1987–88_in_Scottish_football
1987–88 in Scottish football
91st competitive football season in Scotland
The 1987–88 season was the 91st season of competitive football in Scotland. [1]
Quick Facts Premier Division champions, Division One champions ...
| 1987–88 in Scottish football | |
|---|---|
| Premier Division champions | |
| Celtic | |
| Division One champions | |
| Hamilton Academical | |
| Division Two champions | |
| Ayr United | |
| Scottish Cup winners | |
| Celtic | |
| League Cup winners | |
| Rangers | |
| Junior Cup winners | |
| Auchinleck Talbot | |
| Teams in Europe | |
| Aberdeen, Celtic, Dundee United, Rangers, St Mirren | |
| Scotland national team | |
| UEFA Euro 1988 qualifying, Rous Cup | |
| ← 1986–87 1988–89 → |
Close
Billy McNeill's second spell back in charge of Celtic began in style as they finished the season by winning the double of the league title and Scottish Cup. The cup triumph was sealed with two late goals from Frank McAvennie, signed in early October from West Ham United, as they had trailed 1–0 to Dundee United.
Rangers, further strengthened with the signing of Englishmen Ray Wilkins and Mark Walters in midfield, had consolation for their failure to repeat title glory in the shape of a League Cup win. They could only finish third in the league, with Hearts finishing second – 10 points adrift of champions Celtic.
The Old Firm league fixture at Ibrox in October 1987, which ended in a 2–2 draw, saw three players red carded.[2] Charges were later brought against four of the players (three from Rangers, one from Celtic) by the Procurator Fiscal.[3] The resulting Court case ended up with Terry Butcher and Chris Woods being convicted of a breach of the peace. Graham Roberts was found Not proven, whilst Frank McAvennie was acquitted.[4]
Rangers enjoyed the longest run in Europe out of all the Scottish clubs, reaching the European Cup quarter finals where they were edged out by Steaua Bucharest.
A reduction of the Premier Division from 12 clubs to 10 saw three clubs (Falkirk, Dunfirmline Athletic and Morton) relegated. The only promotion place went to Division One champions Hamilton Academical.
Main article: 1987–88 Scottish Premier Division
More information Pos, Pld ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic (C) | 44 | 31 | 10 | 3 | 79 | 23 | +56 | 72 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Heart of Midlothian | 44 | 23 | 16 | 5 | 74 | 32 | +42 | 62 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 3 | Rangers | 44 | 26 | 8 | 10 | 85 | 34 | +51 | 60 | |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 44 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 56 | 25 | +31 | 59 | |
| 5 | Dundee United | 44 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 54 | 47 | +7 | 47 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 6 | Hibernian | 44 | 12 | 19 | 13 | 41 | 42 | −1 | 43 | |
| 7 | Dundee | 44 | 17 | 7 | 20 | 70 | 64 | +6 | 41 | |
| 8 | Motherwell | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 36 | |
| 9 | St Mirren | 44 | 10 | 15 | 19 | 41 | 64 | −23 | 35 | |
| 10 | Falkirk (R) | 44 | 10 | 11 | 23 | 41 | 75 | −34 | 31 | Relegation to the 1988–89 Scottish First Division |
| 11 | Dunfermline Athletic (R) | 44 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 41 | 84 | −43 | 26 | |
| 12 | Morton (R) | 44 | 3 | 10 | 31 | 27 | 100 | −73 | 16 |
Close
Source: Statto
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Champions: Celtic
Relegated: Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic, Morton
Main article: 1987–88 Scottish First Division
More information Pos, Pld ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton Academical (C, P) | 44 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 67 | 39 | +28 | 56 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Meadowbank Thistle | 44 | 20 | 12 | 12 | 71 | 37 | +34 | 52 | |
| 3 | Clydebank | 44 | 21 | 7 | 16 | 59 | 61 | −2 | 49 | |
| 4 | Forfar Athletic | 44 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 67 | 58 | +9 | 48 | |
| 5 | Raith Rovers | 44 | 19 | 7 | 18 | 81 | 76 | +5 | 45 | |
| 6 | Airdrieonians | 44 | 16 | 13 | 15 | 65 | 68 | −3 | 45 | |
| 7 | Queen of the South | 44 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 56 | 67 | −11 | 43 | |
| 8 | Partick Thistle | 44 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 60 | 64 | −4 | 41 | |
| 9 | Clyde | 44 | 16 | 6 | 22 | 73 | 75 | −2 | 38 | |
| 10 | Kilmarnock | 44 | 13 | 11 | 20 | 55 | 60 | −5 | 37 | |
| 11 | East Fife (R) | 44 | 13 | 10 | 21 | 61 | 76 | −15 | 36 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 12 | Dumbarton (R) | 44 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 51 | 70 | −19 | 36 |
Close
Source: RSSSF[dead link] and statto[5]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Promoted: Hamilton Academical
Relegated: East Fife, Dumbarton
Main article: 1987–88 Scottish Second Division
More information Pos, Pld ...
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayr United (C, P) | 39 | 27 | 7 | 5 | 95 | 31 | +64 | 61 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | St Johnstone (P) | 39 | 26 | 9 | 4 | 75 | 23 | +52 | 61 | |
| 3 | Queen's Park | 39 | 21 | 9 | 9 | 64 | 44 | +20 | 51 | |
| 4 | Brechin City | 39 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 56 | 40 | +16 | 48 | |
| 5 | Stirling Albion | 39 | 18 | 10 | 11 | 60 | 51 | +9 | 46 | |
| 6 | East Stirlingshire | 39 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 52 | 48 | +4 | 43 | |
| 7 | Alloa Athletic | 39 | 16 | 8 | 15 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 40 | |
| 8 | Montrose | 39 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 45 | 51 | −6 | 35 | |
| 9 | Arbroath | 39 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 54 | 66 | −12 | 34 | |
| 10 | Stenhousemuir | 39 | 12 | 9 | 18 | 49 | 58 | −9 | 33 | |
| 11 | Cowdenbeath | 39 | 9 | 13 | 17 | 50 | 67 | −17 | 31 | |
| 12 | Albion Rovers | 39 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 45 | 75 | −30 | 31 | |
| 13 | Berwick Rangers | 39 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 78 | −45 | 16 | |
| 14 | Stranraer | 39 | 4 | 8 | 27 | 34 | 84 | −50 | 16 |
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Source: "1987-1988 Second Division - SPFL Archive". SPFL. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Promoted: Ayr United, St Johnstone
Cup honours
More information Competition, Winner ...
| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Cup 1987–88 | Celtic | 2–1 | Dundee United |
| League Cup 1987–88 | Rangers | 3 – 3 (a.e.t.) (5 – 3 pen.) |
Aberdeen |
| Youth Cup | Dunfermline Athletic | 2–1 | Dundee |
| Junior Cup | Auchinleck Talbot | 1–0 | Petershill |
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Non-league honours
Senior
More information Competition, Winner ...
| Competition | Winner |
|---|---|
| Highland League 1987–88 | Inverness Caledonian |
| East of Scotland League | Whitehill Welfare |
| South of Scotland League | Newton Stewart |
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Individual honours
More information Award, Winner ...
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Footballer of the Year |  Paul McStay | Celtic |
| Players' Player of the Year | Paul McStay | Celtic |
| Young Player of the Year | John Collins | Hibernian |
Close
Results for Scotland's participants in European competition for the 1987–88 season
Rangers
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Rangers scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup | ||||||
| 16 September 1987 | Olympic Stadium, Kyiv (A) | Dynamo Kyiv | 0–1 | EC1 | ||
| 30 September 1987 | Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) | Dynamo Kyiv | 2–0 | EC1 | Mark Falco, Ally McCoist | |
| 21 October 1987 | Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) | Górnik Zabrze | 3–1 | EC2 | Ally McCoist, Ian Durrant, Mark Falco | |
| 4 November 1987 | Ernest Pohl Stadium, Zabrze (A) | Górnik Zabrze | 1–1 | EC2 | Ally McCoist (pen.) | |
| 2 March 1988 | Steaua Stadium, Bucharest (A) | Steaua Bucharest | 0–2 | ECQF | ||
| 16 March 1988 | Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow (H) | Steaua Bucharest | 2–1 | ECQF | Richard Gough, Ally McCoist (pen.) | |
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St Mirren
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | St Mirren scorer(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup | |||||||
| 16 September 1987 | Love Street, Paisley (H) | Tromsø IL | 1–0 | CWC1 | Kenny McDowall | ||
| 29 September 1987 | Alfheim Stadium, Tromsø (A) | Tromsø IL | 0–0 | CWC1 | |||
| 21 October 1987 | Achter de Kazerne, Mechelen (A) | KV Mechelen | 0–0 | CWC2 | |||
| 4 November 1987 | Love Street, Paisley (H) | KV Mechelen | 0–2 | CWC2 | |||
Close
Aberdeen
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Aberdeen Scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | ||||||
| 15 September 1987 | Dalymount Park, Dublin (A) | Bohemians | 0–0 | UC1 | ||
| 30 September 1987 | Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H) | Bohemians | 1–0 | UC1 | Jim Bett (pen.) | |
| 21 October 1987 | Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H) | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 2–1 | UC2 | Willie Falconer, Willie Miller | |
| 4 November 1987 | Feijenoord Stadion, Rotterdam (A) | Feyenoord Rotterdam | 0–1 | UC2 | ||
Close
Celtic
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Celtic scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | ||||||
| 15 September 1987 | Celtic Park, Glasgow (H) | Borussia Dortmund | 2–1 | UC1 | Andy Walker, Derek Whyte | |
| 30 September 1987 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund (A) | Borussia Dortmund | 0–2 | UC1 | ||
Close
Dundee United
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Dundee United scorer(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | ||||||
| 16 September 1987 | The Showgrounds Coleraine (A) | Coleraine | 1–0 | UC1 | Paul Sturrock | |
| 30 September 1987 | Tannadice, Dundee (H) | Coleraine | 3–1 | UC1 | Kevin Gallacher, Paul Sturrock, John Clark | |
| 21 October 1987 | Tannadice, Dundee (H) | FC Vítkovice | 1–2 | UC2 | Iain Ferguson | |
| 4 November 1987 | Bazaly, Ostrava (A)[6] | FC Vítkovice | 1–1 | UC2 | own goal | |
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Main article: Scotland national football team 1980–99 results
More information Date, Venue ...
| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score[7] | Competition | Scotland scorer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1987 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) |  Hungary |
2–0 | Friendly | Ally McCoist (2) |
| 14 October 1987 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) |  Belgium |
2–0 | ECQG7 | Ally McCoist, Paul McStay |
| 11 November 1987 | Vasil Levski, Sofia (A) |  Bulgaria |
1–0 | ECQG7 | Gary Mackay |
| 2 December 1987 | Stade de la Frontière, Esch (A) |  Luxembourg |
0–0 | ECQG7 | |
| 17 February 1988 | Malaz Stadium, Riyadh (A) |  Saudi Arabia |
2–2 | Friendly | Maurice Johnston, John Collins |
| 22 March 1988 | Ta'Qali Stadium, Valletta (A) |  Malta |
1–1 | Friendly | Graeme Sharp |
| 27 April 1988 | Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid (A) |  Spain |
0–0 | Friendly | |
| 17 May 1988 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) |  Colombia |
0–0 | Rous Cup | |
| 21 May 1988 | Wembley Stadium, London (A) |  England |
0–1 | Rous Cup |
Close
Key:
- (H) = Home match
- (A) = Away match
- ECQG7 = European Championship qualifying – Group 7
- "1987/88 - the Scottish Football League". Archived from the original on 5 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
- Reynolds, Jim (19 October 1987). "Three off but it could have been more". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 11. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- McCallum, Andrew (13 April 1988). "Old Firm fans' hatred had "never been worse"". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 1. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- McCallum, Andrew (16 April 1988). "Rangers players to appeal after fines". The Herald. Glasgow. p. 1. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- "Scottish Division One 1987-1988 Season Summary". statto.com. Archived from the original on 21 December 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
- "Match programme". Archived from the original on 18 December 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
- Scotland's score is shown first.
