The 1986–87 season was Stoke City's 80th season in the Football League and 27th in the Second Division.
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.
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. Into the camp came right back Lee Dixon from Bury for £50,000 and winger Tony Ford from Grimsby Town for £35,000. Stoke again participated in the annual Isle of Man Trophy, but they failed to make it out of the group stage. There was a familiar problem as the season got under way - a lack of goals.
In September 1986 local businessman Peter Coates assumed the role of chairman and a full-strength board backed manager Mills with money for players. In came Mills' former Ipswich Town teammate Brian Talbot from Watford. 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. 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. 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. 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.
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. A near full house of 31,255 saw the "Sky Blues" narrowly beat Stoke 1–0 and they went on to lift the cup.
League Cup Shrewsbury Town who were becoming something of a bogey side for Stoke were able to grind out a 2–1 victory.
Full Members' Cup Stoke made a quick exit in this season's Full Members' Cup losing at home to Sheffield United 2–1.
Final league table
Results
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Second Division
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 23 August 1986 Birmingham CityH0–211,5482 25 August 1986 Leeds UnitedA1–213,334Saunders 1'3 30 August 1986 Crystal PalaceA0–16,8644 2 September 1986 West Bromwich AlbionH1–18,668Berry 29'5 6 September 1986 MillwallH2–07,100Berry 34', Shaw 37' (pen)6 13 September 1986 Oldham AthleticA0–26,5137 20 September 1986 PortsmouthH1–18,440Kelly 58'8 27 September 1986 SunderlandA0–214,3949 4 October 1986 Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–18,34110 11 October 1986 Huddersfield TownH2–07,543Berry 24', Bertschin 29'11 18 October 1986 Blackburn RoversH1–07,715Shaw 49'12 25 October 1986 Ipswich TownA0–211,05413 1 November 1986 Derby CountyH0–212,35814 8 November 1986 Hull CityA4–05,252Ford 16', McEwan (o.g.) 37', Morgan 41', Bertschin 64'15 15 November 1986 Sheffield UnitedA1–311,177Bertschin 19'16 22 November 1986 ReadingH3–07,465Bertschin (3) 12', 58', 79'17 29 November 1986 Bradford CityA4–16,191Saunders (2) 17', 65', Ford 35', Berry 60' (pen)18 6 December 1986 Plymouth ArgyleH1–010,043Berry 64' (pen)19 13 December 1986 Grimsby TownA1–14,642Saunders 88'20 21 December 1986 Leeds UnitedH7–212,358Morgan (3) 5', 35', 72', Saunders 11', Dixon 21', Kelly 44', Ford 62'21 26 December 1986 BarnsleyA2–07,436Saunders 30', Kelly 87'22 27 December 1986 Sheffield UnitedH5–217,320Bould 5', Saunders (3) 17', 55', 82', Morgan 77'23 1 January 1987 Shrewsbury TownH1–019,382Saunders 1'24 3 January 1987 MillwallA1–16,134Heath 32'25 24 January 1987 Birmingham CityA0–010,64326 7 February 1987 Crystal PalaceH3–113,154Ford 2', Dixon 64', Berry 73' (pen)27 14 February 1987 West Bromwich AlbionA1–412,366Bertschin 80'28 28 February 1987 PortsmouthA0–314,60729 14 March 1987 Blackburn RoversA1–210,075Morgan 83'30 17 March 1987 SunderlandH3–09,420Berry 21' (pen), Dixon 60', Morgan 89'31 21 March 1987 Huddersfield TownA2–27,222Ford 67', Bertschin 87'32 25 March 1987 Ipswich TownH0–011,80533 28 March 1987 Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–110,216Morgan 47'34 4 April 1987 Hull CityH1–18,146Talbot 15'35 11 April 1987 Derby CountyA0–019,03836 18 April 1987 Shrewsbury TownA1–46,777Saunders 88'37 20 April 1987 BarnsleyH1–27,260Morgan 52'38 25 April 1987 ReadingA1–05,927Morgan 12'39 28 April 1987 Oldham AthleticH0–27,22840 2 May 1987 Bradford CityH2–36,229Gayle (2) 81', 86'41 4 May 1987 Plymouth ArgyleA3–113,774Saunders (2) 35', 38', Talbot 46'42 9 May 1987 Grimsby TownH5–16,406Kelly 6', Talbot 14', Berry 40' (pen), Saunders 57', Ford 76'
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR310 January 1987 Grimsby TownA1–17,367Saunders 38'R3 Replay26 January 1987 Grimsby TownH1–1 (aet)14,340Saunders 71'R3 2nd Replay28 January 1987 Grimsby TownH6–012,087Morgan (2) 10', 48', Talbot 17', Heath 22', Saunders (2) 41', 81'R431 January 1987 Cardiff CityH2–120,423Saunders 33', Heath 70'R521 February 1987 Coventry CityH0–131,255
League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR2 1st Leg23 September 1986 Shrewsbury TownA1–25,343Maskery 17'R2 2nd Leg8 October 1986 Shrewsbury TownH0–06,468
Full Members' Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR130 September 1986 Sheffield UnitedH1–23,987Ford 40'
Isle of Man Trophy
RoundOpponentResultGroup match 1Heart of Midlothian1–0Group match 2Manchester City0–0Group match 3Wigan Athletic0–1
Friendlies MatchOpponentVenueResult1Stafford RangersA3–12Port ValeA3–13Parkway ClaytonA2–04WrexhamA2–25Oxford UnitedA2–26WatfordH0–07Bangor CityA4–1
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFull Members' CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Peter Fox390502010470GK Paul Reece2000000020GK Hans Segers1000000010DF Steve Bould281502010361DF Aaron Callaghan2000001030DF Lee Dixon423502010503DF Lee Fowler0000001010DF Chris Hemming21(1)000200023(1)0DF Mick Mills6000000060DF Brian Talbot323510000374MF George Berry408501000468MF Gerry Daly1000000010MF Tony Ford416502011497MF Tony Kelly32(3)450201040(3)4MF Chris Maskery10(3)000211013(3)1MF Steve Parkin37(1)050201045(1)0MF Terry Williams1(2)0000(1)00(1)01(4)0FW Keith Bertschin16(5)80(4)0101018(9)8FW Paul Crooks0(1)0000(1)00(1)00(3)0FW Howard Gayle4(2)20000004(2)2FW Phil Heath37(1)152201045(1)3FW Nicky Morgan29105200003412FW Carl Saunders26(5)1455000031(5)19FW Graham Shaw15(3)200200017(3)2–Own goals–1–0–0–0–1
References