1986–87 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1986–87 season was Stoke City's 80th season in the Football League and 27th in the Second Division.

Stoke City
1986–87 season
ChairmanPeter Coates
ManagerMick Mills
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division8th (58 Points)
FA CupFifth Round
League CupSecond Round
Full Members' CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Carl Saunders (14)
All: Carl Saunders (19)
Highest home attendance19,382 vs Shrewsbury Town (1 January 1987)
Lowest home attendance6,229 vs Bradford City (2 May 1987)
Average home league attendance9,987

Peter Coates became Stoke's new chairman in September 1986 which helped Mills to make a number of useful signings. After a slow start to the season Stoke hit form in November and went on an eleven-match unbeaten run which lasted until the start of February. During this run Stoke beat Leeds United 7–2 and Sheffield United 5–2 which lifted Stoke up the table and in to contention for a place in newly formed Football League play-offs. However, Stoke could not keep up the good results, winning only four of their last 16 matches, finishing in 8th position.[1]

Season review

League

With Mills wanting to bring in new players for the 1986–87 season he had to sell before he could buy, with Ian Painter joining Coventry City for £75,000 and youth team product Neil Adams joined Everton for £150,000, a move which angered the Stoke fans.[1] Into the camp came right back Lee Dixon from Bury for £50,000 and winger Tony Ford from Grimsby Town for £35,000.[1] Stoke again participated in the annual Isle of Man Trophy, but they failed to make it out of the group stage.[1] There was a familiar problem as the season got under way - a lack of goals.[1]

In September 1986 local businessman Peter Coates assumed the role of chairman and a full-strength board backed manager Mills with money for players.[1] In came Mills' former Ipswich Town teammate Brian Talbot from Watford.[1] After 10 matches Stoke were bottom of the table with performances leaving a lot to be desired but the arrival of ex-England international Talbot boosted morale and after striker Nicky Morgan arrived from Portsmouth a remarkable transformation took place.[1] Stoke began to climb the table, going eleven matches without defeat which included a famous 7–2 victory over Leeds United and a 5–2 victory over Sheffield United.[1] As well as Morgan, youngster Carl Saunders started to hit form as Stoke leapt into 4th place and there was great excitement that Stoke could make a return to the First Division.[1] Alas it turned out to be a false dawn as just four wins and five draws in a row in their remaining 16 matches meant Stoke finished the season in 8th spot with 58 points, six away from a play-off spot.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke beat Grimsby Town 6–0 in a second replay and then a victory over Cardiff City saw Stoke drawn against Coventry City in the fifth round.[1] A near full house of 31,255 saw the "Sky Blues" narrowly beat Stoke 1–0 and they went on to lift the cup.[1]

League Cup

Shrewsbury Town who were becoming something of a bogey side for Stoke were able to grind out a 2–1 victory.[1]

Full Members' Cup

Stoke made a quick exit in this season's Full Members' Cup losing at home to Sheffield United 2–1.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
1Derby County4225986438+2684
2Portsmouth42239105328+2578
3Oldham Athletic42229116544+2175
4Leeds United421911125844+1468
5Ipswich Town421713125943+1664
6Crystal Palace42195185153–262
7Plymouth Argyle421613136257+561
8Stoke City421610166353+1058
9Sheffield United421513145049+158
10Bradford City421510176262055
11Barnsley421413154952–355
12Blackburn Rovers421510174555–1055
13Reading421411175259–753
14Hull City421314154155–1453
15West Bromwich Albion421312175149+251
16Millwall42149193945–651
17Huddersfield Town421312175461–751
18Shrewsbury Town42156214153–1251
19Birmingham City421117144759–1250
20Sunderland421212184959–1048
21Grimsby Town421014183959–2044
22Brighton & Hove Albion42912213754–1739

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

Results

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
123 August 1986Birmingham CityH0–211,548
225 August 1986Leeds UnitedA1–213,334Saunders 1'
330 August 1986Crystal PalaceA0–16,864
42 September 1986West Bromwich AlbionH1–18,668Berry 29'
56 September 1986MillwallH2–07,100Berry 34', Shaw 37' (pen)
613 September 1986Oldham AthleticA0–26,513
720 September 1986PortsmouthH1–18,440Kelly 58'
827 September 1986SunderlandA0–214,394
94 October 1986Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–18,341
1011 October 1986Huddersfield TownH2–07,543Berry 24', Bertschin 29'
1118 October 1986Blackburn RoversH1–07,715Shaw 49'
1225 October 1986Ipswich TownA0–211,054
131 November 1986Derby CountyH0–212,358
148 November 1986Hull CityA4–05,252Ford 16', McEwan (o.g.) 37', Morgan 41', Bertschin 64'
1515 November 1986Sheffield UnitedA1–311,177Bertschin 19'
1622 November 1986ReadingH3–07,465Bertschin (3) 12', 58', 79'
1729 November 1986Bradford CityA4–16,191Saunders (2) 17', 65', Ford 35', Berry 60' (pen)
186 December 1986Plymouth ArgyleH1–010,043Berry 64' (pen)
1913 December 1986Grimsby TownA1–14,642Saunders 88'
2021 December 1986Leeds UnitedH7–212,358Morgan (3) 5', 35', 72', Saunders 11', Dixon 21', Kelly 44', Ford 62'
2126 December 1986BarnsleyA2–07,436Saunders 30', Kelly 87'
2227 December 1986Sheffield UnitedH5–217,320Bould 5', Saunders (3) 17', 55', 82', Morgan 77'
231 January 1987Shrewsbury TownH1–019,382Saunders 1'
243 January 1987MillwallA1–16,134Heath 32'
2524 January 1987Birmingham CityA0–010,643
267 February 1987Crystal PalaceH3–113,154Ford 2', Dixon 64', Berry 73' (pen)
2714 February 1987West Bromwich AlbionA1–412,366Bertschin 80'
2828 February 1987PortsmouthA0–314,607
2914 March 1987Blackburn RoversA1–210,075Morgan 83'
3017 March 1987SunderlandH3–09,420Berry 21' (pen), Dixon 60', Morgan 89'
3121 March 1987Huddersfield TownA2–27,222Ford 67', Bertschin 87'
3225 March 1987Ipswich TownH0–011,805
3328 March 1987Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–110,216Morgan 47'
344 April 1987Hull CityH1–18,146Talbot 15'
3511 April 1987Derby CountyA0–019,038
3618 April 1987Shrewsbury TownA1–46,777Saunders 88'
3720 April 1987BarnsleyH1–27,260Morgan 52'
3825 April 1987ReadingA1–05,927Morgan 12'
3928 April 1987Oldham AthleticH0–27,228
402 May 1987Bradford CityH2–36,229Gayle (2) 81', 86'
414 May 1987Plymouth ArgyleA3–113,774Saunders (2) 35', 38', Talbot 46'
429 May 1987Grimsby TownH5–16,406Kelly 6', Talbot 14', Berry 40' (pen), Saunders 57', Ford 76'

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R310 January 1987Grimsby TownA1–17,367Saunders 38'
R3 Replay26 January 1987Grimsby TownH1–1 (aet)14,340Saunders 71'
R3 2nd Replay28 January 1987Grimsby TownH6–012,087Morgan (2) 10', 48', Talbot 17', Heath 22', Saunders (2) 41', 81'
R431 January 1987Cardiff CityH2–120,423Saunders 33', Heath 70'
R521 February 1987Coventry CityH0–131,255

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R2 1st Leg23 September 1986Shrewsbury TownA1–25,343Maskery 17'
R2 2nd Leg8 October 1986Shrewsbury TownH0–06,468

Full Members' Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R130 September 1986Sheffield UnitedH1–23,987Ford 40'

Isle of Man Trophy

RoundOpponentResult
Group match 1Heart of Midlothian1–0
Group match 2Manchester City0–0
Group match 3Wigan Athletic0–1

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Stafford RangersA3–1
2Port ValeA3–1
3Parkway ClaytonA2–0
4WrexhamA2–2
5Oxford UnitedA2–2
6WatfordH0–0
7Bangor CityA4–1

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Full Members' Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK Peter Fox 390502010470
GK Paul Reece 2000000020
GK Hans Segers 1000000010
DF Steve Bould 281502010361
DF Aaron Callaghan 2000001030
DF Lee Dixon 423502010503
DF Lee Fowler 0000001010
DF Chris Hemming 21(1)000200023(1)0
DF Mick Mills 6000000060
DF Brian Talbot 323510000374
MF George Berry 408501000468
MF Gerry Daly 1000000010
MF Tony Ford 416502011497
MF Tony Kelly 32(3)450201040(3)4
MF Chris Maskery 10(3)000211013(3)1
MF Steve Parkin 37(1)050201045(1)0
MF Terry Williams 1(2)0000(1)00(1)01(4)0
FW Keith Bertschin 16(5)80(4)0101018(9)8
FW Paul Crooks 0(1)0000(1)00(1)00(3)0
FW Howard Gayle 4(2)20000004(2)2
FW Phil Heath 37(1)152201045(1)3
FW Nicky Morgan 29105200003412
FW Carl Saunders 26(5)1455000031(5)19
FW Graham Shaw 15(3)200200017(3)2
Own goals 10001

References

  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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