron Atkinson
Ron Atkinson
Ronald Ernest Atkinson, commonly known as "Big Ron" and "Bojangles" is an English former football player and manager. In recent years he has become one of Britain's best-known football pundits...
(no relation), for £450,000.
18 June 1989 – Gerry Francis
Gerry Francis
Gerald Charles James Francis is an English former footballer and manager, now working as First Team coach at Stoke City.-Playing career:Francis made his debut for Queens Park Rangers v Liverpool in March 1969...
, the Bristol Rovers manager, is in talks with West Ham United about the managerial vacancy.
20 June 1989 – Leeds United further prepare for their promotion challenge by signing Wimbledon midfielder Vinny Jones for £650,000.
21 June 1989 – Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
ends three years in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
and returns to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in a £1.1million move to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, ending speculation that he was due to link up with former Barcelona strike-partner Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
at Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
.
22 June 1989 – Glenn Hysen
Glenn Hysén
Glenn Ingvar Hysén is a football manager and former player who played for leading Dutch, Italian and English clubs and won 68 caps for Sweden...
, the Fiorentina and Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
defender, has reportedly agreed to sign for Manchester United in a £600,000 deal.
30 June 1989 - Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
is appointed manager of Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
for the second time following the dismissal of Joe Kinnear
Joe Kinnear
Joseph Patrick "Joe" Kinnear is an Irish football manager and former player. He was most recently the manager of Newcastle United....
.
Deaths
- 24 July 1988 – John HarrisJohn Harris (footballer)John Harris was a Scottish footballer nicknamed "Gentleman John".-Playing career:Harris was born to be a footballer, being the son of former Scottish international centre-forward and Newcastle United player Neil Harris....
, 71, born in Glasgow, was Chelsea's centre-half in their league championship winning side of 1955. Later managed Sheffield United and took them into the First Division in 1971. - 1 August 1988 – Steve Mills, 34, who died after a two-year battle against leukaemia, starting his playing career with Notts County and later playing for SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in their 1976 FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
triumph. His career was ended by injury at the age of 23. - 21 August 1988 – Stuart LearyStuart LearyStuart Edward Leary was a South African who played football as a centre-forward and cricket as an all-rounder....
, 55, played a total of nearly 500 competitive games for Charlton AthleticCharlton Athletic F.C.Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and Queens Park Rangers and was also a first-cricketer for KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
between 1951 and 1971. - 9 October 1988 – Jackie MilburnJackie MilburnJohn Edward Thompson 'Jackie' Milburn, , also known to fans as Wor Jackie and 'the first World Wor' in reference to his global fame, was a football player for Newcastle United and England...
, 64, legendary goalscorer for Newcastle United and England during the 1950s. Was a cousin of England World Cup winners Bobby and Jack Charlton. Died of cancer. - 19 December 1988 - Lady Jean Busby, 80, wife of Manchester United's former manager and current president Sir Matt BusbyMatt BusbySir Alexander Matthew "Matt" Busby, CBE, KCSG was a Scottish football player and manager, most noted for managing Manchester United between 1945 and 1969 and again for the second half of the 1970–1971 season...
. - 1 April 1989 – George Robledo, 62, Chilean born striker, formerly of Newcastle United, died of a heart attack. He played for Chile at the 1950 World Cup and won the F.A Cup with Newcastle in both of the two seasons that followed the World Cup. In the second final, he was playing in the same team as his brother Ted RobledoTed RobledoEduardo Oliver "Ted" Robledo was a Chilean professional football player. He played as a left-sided defender, and is most notable for his time spent with Newcastle United....
. - 15 April 1989 – The 94 Liverpool supporters who died in Hillsborough disasterHillsborough disasterThe Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....
, on the day of the tragedy at the FA Cup semi-final either at the stadium, on their journey to hospital, or shortly after arrival. These included the tragedy's youngest victim, 10-year-old Jon-Paul Gilhooley,and the oldest victim, 67-year-old Gerard Baron,whose late brother Kevin had played for Liverpool in the 1950 FA Cup Final1950 FA Cup FinalThe 1950 FA Cup Final was contested by Arsenal and Liverpool at Wembley. Arsenal won 2–0, with both goals scored by Reg Lewis. Future legendary Liverpool manager Bob Paisley was famously dropped for the final, even after scoring the winning goal against rivals Everton in the semi final...
. - 18 April 1989 - Lee Nicol, 14, the 95th victim of the Hillsborough disaster, died in hospital from his injuries having never regained consciousness.
- 26 May 1989 – Don RevieDon RevieDonald George 'Don' Revie, OBE, , was an English footballer who played for Leicester City, Hull City, Sunderland, Manchester City and Leeds United as a deep-lying centre forward. After managing Leeds United he managed England from 1974 until 1977...
, 61, manager of the great Leeds United side of the late 1960s and early 1970s who were league champions twice, F.A Cup winners once, League Cup winners once and European Fairs Cup winners twice. Managed England from 1974 to 1977 but walked out on them to gain a lucrative four-year deal as national coach of the United Arab Emirates. Returned to his homeland in 1985, four years before his death from motor neurone disease.
Transfers
Tottenham midfielder Chris WaddleChris Waddle
Christopher Roland "Chris" Waddle is a former footballer from England. He played for a number of clubs in the 1980s and 90s, including Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and Sheffield Wednesday in England, and Olympique de Marseille in France...
was sold to Olympique Marseille of France in a £4.5 million deal, in the latest of big money deals which saw players desert English clubs for foreign clubs who were prepared to pay higher wages. Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
ended his three-year spell at FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
to join Tottenham. He had played under Tottenham manager Terry Venables
Terry Venables
Terence Frederick "Terry" Venables , often referred to as "El Tel", is a former football player and manager, as well as being a media pundit. During the 1960s and 70s, he played for various clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers, and gained two caps for England...
during his first season at Barcelona.
Lineker's strike partner Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
also left Barcelona and returned to his old club Manchester United in a £1.8 million deal. Hughes had been a disappointment in his first season at Barcelona but had recaptured his form during a successful season-long loan deal at Bayern Munich.
Honours
| Competition | |Runner-up | |
|---|---|---|
| First Division Football League First Division The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship.... |
Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... (9) |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
| Second Division Football League Second Division From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams... |
Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
| Third Division Football League Third Division The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two... |
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
| Fourth Division Football League Fourth Division The Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season... |
Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers F.C. Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system... |
| FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... (4) |
Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
| League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... (3) |
Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
| Simod Cup | Nottingham Forest | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
| Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy The Mercantile Credit Centenary Trophy was an English football tournament held in the early weeks of 1988-89 to celebrate the 100th birthday of The Football League.... |
Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
Manchester United |
| Sherpa Van Trophy | Bolton Wanderers | Torquay United |
| Charity Shield FA Community Shield The Football Association Community Shield is English football's annual match contested between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium. If the Premier League champions also won the FA Cup then the league runners-up provide the opposition... |
Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football... |
Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour. * indicates new record for competition
First DivisionFootball League First DivisionThe First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1 | Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
38 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 73 | 36 | +37 | 76 |
| 2 | Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
38 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 65 | 28 | 76 | ||
| 3 | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 64 | 43 | 64 | ||
| 4 | Norwich City Norwich City F.C. Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The... |
38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 48 | 45 | 62 | ||
| 5 | Derby County Derby County F.C. Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English... |
38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 40 | 38 | 58 | ||
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane.... |
38 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 60 | 46 | 57 | ||
| 7 | Coventry City Coventry City F.C. Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry... |
38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 47 | 42 | 55 | ||
| 8 | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... |
38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 50 | 45 | 54 | ||
| 9 | Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers F.C. Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years... |
38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 43 | 37 | 53 | ||
| 10 | Millwall Millwall F.C. Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the... |
38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 47 | 52 | −5 | 53 | |
| 11 | Manchester United Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958... |
38 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 45 | 35 | 51 | ||
| 12 | Wimbledon Wimbledon F.C. Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football... |
38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 50 | 46 | 51 | ||
| 13 | Southampton Southampton F.C. Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club... |
38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 52 | 66 | −14 | 45 | |
| 14 | Charlton Athletic Charlton Athletic F.C. Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,... |
38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 44 | 58 | −14 | 42 | |
| 15 | Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the... |
38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 34 | 51 | −17 | 42 | |
| 16 | Luton Town Luton Town F.C. Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was... |
38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 42 | 52 | −10 | 41 | |
| 17 | Aston Villa Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder... |
38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 45 | 56 | −11 | 40 | |
| R | 18 | Middlesbrough Middlesbrough F.C. Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889... |
38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 44 | 61 | −17 | 39 |
| R | 19 | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 37 | 62 | −25 | 38 |
| R | 20 | Newcastle United Newcastle United F.C. Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger... |
38 | 7 | 10 | 21 | 32 | 63 | −31 | 31 |
Second DivisionFootball League Second DivisionFrom 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
46 | 29 | 12 | 5 | 96 | 50 | +46 | 99 |
| 2 | Manchester City Manchester City F.C. Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894... |
46 | 23 | 13 | 10 | 77 | 53 | 82 | |
| 3 | Crystal Palace Crystal Palace F.C. Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in... |
46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 71 | 49 | 81 | |
| 4 | Watford Watford F.C. Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade... |
46 | 22 | 12 | 12 | 74 | 48 | 78 | |
| 5 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
46 | 22 | 11 | 13 | 74 | 59 | 77 | |
| 6 | Swindon Town Swindon Town F.C. Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011... |
46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 68 | 53 | 76 | |
| 7 | Barnsley Barnsley F.C. Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's... |
46 | 20 | 14 | 12 | 66 | 58 | 74 | |
| 8 | Ipswich Town Ipswich Town F.C. Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02.... |
46 | 22 | 7 | 17 | 71 | 61 | 73 | |
| 9 | West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion F.C. West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands... |
46 | 18 | 18 | 10 | 65 | 41 | 72 | |
| 10 | Leeds United | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 59 | 50 | 67 | |
| 11 | Sunderland | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 60 | 60 | 63 | |
| 12 | Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899.... |
46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 53 | 62 | −9 | 62 |
| 13 | Stoke City Stoke City F.C. Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts... |
46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 59 |
| 14 | Bradford City | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 52 | 59 | −7 | 56 |
| 15 | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 56 | 63 | −7 | 55 |
| 16 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 11 | 21 | 14 | 75 | 72 | 54 | |
| 17 | Oxford United Oxford United F.C. Oxford United Football Club is an English association football club based in Oxford, Oxfordshire. The club play in League Two, following promotion from the Conference National in May 2010. The club had been a non-League side since their relegation from the Football League in the 2005–06 season. The... |
46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 62 | 70 | −8 | 54 |
| 18 | Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle F.C. Plymouth Argyle Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Plymouth, Devon, that plays in Football League Two.Since becoming professional in 1903, the club has won five Football League titles, five Southern League titles and one Western League title. The 2009–10 season was the... |
46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 55 | 66 | −11 | 54 |
| 19 | Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.... |
46 | 14 | 9 | 23 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 51 |
| 20 | Portsmouth Portsmouth F.C. Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from... |
46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 53 | 62 | −9 | 51 |
| 21 | Hull City Hull City A.F.C. Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football... |
46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 52 | 68 | −16 | 47 |
| 22 | Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town F.C. Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football... |
46 | 8 | 18 | 20 | 40 | 67 | −27 | 42 |
| 23 | Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C. Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the... |
46 | 8 | 11 | 27 | 31 | 76 | −45 | 35 |
| 24 | Walsall Walsall F.C. Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second... |
46 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 41 | 80 | −39 | 31 |
Third DivisionFootball League Third DivisionThe Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at... |
46 | 26 | 14 | 6 | 96 | 49 | +47 | 92 |
| 2 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
46 | 25 | 9 | 12 | 93 | 54 | 84 | |
| 3 | Port Vale Port Vale F.C. Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as... |
46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 78 | 48 | 84 | |
| 4 | Fulham Fulham F.C. Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season... |
46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 69 | 67 | 75 | |
| 5 | Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... |
46 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 67 | 51 | 74 | |
| 6 | Preston North End Preston North End F.C. Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One... |
46 | 19 | 15 | 12 | 79 | 60 | 72 | |
| 7 | Brentford Brentford F.C. Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One.... |
46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 66 | 61 | 68 | |
| 8 | Chester City Chester City F.C. Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the... |
46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 64 | 61 | 68 | |
| 9 | Notts County Notts County F.C. Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system... |
46 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 64 | 54 | 67 | |
| 10 | Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers F.C. Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001.... |
46 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 58 | 54 | 64 | |
| 11 | Bristol City Bristol City F.C. Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City... |
46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 53 | 55 | −2 | 63 |
| 12 | Swansea City | 46 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 61 |
| 13 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
46 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 55 | 67 | −12 | 61 |
| 14 | Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... |
46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 63 | 73 | −10 | 60 |
| 15 | Mansfield Town Mansfield Town F.C. Mansfield Town Football Club is an English football club from the former mining town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changed its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910... |
46 | 14 | 17 | 15 | 48 | 52 | −4 | 59 |
| 16 | Cardiff City Cardiff City F.C. Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for... |
46 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 44 | 56 | −12 | 57 |
| 17 | Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic F.C. Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW... |
46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 55 | 53 | 56 | |
| 18 | Reading Reading F.C. Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship... |
46 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 68 | 72 | −4 | 56 |
| 19 | Blackpool Blackpool F.C. Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the... |
46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 56 | 59 | −3 | 55 |
| 20 | Northampton Town Northampton Town F.C. Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season... |
46 | 16 | 6 | 24 | 66 | 76 | −10 | 54 |
| 21 | Southend United Southend United F.C. Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had... |
46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 56 | 75 | −19 | 54 |
| 22 | Chesterfield Chesterfield F.C. Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower... |
46 | 14 | 7 | 25 | 51 | 86 | −35 | 49 |
| 23 | Gillingham Gillingham F.C. Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium... |
46 | 12 | 4 | 30 | 47 | 81 | −34 | 40 |
| 24 | Aldershot Aldershot F.C. Aldershot Football Club was an English Football League club, which was wound up in the High Court in March 1992. They became the first Football League club since Accrington Stanley to resign from the League during the course of a season. The club was nicknamed the Shots for both the last syllable... |
46 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 48 | 78 | −30 | 37 |
Fourth DivisionFootball League Fourth DivisionThe Fourth Division of The Football League was the fourth-highest division in the English football league system from the 1958–59 season until the creation of the Premier League prior to the 1992–93 season...
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
46 | 22 | 16 | 8 | 76 | 35 | +41 | 82 |
| 2 | Tranmere Rovers Tranmere Rovers F.C. Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system... |
46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 62 | 43 | 80 | |
| 3 | Crewe Alexandra Crewe Alexandra F.C. Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club... |
46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 67 | 48 | 78 | |
| 4 | Scunthorpe United Scunthorpe United F.C. Scunthorpe United Football Club is an English association football team based in the town of Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, who play in the Football League One.... |
46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 77 | 57 | 77 | |
| 5 | Scarborough Scarborough F.C. Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season... |
46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 67 | 52 | 77 | |
| 6 | Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 86 | 50 | 75 | |
| 7 | Wrexham | 46 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 77 | 63 | 71 | |
| 8 | Cambridge United Cambridge United F.C. Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League... |
46 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 71 | 62 | 68 | |
| 9 | Grimsby Town Grimsby Town F.C. Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town... |
46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 65 | 59 | 66 | |
| 10 | Lincoln City Lincoln City F.C. Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League.... |
46 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 64 | 60 | 64 | |
| 11 | York City York City F.C. York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions... |
46 | 17 | 13 | 16 | 62 | 63 | −1 | 64 |
| 12 | Carlisle United Carlisle United F.C. Carlisle United F.C. is an English football club based in Carlisle, Cumbria, where they play at Brunton Park. Formed in 1904, the club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system.... |
46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 53 | 52 | 60 | |
| 13 | Exeter City Exeter City F.C. Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003... |
46 | 18 | 6 | 22 | 65 | 68 | −3 | 60 |
| 14 | Torquay United Torquay United F.C. Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley... |
46 | 17 | 8 | 21 | 45 | 60 | −15 | 59 |
| 15 | Hereford United Hereford United F.C. Hereford United Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Hereford. Founded in 1924, they are competing in Football League Two in the 2011–12 season. Hereford have played at Edgar Street for their entire history and are nicknamed 'The Whites' or 'The Lilywhites',... |
46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 66 | 72 | −6 | 58 |
| 16 | Burnley Burnley F.C. Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888... |
46 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 52 | 61 | −9 | 55 |
| 17 | Peterborough United Peterborough United F.C. Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is... |
46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 52 | 74 | −22 | 54 |
| 18 | Rochdale | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 56 | 82 | −26 | 53 |
| 19 | Hartlepool United Hartlepool United F.C. Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season... |
46 | 14 | 10 | 22 | 50 | 78 | −28 | 52 |
| 20 | Stockport County Stockport County F.C. Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport... |
46 | 10 | 21 | 15 | 54 | 52 | 51 | |
| 21 | Halifax Town | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 69 | 75 | −6 | 50 |
| 22 | Colchester United Colchester United F.C. Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910.... |
46 | 12 | 14 | 20 | 60 | 78 | −18 | 50 |
| 23 | Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers F.C. Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in... |
46 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 49 | 78 | −29 | 49 |
| 24 | Darlington Darlington F.C. Darlington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Darlington, County Durham, currently playing in the Conference National. The club was founded in 1883, and originally played its games at Feethams, before moving to the Darlington Arena in 2003... |
46 | 8 | 18 | 20 | 53 | 76 | −23 | 42 |
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points