1987–88 Newport County A.F.C. season

Newport County
1987–88 season
ChairmanArchie Menzies
(until February 1988)
Jerry Sherman
ManagerJohn Lewis
(until 7 September 1987)
Brian Eastick
(until 11 March 1988)
David Williams
(from 11 March 1988)
StadiumSomerton Park
Fourth Division24th (relegated)
FA Cup1st round
League Cup2nd round
League TrophySouthern section
1st round
Welsh Cup3rd round
Top goalscorerLeague: Taylor (4)
All: Taylor (5)
Highest home attendance4,022 vs Cardiff City (21 November 1987)
Lowest home attendance988 vs Peterborough United (9 April 1988)
Average home league attendance1,759

The 1987–88 season was the 60th season played by Newport County in the Football League and the first season played back in the Fourth Division since relegation from the Third Division at the end of the 1986–87 season. The club suffered a second successive relegation and were only the second team to be automatically relegated to the Football Conference.

Newport's first Division Four campaign in seven years rapidly turned into an absolute nightmare, against the backdrop of an increasingly desperate financial situation. John Lewis was sacked with the season barely a month old after a return of just one point from County's first five games, and Brian Eastick was called in to take over. Eastick won his first match in charge, but took a month to get another win. Victories over Welsh rivals Swansea City and Wrexham proved to be the sole highlight of this campaign, but were followed by a three-month run without victory, the third successive season Newport suffered such an indignity. January 1988 saw a minor improvement in form, but the already poor campaign totally fell apart afterwards, and Newport earned no wins and just three points in the next four months. Eastick was sacked during this dreadful run, and coach David Williams took charge for the remainder of the season in a fruitless attempt to avoid relegation.

Season review

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Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
46 6 7 33 35 105  −70 25 4 5 14 19 36  −17 2 2 19 16 69  −53

Last updated: 7 May 1988.
Source: [1]

Results by round

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Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundAHAHAHAAHAHAAAHAHAHAAAHHAHHAHAHAHHHAHAHHAAHHAH
ResultDLLLLWLLDLLLWLWLLLLLLLLDLWDLWLLDDLDLLLLLLLLLWL
Position15212424242324242424242424242222222324242424242424242424242424242424242424242424242424242424
Updated to match(es) played on 7 May 1988. Source: statto.com
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Fixtures and results

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Fourth Division

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Main article: 1987–88 Football League § Fourth Division
Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance
15 Aug 1987 Hartlepool United A 0–0 1,926
22 Aug 1987 Burnley H 0–1 2,006
29 Aug 1987 Exeter City A 0–3 2,628
31 Aug 1987 Stockport County H 1–2 Giles 1,626
5 Sep 1987 Halifax Town A 1–3 Collins 1,095
12 Sep 1987 Torquay United H 3–1 Sherlock, Evans, Withers 1,368
16 Sep 1987 Scarborough A 1–3 Evans 2,345
19 Sep 1987 Scunthorpe United A 1–3 Tupling 2,004
27 Sep 1987 Hereford United H 0–0 1,480
29 Sep 1987 Leyton Orient A 1–4 Hodson 3,761
3 Oct 1987 Colchester United H 1–2 Thomson 1,200
10 Oct 1987 Cambridge United A 0–4 1,874
17 Oct 1987 Swansea City A 2–1 Taylor 2 3,739
21 Oct 1987 Peterborough United A 0–3 3,163
24 Oct 1987 Wrexham H 2–0 Thackerey, Preece 1,470
31 Oct 1987 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–2 Miller 6,467
3 Nov 1987 Bolton Wanderers H 0–1 1,566
7 Nov 1987 Carlisle United A 1–3 Preece 1,766
21 Nov 1987 Cardiff City H 1–2 Miller 4,022
27 Nov 1987 Tranmere Rovers A 0–4 3,252
19 Dec 1987 Rochdale A 0–3 1,494
26 Dec 1987 Hereford United A 2–4 Williams, Downes 3,203
28 Dec 1987 Crewe Alexandra H 1–2 Downes 1,918
1 Jan 1988 Exeter City H 1–1 Gibbins 1,691
9 Jan 1988 Burnley A 0–2 5,305
12 Jan 1988 Darlington H 2–1 Clement, Brook 1,402
16 Jan 1988 Scunthorpe United H 1–1 Sherlock 1,760
29 Jan 1988 Stockport County A 1–5 Jones 2,509
5 Feb 1988 Halifax Town H 1–0 Mann 1,509
13 Feb 1988 Crewe Alexandra A 1–2 Bodin 2,080
19 Feb 1988 Hartlepool United H 2–3 Williams 2 1,880
26 Feb 1988 Colchester United A 0–0 1,784
1 Mar 1988 Leyton Orient H 0–0 1,656
5 Mar 1988 Swansea City H 1–2 Brook 2,235
12 Mar 1988 Cambridge United H 0–0 1,208
26 Mar 1988 Wrexham A 1–4 Millett 1,627
2 Apr 1988 Carlisle United H 1–2 Taylor 1,376
4 Apr 1988 Cardiff City A 0–4 6,536
9 Apr 1988 Peterborough United H 0–4 988
12 Apr 1988 Scarborough H 0–4 1,025
19 Apr 1988 Torquay United A 1–6 Hamer 3,416
23 Apr 1988 Bolton Wanderers A 0–6 4,357
26 Apr 1988 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–3 Tupling 3,409
30 Apr 1988 Tranmere Rovers H 0–3 1,110
2 May 1988 Darlington A 2–0 Thompson, Taylor 1,675
7 May 1988 Rochdale H 0–1 2,560

FA Cup

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Main article: 1987–88 FA Cup
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance
1 14 Nov 1987 Northampton Town A 1–2 Holtham 4,581

Football League Cup

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Main article: 1987–88 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance Aggregate
1–1 18 Aug 1987 Cardiff City A 2–1 Evans 2 3,383
1–2 25 Aug 1987 Cardiff City A 2–2 Taylor, Tupling 3,550 4–3
2–1 22 Sep 1987 Crystal Palace A 0–4 6,085
2–2 6 Oct 1987 Crystal Palace H 0–2 1,303 0–6

Football League Trophy

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Main article: 1987–88 Football League Trophy
Round Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance
Grp S6 13 Oct 1987 Port Vale H 2–0 P.Giles, Gibbins 569
Grp S6 24 Nov 1987 Exeter City A 1–0 Thackeray 1,006
S1 19 Jan 1988 Hereford United H 2–3 Tupling, Mann 1,232

Welsh Cup

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Round Date Opponents Venue Result Scorers Attendance
3 30 Nov 1987 Haverfordwest County H 2–4 P.Giles, Carr 521

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L F A GD Pts Notes
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 46 27 9 10 82 43 +39 90 Champions, promoted
2 Cardiff City 46 24 13 9 66 41 +25 85 Promoted
3 Bolton Wanderers 46 22 12 12 66 42 +24 78 Promoted
4 Scunthorpe United 46 20 17 9 76 51 +25 77 Play-offs
5 Torquay United 46 21 14 11 66 41 +25 77 Play-offs
6 Swansea City 46 20 10 16 62 56 +6 70 Play-off winners, promoted
7 Peterborough United 46 20 10 16 52 53 −1 70
8 Leyton Orient 46 19 12 15 85 63 +22 69
9 Colchester United 46 19 10 17 47 51 −4 67
10 Burnley 46 20 7 19 57 62 −5 67
11 Wrexham 46 20 6 20 69 58 +11 66
12 Scarborough 46 17 14 15 56 48 +8 65
13 Darlington 46 18 11 17 71 69 +2 65
14 Tranmere Rovers 46 19 9 18 61 53 +8 64
15 Cambridge United 46 16 13 17 50 52 −2 61
16 Hartlepool United 46 15 14 17 50 57 −7 59
17 Crewe Alexandra 46 13 19 14 57 53 +4 58
18 Halifax Town 46 14 14 18 54 59 −5 55
19 Hereford United 46 14 12 20 41 59 −18 54
20 Stockport County 46 12 15 19 44 58 −14 51
21 Rochdale 46 11 15 20 47 76 −29 48
22 Exeter City 46 11 13 22 53 68 −15 46
23 Carlisle United 46 12 8 26 57 86 −29 44
24 Newport County 46 6 7 33 35 105 −70 25 Relegated

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Key
Division Champions
Promoted
Welsh Cup winners, qualified for Cup Winners' Cup
Into play-offs
Relegated to Conference
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