1987–88 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

November 2025 February 2015 February 2015 Huddersfield Town 1987–88 Roger B. FieldingKeith Longbottom Steve Smith (until 6 October 1987)Malcolm Macdonald (from 12 October 1987 until 4 May 1988) Leeds Road Second Division 23rd (relegated) FA Cup Third round(eliminated by Manchester City) League Cup First round(eliminated by Rotherham United) Full Members' Cup First round(eliminated by Leicester City) Duncan Shearer (10) Duncan Shearer (16) 21,510 vs Manchester City (25 January 1988) 2,794 vs AFC Bournemouth (30 April 1988) 2–0 vs AFC Bournemouth (21 November 1987) 1–10 vs Manchester City (7 November 1987) 1986–87 1988–89 Huddersfield Town's 1987–88 campaign is statistically Town's worst ever season in their league history. Town won only 6 league games all season, had their heaviest ever defeat in their history, conceded 100 league goals in the season and finished 19 points adrift of safety and even 14 points behind 2nd-bottom team Reading. They were relegated from the Second Division to the Third after the season. The team had two managers during the season, Steve Smith and Malcolm Macdonald.Rothmans Football yearbook. 1988-89 1988 Queen Anne Press London 978-0-356-15879-2 https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball0000unse_c5r2 26 November 202516 Macdonald never managed again after his half-season in Huddersfield, and said that the club-record 10–1 loss to Manchester City still haunted him, and his reputation, decades later.Anderson David Former Huddersfield boss Malcolm Macdonald relives 10-1 Manchester City thrashing ahead of weekend's FA Cup rematch https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/legend-macdonald-relives-huddersfields-10 The Mirror 26 November 2025 16 February 2007 Squad at the start of the season yes yes England GK Brian Cox yes England GK Lee Martin yes Wales DF Ian Bray yes England DF Malcolm Brown yes England DF David Burke yes Scotland DF Willie McStay yes England DF Graham Mitchell yes England DF Simon Trevitt yes England DF Gordon Tucker yes England DF Simon Webster yes England MF Ian Banks yes yes England MF Mark Barham yes England MF Junior Bent yes England MF David Cowling yes England MF Paul France yes England MF Carl Madrick yes England MF Andy May yes England MF Julian Winter yes England FW Graham Cooper yes England FW David Cork yes Scotland FW Duncan Shearer yes England FW Peter Ward Review The start of the season was at the time, the worst in Town's history. The team lost most of their early games and Steve Smith, a hero during his playing days at Leeds Road, was shown the door on 6 October, after the 2–0 defeat at Birmingham City. Malcolm Macdonald replaced Smith a week later, but it wasn't until the end of the month that Town registered their first win, a 2–1 victory at the end-of-season champions Millwall. However, a week later, Town recorded their biggest ever loss in their history, going down 10–1 against Manchester City at Maine Road.17 After that embarrassment, Town recovered slightly going on a run of only 1 defeat in 6 matches. However, this proved to be nothing more than a false dawn and Town's chances of survival would shortly become non-existent. Following their 2–1 win over Plymouth Argyle on 12 December, Town would only win 2 matches for the remaining 5 months of the season, they were a 1–0 win at Bradford City and amazingly a 1–0 win against a Manchester City side, who 4 months earlier beat them 10–1. They were officially relegated with four games remaining, after a 2–2 draw at home to near neighbours Oldham Athletic, and Town ended up with only 28 points, finishing 14 points behind Reading in 23rd place and a further 5 behind the safety zone of 21st placed West Bromwich Albion. Macdonald was sacked just before the last game of the season against Sheffield United. Eoin Hand would replace Macdonald for the new season in the Third Division. Squad at the end of the season yes yes England GK Brian Cox yes England GK Lee Martin yes Wales DF Ian Bray yes England DF Malcolm Brown yes England DF Vince Chapman yes England DF Chris Hutchings yes England DF Graham Mitchell yes England DF Malcolm Shotton yes England DF Simon Trevitt yes England DF Gordon Tucker yes England MF Ian Banks yes yes England MF Mark Barham yes England MF Junior Bent yes England MF Paul France yes England MF Carl Madrick yes England MF Andy May yes England MF Julian Winter yes England FW Graham Cooper yes England FW David Cork yes England FW Paul Kirkham yes Scotland FW Duncan Shearer yes England FW Peter Ward Results Division Two DateOpponentsHome/AwayResultF–AScorersAttendancePosition15 August 1987Crystal PalaceH2–2Trevitt, Shearer6,1326th22 August 1987Plymouth ArgyleA1–6Ward8,81121st29 August 1987Shrewsbury TownH0–04,47820th31 August 1987Oldham AthleticA2–3Shearer, Banks7,41021st12 September 1987Blackburn RoversA2–2May, Cooper7,10923rd15 September 1987Leeds UnitedH0–09,08522nd19 September 1987Aston VillaH0–16,88423rd26 September 1987Stoke CityA1–1Cooper8,66523rd29 September 1987Bradford CityH1–2Shearer11,67123rd3 October 1987Birmingham CityA0–26,28223rd10 October 1987MiddlesbroughH1–4Shearer6,16923rd17 October 1987ReadingA2–3Shearer (2)4,67823rd20 October 1987Hull CityH0–28,03323rd24 October 1987West Bromwich AlbionA2–3Cork, Shearer8,45023rd31 October 1987MillwallH2–1Banks, Cork5,50423rd3 November 1987Ipswich TownA0–39,98423rd7 November 1987Manchester CityA1–10May (pen)19,58323rd14 November 1987BarnsleyH2–2Ward, Banks8,62923rd21 November 1987BournemouthA2–0Cork, Banks6,41923rd28 November 1987Leicester CityH1–0Cooper6,70422nd1 December 1987Swindon TownA1–4Cooper6,96322nd5 December 1987Sheffield UnitedA2–2Banks, Cooper9,26922nd12 December 1987Plymouth ArgyleH2–1Cork (2)5,74721st19 December 1987Leeds UnitedA0–320,11121st26 December 1987Stoke CityH0–39,50021st28 December 1987Aston VillaA1–1Shearer20,94821st1 January 1988Shrewsbury TownA1–3Cork5,44823rd2 January 1988Blackburn RoversH1–2May (pen)10,73523rd16 January 1988Crystal PalaceA1–2Shearer9,01323rd13 February 1988Swindon TownH0–35,45823rd27 February 1988Birmingham CityH2–2Banks, Barham5,44123rd1 March 1988Bradford CityA1–0Banks12,78223rd5 March 1988ReadingH0–26,09423rd12 March 1988MiddlesbroughA0–213,86623rd19 March 1988MillwallA1–4Mitchell6,18123rd26 March 1988West Bromwich AlbionH1–3Cork4,50323rd2 April 1988Manchester CityH1–0Madrick7,83523rd4 April 1988BarnsleyA0–17,95023rd8 April 1988Ipswich TownH1–2Banks4,02323rd19 April 1988Oldham AthleticH2–2Shearer, Banks5,54723rd23 April 1988Hull CityA0–45,22123rd30 April 1988BournemouthH1–2Cork2,79423rd2 May 1988Leicester CityA0–39,80323rd7 May 1988Sheffield UnitedH0–28,64423rd FA Cup 1987–88 FA Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF–AScorersAttendance9 January 1988Round 3Manchester CityH2–2Shearer (2)18,10212 January 1988Round 3 replayManchester CityA0–024,56525 January 1988Round 3 2nd replayManchester CityH0–321,510 League Cup 1987–88 Football League Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF–AScorersAttendance18 August 1987Round 1 1st LegRotherham UnitedA4–4Shearer (3), Barham3,35325 August 1987Round 1 2nd LegRotherham UnitedH1–3Shearer4,528 Huddersfield lost 7–5 on aggregate. Full Members Cup 1987–88 Full Members Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF–AScorersAttendance10 November 1987Round 1Leicester CityA0–13,440 Appearances and goals NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsIan BanksENGMF419202010469Mark BarhamENGMF24 (2)1001 (1)11026 (3)2Junior BentENGMF5 (2)00 (1)000005 (3)0Ian BrayWALDF29 (1)030001033 (1)0Malcolm BrownENGDF23 (2)020100026 (2)0David BurkeENGDF100002000120Vince ChapmanENGDF4 (2)00000004 (2)0Graham CooperENGFW20 (5)50 (2)00 (1)00020 (8)5David CorkENGFW368302010428David CowlingENGMF5 (1)00010006 (1)0Brian CoxENGGK200302000250Paul FranceENGDF5 (3)03000008 (3)0Chris HutchingsENGDF230000000230Paul KirkhamENGFW0 (1)00000000 (1)0Carl MadrickENGFW3 (5)10000003 (5)1Lee MartinENGGK180000010190Andy MayENGMF27 (1)330201033 (1)3Seamus McDonaghIRLGK6000000060Willie McStaySCODF4 (4)00000105 (4)0Graham MitchellENGDF28 (1)130000031 (1)1Duncan ShearerSCOFW31 (2)1032241037 (2)16Malcolm ShottonENGDF140000000140Simon TrevittENGDF31 (6)130200036 (6)1Gordon TuckerENGDF19 (4)00 (1)0200 (1)021 (6)0Steve WalfordENGDF120000010130Peter WardENGFW19 (7)220101023 (7)2Simon WebsterENGDF220302010280Julian WinterENGMF5 (2)000000 (1)05 (3)0 References 1987-88 Category:1987–88 Football League Second Division by team