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. 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.
Squad at the start of the season
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. 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
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
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
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
DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF–AScorersAttendance10 November 1987Round 1Leicester CityA0–13,440
Appearances and goals NameNationalityPositionLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsIan BanksMF419202010469Mark BarhamMF24 (2)1001 (1)11026 (3)2Junior BentMF5 (2)00 (1)000005 (3)0Ian BrayDF29 (1)030001033 (1)0Malcolm BrownDF23 (2)020100026 (2)0David BurkeDF100002000120Vince ChapmanDF4 (2)00000004 (2)0Graham CooperFW20 (5)50 (2)00 (1)00020 (8)5David CorkFW368302010428David CowlingMF5 (1)00010006 (1)0Brian CoxGK200302000250Paul FranceDF5 (3)03000008 (3)0Chris HutchingsDF230000000230Paul KirkhamFW0 (1)00000000 (1)0Carl MadrickFW3 (5)10000003 (5)1Lee MartinGK180000010190Andy MayMF27 (1)330201033 (1)3Seamus McDonaghGK6000000060Willie McStayDF4 (4)00000105 (4)0Graham MitchellDF28 (1)130000031 (1)1Duncan ShearerFW31 (2)1032241037 (2)16Malcolm ShottonDF140000000140Simon TrevittDF31 (6)130200036 (6)1Gordon TuckerDF19 (4)00 (1)0200 (1)021 (6)0Steve WalfordDF120000010130Peter WardFW19 (7)220101023 (7)2Simon WebsterDF220302010280Julian WinterMF5 (2)000000 (1)05 (3)0
References