1987–88 Associate Members' Cup

Associate Members Cup 1987–88 Sherpa Van Trophy EnglandWales 1986–87 1988–89 The 1987–88 Associate Members' Cup, known as the 1987–88 Sherpa Van Trophy for sponsorship reasons, was the seventh staging of a secondary football league tournament, and the fifth staging of the Associate Members' Cup, a knockout competition for English football clubs in the Third and Fourth Divisions (now known as League One and Two). The winners were Wolverhampton Wanderers, who defeated Burnley 2–0 in the final. This marked the first time two former English champions met in the final of the competition. Wolves became the first former champions to win the trophy, followed by Portsmouth in 2019 and Sunderland in 2021. The competition began on 13 October 1987 and ended with the final on 29 May 1988. The tournament begins with clubs divided into a Northern and a Southern section, and teams entering a preliminary group stage. Each section then gradually eliminates the qualifying teams in knock-out fashion until each has a winning finalist. At this point, the two winning finalists faced each other in the combined final for the honour of the trophy. Preliminary round Northern Section main WDL Q n y y Group 1 North Group 1 BRN Burnley ROC Rochdale TRA Tranmere Rovers 2 0 0 5 3 0 1 1 2 3 0 1 1 1 2 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Rochdale 0–0 Tranmere Rovers Oct 27 Tranmere Rovers 1–2 Burnley Nov 24 Burnley 3–2 Rochdale main WDL Q n y y Group 2 North Group 2 CAR Carlisle United CHE Chester City BLP Blackpool 2 0 0 3 1 1 0 1 3 3 0 0 2 1 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Carlisle United 2–1 Chester City Oct 28 Chester City 2–1 Blackpool Nov 24 Blackpool 0–1 Carlisle United main WDL Q n y y Group 3 North Group 3 PRE Preston North End BOL Bolton Wanderers STO Stockport County 1 1 0 5 2 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 2 3 8 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Bolton Wanderers 0–0 Preston NE Oct 27 Preston NE 5–2 Stockport County Nov 24 Stockport County 1–3 Bolton Wanderers main WDL Q n y y Group 4 North Group 4 BRY Bury CRE Crewe Alexandra WIG Wigan Athletic 1 1 0 5 2 0 2 0 2 2 0 1 1 4 7 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Wigan Athletic 2–2 Crewe Alexandra Nov 24 Bury 5–2 Wigan Athletic Dec 04 Crewe Alexandra 0–0 Bury main WDL Q n y y Group 5 North Group 5 DAR Darlington CHE Chesterfield YOR York City 2 0 0 6 4 1 0 1 3 2 0 0 2 3 6 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 York City 3–4 Darlington Nov 24 Chesterfield 2–0 York City Dec 05 Darlington 2–1 Chesterfield main WDL Q n y y Group 6 North Group 6 SUN Sunderland ROT Rotherham United SCA Scarborough 2 0 0 10 1 1 0 1 2 7 0 0 2 0 4 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Rotherham United 1–0 Scarborough Oct 28 Scarborough 0–3 Sunderland Nov 24 Sunderland 7–1 Rotherham United main WDL Q n y y Group 7 North Group 7 HAL Halifax Town SCU Scunthorpe United GRI Grimsby Town 1 0 1 4 2 1 0 1 2 3 1 0 1 2 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Scunthorpe United 2–0 Grimsby Town Oct 27 Grimsby Town 2–1 Halifax Town Nov 24 Halifax Town 3–0 Scunthorpe United |- ! colspan=4 | Play-off to determine second place: |- Dec 15 Grimsby Town 1–2 Scunthorpe United main WDL Q n y y Group 8 North Group 8 MAN Mansfield Town HAR Hartlepool United DON Doncaster Rovers 2 0 0 4 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 0 2 0 2 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Doncaster Rovers 0–1 Mansfield Town Oct 27 Mansfield Town 3–2 Hartlepool United Nov 24 Hartlepool United 1–0 Doncaster Rovers Southern Section main WDL Q n y y Group 1 South Group 1 BRE Brentford NOT Notts County NOR Northampton Town 1 0 1 3 3 1 0 1 3 3 1 0 1 1 1 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Notts County 1–0 Northampton Town Oct 28 Northampton Town 1–0 Brentford Nov 24 Brentford 3–2 Notts County main WDL Q n y y Group 2 South Group 2 WAL Walsall CAR Cardiff City WRE Wrexham 1 1 0 5 3 1 0 1 4 5 0 1 1 4 5 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Cardiff City 3–2 Wrexham Oct 27 Wrexham 2–2 Walsall Nov 24 Walsall 3–1 Cardiff City main WDL Q n y y Group 3 South Group 3 ALD Aldershot LEY Leyton Orient GIL Gillingham 1 1 0 5 3 0 2 0 4 4 0 1 1 3 5 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Aldershot 3–1 Gillingham Oct 27 Gillingham 2–2 Leyton Orient Nov 24 Leyton Orient 2–2 Aldershot main WDL Q n y y Group 4 South Group 4 COL Colchester United PET Peterborough CAM Cambridge United 1 1 0 3 2 1 0 1 5 3 0 1 1 0 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Colchester United 3–2 Peterborough United Nov 24 Cambridge United 0–0 Colchester United Dec 01 Peterborough United 3–0 Cambridge United main WDL Q n y y Group 5 South Group 5 TOR Torquay United HER Hereford United BRI Bristol Rovers 2 0 0 4 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 4 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Torquay United 2–0 Bristol Rovers Oct 28 Bristol Rovers 0–2 Hereford United Nov 25 Hereford United 0–2 Torquay United main WDL Q n y y Group 6 South Group 6 NPT Newport County PTV Port Vale EXE Exeter City 2 0 0 3 0 1 0 1 2 2 0 0 2 0 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Newport County 2–0 Port Vale Oct 26 Port Vale 2–0 Exeter City Nov 24 Exeter City 0–1 Newport County main WDL Q n y y Group 7 South Group 7 BRI Brighton SOU Southend United FUL Fulham 2 0 0 9 3 1 0 1 3 3 0 0 2 1 7 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 13 Southend United 1–0 Fulham Oct 27 Fulham 1–6 Brighton Nov 25 Brighton 3–2 Southend United main WDL Q n y y Group 8 South Group 8 WOL Wolves BRI Bristol City SWA Swansea City 1 1 0 4 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 1 1 1 3 #ccffcc A A complete y 15em Oct 27 Swansea City 1–1 Wolves Nov 10 Bristol City 2–0 Swansea City Nov 24 Wolves 3–1 Bristol City First round Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team19 JanuaryBurnley1–0Chester City19 JanuaryBury1–0Bolton Wanderers19 JanuaryHalifax Town2–1Chesterfield19 JanuaryMansfield Town1–0Scunthorpe United19 JanuaryPreston North End3–1Rochdale19 JanuarySunderland1–0Crewe Alexandra26 JanuaryDarlington3–2Rotherham United3 FebruaryCarlisle United0–2Hartlepool United Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team19 JanuaryAldershot1–0Bristol City19 JanuaryColchester United1–1Leyton OrientColchester United won 4–3 on penalties19 JanuaryNewport County2–3Hereford United19 JanuaryTorquay United1–0Port Vale19 JanuaryWalsall1–2Peterborough United19 JanuaryWolves4–0Brentford20 JanuaryBrighton4–2Southend United20 JanuaryNotts County2–0Cardiff City Quarter-finals Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team9 FebruaryBury0–1Burnley9 FebruarySunderland0–1Hartlepool United16 FebruaryPreston North End2–1Mansfield Town18 FebruaryDarlington1–2Halifax Town Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team9 FebruaryColchester United2–3Notts County9 FebruaryWolves4–0Peterborough United10 FebruaryHereford United0–1Brighton16 FebruaryAldershot0–1Torquay United Area semi-finals Northern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team8 MarchBurnley0–0Halifax TownBurnley won 5–3 on penalties8 MarchHartlepool United0–2Preston North End Southern Section DateHome teamScoreAway team8 MarchWolves1–0Torquay United9 MarchBrighton1–5Notts County Area finals Northern Area final 12 April 1988 19:45 BST Burnley 0–0 Preston North End Turf Moor, Burnley 15,680 19 April 1988 19:45 BST Preston North End 1–3 yes Burnley Brazil Oghani Hoskin Comstive Deepdale, Preston 17,592 Burnley won 3–1 on aggregate. Southern Area final 12 April 1988 19:30 BST Notts County 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers McParland Bull Meadow Lane, Nottingham 10,041 19 April 1988 19:30 BST Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 Notts County Bull Downing Molineux, Wolverhampton 18,413 Wolverhampton Wanderers won 4–1 on aggregate. Final 1988 Associate Members' Cup Final 29 May 1988 15:00 BST Burnley 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers Mutch 22 Dennison 51 Wembley Stadium, London 80,841 Roger Milford (Somerset) External links Official website Category:EFL Trophy seasons Associate Members' Cup Associate Members' Cup