SEASON
1987-88
Vauxhall Opel League Division One · 21st
Relegation. It’s a word that you didn’t associate with Stevenage Borough; at least, not before the 1987-88 Vauxhall Opel League Division One season. For a team that were no strangers to firsts and setting new records, this was one we probably would have been happier without. The first half of the campaign hadn’t been great, but it wasn’t exactly dismal either; there were no immediate signs of danger going into Christmas.
After, however, was a whole different ball game. An abject second half of the season saw Boro’ pulled right into the mire and there would be no escaping.
After a 2-0 win over Worthing on 9 January, we lost seven league games on the spin. Then, we went on a six-game streak without scoring in April; y’know, the time when points were needed the most. By the time we took three points at Basildon on the final day, we were already gone; three points adrift of safety and ‘boasting’ the most number of defeats (22). Well, except the hapless Wolverton Town (36).
Season at a Glance
Season Story
Heaviest Defeat
Southwick 0–7 H · 1 Feb 1988Filter by Competition
Filter by Venue
Saturday 08 August 1987
Saturday 22 August 1987
Saturday 29 August 1987
Monday 31 August 1987
Saturday 05 September 1987
Saturday 12 September 1987
Monday 14 September 1987
Saturday 19 September 1987
Monday 21 September 1987
Saturday 26 September 1987
Monday 28 September 1987
Saturday 03 October 1987
Monday 05 October 1987
Saturday 10 October 1987
Saturday 17 October 1987
Monday 19 October 1987
Saturday 24 October 1987
Tuesday 27 October 1987
Saturday 31 October 1987
Wednesday 04 November 1987
Saturday 07 November 1987
Saturday 14 November 1987
Tuesday 17 November 1987
Saturday 21 November 1987
Tuesday 24 November 1987
Saturday 05 December 1987
Tuesday 08 December 1987
Saturday 12 December 1987
Monday 14 December 1987
Saturday 19 December 1987
Saturday 26 December 1987
Saturday 09 January 1988
Saturday 16 January 1988
Tuesday 19 January 1988
Monday 01 February 1988
Saturday 06 February 1988
Monday 08 February 1988
Saturday 13 February 1988
Monday 15 February 1988
Saturday 20 February 1988
Saturday 27 February 1988
Monday 29 February 1988
Saturday 05 March 1988
Saturday 12 March 1988
Thursday 17 March 1988
Saturday 19 March 1988
Tuesday 22 March 1988
Saturday 26 March 1988
Saturday 02 April 1988
Monday 04 April 1988
Saturday 09 April 1988
Tuesday 12 April 1988
Saturday 16 April 1988
Tuesday 19 April 1988
Saturday 23 April 1988
Saturday 30 April 1988
Squad Leaders
Full Squad Rollcall
A complete breakdown of every player used during the 1987-88 season.
| Name | Pld | Gls | YC | RC | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Boreham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Cooper | 32 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graham Cox | 47 (1) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Cox | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Cumberbatch | 21 (8) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kenny Dixon | 20 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gary French | 5 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Friend | 14 (6) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Des Gallagher | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Gibbs | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graham Harding | 16 (6) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Lawrence Honey | 40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Andy Hudson | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Hughes | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neil Jeffrey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clive Kemplen | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Lincoln | 6 (3) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Neil Madden | 45 (3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Steve Manning | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ricky Marshall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy McCollin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant McRae | 0 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Geoff Mills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Murray | 2 (5) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Chris Myers | 18 (1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dave Parratt | 6 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Payne | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Phillips | 4 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Doug Pirie | 32 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peter Shadbolt | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Steve Shea | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gary Sisman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy Slade | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Herbie Smith | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie Stanley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Adrian Taylor | 38 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Templeton | 44 (1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mark Timpson | 32 (1) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denny Tyler | 36 (1) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Vooght | 17 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Watkins | 38 (7) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Martin Westley | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
League Table
Final Vauxhall Opel League Division One standings for the 1987-88 season.
| Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marlow | 42 | 32 | 5 | 5 | 100 | 44 | 56 | 101 |
| 2 | Grays Athletic | 42 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 74 | 25 | 49 | 100 |
| 3 | Woking | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 91 | 52 | 49 | 82 |
| 4 | Boreham Wood | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 65 | 45 | 20 | 72 |
| 5 | Staines Town | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 71 | 48 | 23 | 68 |
| 6 | Wembley | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 54 | 46 | 8 | 65 |
| 7 | Basildon United | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 65 | 58 | 7 | 63 |
| 8 | Walton & Hersham | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 53 | 44 | 9 | 61 |
| 9 | Hampton & Richmond Borough | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 59 | 54 | 5 | 61 |
| 10 | Leatherhead | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 53 | 11 | 59 |
| 11 | Southwick | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 59 | 63 | -4 | 51 |
| 12 | Oxford City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 70 | 77 | -7 | 51 |
| 13 | Worthing | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 67 | 73 | -6 | 50 |
| 14 | Kingsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 62 | 69 | -7 | 50 |
| 15 | Walthamstow Avenue | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 53 | 63 | -10 | 50 |
| 16 | Lewes | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 83 | 77 | 6 | 49 |
| 17 | Uxbridge | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 41 | 47 | -6 | 49 |
| 18 | Chesham United | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 69 | 77 | -8 | 46 |
| 19 | Bracknell Town | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 54 | 80 | -26 | 45 |
| 20 | Billericay Town | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 58 | 88 | -30 | 44 |
| 21 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 36 | 64 | -28 | 42 |
| 22 | Wolverton Town | 42 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 23 | 124 | -101 | 12 |
Points Per Game Progression
How Boro's cumulative league points-per-game changed across the 1987-88 season.