1985–86 NHL season, Playoffs, Stanley Cup Finals
After a 2-year trial of the 2–3–2 home ice format, the finals reverted to the 2–2–1–1–1 format.


1985–86 NHL season, Milestones, Debuts
The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1985–86 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs):


1985–86 NHL season, Milestones, Last games
The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1985–86 (listed with their last team):


1985–86 NK Hajduk Split season
The 1985–86 season was the 75th season in Hajduk Split’s history and their 40th in the Yugoslav First League. Their 2nd place finish in the 1984–85 season meant it was their 40th successive season playing in the Yugoslav First League.


1985–86 NK Rijeka season
The 1985–86 season was the 40th season in Rijeka’s history and their 24th season in the Yugoslav First League. Their 8th place finish in the 1984–85 season meant it was their 12th successive season playing in the Yugoslav First League.


1985–86 NK Rijeka season, Matches, Squad statistics
Competitive matches only. Appearances in brackets indicate numbers of times the player came on as a substitute.


1985–86 NTFL season
The 1985/86 NTFL season was the 65th season of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL).


1985–86 NTFL season
St Marys have won there 13th premiership title while defeating the Nightcliff Tigers in the grand final by 178 points, the highest winning margin in an NTFL grand final.


1985–86 National Basketball League season
The 1985–86 Carlsberg National Basketball League season was the fourteenth season of the National Basketball League formed in 1972.


1985–86 National Basketball League season
The league was sponsored by Carlsberg for the second consecutive year and the Kingston Kings completed a Play Off's & National Cup double but Manchester United won the League title.


1985–86 National Basketball League season, Team changes
The EBBA increased the first division to fifteen teams adding two clubs from the second division; the two new teams were Brunel Uxbridge & Camden Ducks and the Tyneside basketball club. One club dropped out because Doncaster Panthers suffered financial trouble and were disbanded during the previous summer. The gap in spending capability between certain teams seemed to be growing with the likes of Kingston, Manchester United and Portsmouth having much larger budgets than some of their competitors.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland)
The 1985–86 National Football League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Ford National Football League, was the 55th staging of the National Football League (NFL), an annual Gaelic football tournament for the Gaelic Athletic Association county teams of Ireland.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland)
Laois won their second title to bridge a sixty-year gap.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format
1985-86 saw a change in format of the National League. Divisions Three and Four were amalgamated into a new Division Three, which was split by region.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Round-Robin Format
Each team played every other team in its division (or group where the division is split) once, either home or away.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Points awarded
2 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Titles
Teams in all three divisions competed for the National Football League title.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Knockout phase structure
The final match-up is: Winner Semi-final 1 v Winner Semi-final 2.


1985–86 National Football League (Ireland), Format, Separation of teams on equal points
In the event that teams finish on equal points, then a play-off will be used to determine group placings if necessary, i.e. where to decide relegation places or quarter-finalists.


1985–86 National Hurling League
The 1985–86 National Hurling League (known as the Ford National Hurling League for sponsorship reasons) was the 55th season of the National Hurling League.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 1
Limerick came into the season as defending champions of the 1984-85 season. Clare and Dublin entered Division 1 as the promoted teams.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 1
On 11 May 1986, Kilkenny won the title following a 3-11 to 2-5 win over Galway in the final. It was their first league title since 1982-83 and their 7th National League title overall.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 1
Kilkenny's Ger Fennelly was the Division 1 top scorer with 1-47.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 2
Down, Meath, Tipperary and Wexford entered Division 2 as the promoted and relegated teams from the previous season.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 2
On 9 March 1986, Wexford secured the title following a 3-15 to 1-5 win over Kerry in the final round of the group stage. Westmeath secured promotion to Division 1 as the second-placed team.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 3
Kildare, Louth and Waterford entered Division 3 as the promoted and relegated teams from the previous season.


1985–86 National Hurling League, Division 3
On 9 March 1986, Mayo secured the title following a 0-12 to 0-8 win over Armagh in the final round of the group stage. Waterford secured promotion to Division 2 as the second-placed team.


1985–86 Nationale 1A season
The 1985–86 Nationale 1A season was the 65th season of the Nationale 1A, the top level of ice hockey in France. 12 teams participated in the league, and Sporting Hockey Club Saint Gervais won their sixth league title. Chamonix Hockey Club and ASG Tours were relegated to the Nationale 2.


1985–86 Nationalliga A
Statistics of Swiss National League A in the 1985–86 football season.


1985–86 Nationalliga A, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and BSC Young Boys won the championship.


1985–86 Nationalliga A season
The 1985–86 Nationalliga A season was the 48th season of the Nationalliga A, the top level of ice hockey in Switzerland. 10 teams participated in the league, and HC Lugano won the championship.


1985–86 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team
The 1985–86 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team represented the United States Naval Academy during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Midshipmen were led by sixth-year head coach Paul Evans, and played their home games at Halsey Field House in Annapolis, Maryland as members of the Colonial Athletic Association.


1985–86 Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team
Behind Consensus Second-Team All-American David Robinson, the team won the CAA regular-season (13-1) and conference tournament titles, made a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, and finished with an overall record of 30-5.


1985–86 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and Budapest Honvéd FC won the championship.


1985–86 New Jersey Devils season
The  1985–86 New Jersey Devils season was the team's fourth in the league since moving to New Jersey from Colorado. Kirk Muller making the All-Star Game was the highlight of the season for the Devils, as they finished in last place in their division and conference, good for the third-worst record in the league. This was the franchise's eighth consecutive season out of the playoffs.


1985–86 New Jersey Devils season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 New Jersey Devils season, Player statistics, Regular season
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/Minus; PIM = Penalty Minutes; PPG=Power-play goals; SHG=Short-handed goals; GWG=Game-winning goals      MIN=Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; SO = Shutouts; SA=Shots Against; SV=Shots saved; SV% = Save Percentage;


1985–86 New Jersey Devils season, Draft picks
New Jersey's draft picks at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft.


1985–86 New Jersey Nets season
The 1985–86 New Jersey Nets season was the Nets' 10th season in the NBA. After starting the first half of the season strong with a 23–14 record, the Nets lost star Micheal Ray Richardson due to a lifetime ban from the NBA due to repeated drug offenses and Darryl Dawkins to injuries, and then stumbled and went 16–29, finishing with a 39–43 record and barely making it into the playoffs.


1985–86 New York Islanders season
The 1985–86 New York Islanders season was the 14th season for the franchise in the National Hockey League.


1985–86 New York Islanders season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 New York Islanders season, Playoffs
The Islanders lost in their best-of-three series in the first round to the Washington Capitals.


1985–86 New York Islanders season, Playoffs
Round 1: New York Islanders (3) vs. Washington Capitals (2)


1985–86 New York Islanders season, Player statistics
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;


1985–86 New York Islanders season, Draft picks
New York's draft picks at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


1985–86 New York Knicks season
The 1985–86 New York Knicks season was the 40th season of NBA basketball in New York City, New York. The Knicks had won the first overall pick in the 1985 NBA draft in the league's first ever draft lottery, which they used to select Patrick Ewing out of Georgetown, who was regarded as the most sought-after prospect since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1969 by The New York Times. He was signed to a six-year $17 million deal, the richest ever for an NBA rookie.


1985–86 New York Knicks season
Despite Ewing struggling with injuries, he was named Rookie of the Year and was selected to play in the All-Star Game, however, he declined to play due to an injury.


1985–86 New York Knicks season
Bernard King missed the entire season while recovering from his knee surgery.


1985–86 New York Rangers season
The 1985–86 New York Rangers season was the Rangers' 60th season. The highlight of the season was participating in the Prince of Wales Conference Finals.


1985–86 New York Rangers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 New York Rangers season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Rangers. Stats reflect time with Rangers only. ‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Rangers only.


1985–86 New York Rangers season, Draft picks
New York's picks at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.


1985–86 Newcastle United F.C. season
In the 1985-86 football season, Newcastle United F.C. participated in the Football League First Division.


1985–86 Newcastle United F.C. season
After their promotion two years previously, Newcastle aimed to consolidate their position in the top league of English football. Manager Jack Charlton resigned six days before the start of the season, leading to the appointment of Willie McFaul. The club finished 11th and performed disappointingly in the cups, losing out to Brighton and Hove Albion and Oxford United.


1985–86 Newcastle United F.C. season
Paul Stephenson made his debut in a 2-1 victory over Southampton in December 1985 and soon became a first team regular. Star centre-half Glenn Roeder would go on to manage the club twenty years later. The season also saw the breakthrough of Paul Gascoigne as a regular in midfield.


1985–86 Newport County A.F.C. season
The 1985–86 season was Newport County's sixth consecutive season in the Third Division and their 58th season overall in the Football League.


1985–86 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
The 1985–86 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team represented the University of North Carolina from Chapel Hill, North Carolina during the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.


1985–86 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
Led by head coach Dean Smith, the Tar Heels completed yet another in a long line of impressive seasons, holding the #1 ranking in the AP poll for 13 consecutive weeks, and reaching the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion, Louisville.


1985–86 North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
On January 18, 1986, #1 North Carolina defeated #3 Duke 95–92 in the first game played at the Dean Smith Center.


1985–86 North West Counties Football League
The 1985–86 North West Counties Football League was the fourth in the history of the North West Counties Football League, a football competition in England. Teams were divided into three divisions.


1985–86 North West Counties Football League, Promotion and relegation, Division two
Division Two champions Kirkby Town and second placed Rossendale United were promoted to Division One while Ford Motors and Nantwich Town were relegated to Division Three.


1985–86 North West Counties Football League, Promotion and relegation, Division Three
Division Three champions Blackpool Mechanics and second placed Oldham Town were promoted to Division Two while Bolton ST, Prestwich Heys, Huyton Town and Ashton Athletic left the League at the end of the season and were replaced by newly admitted Flixton and Ashton Town.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League
The 1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League season was the 4th in the history of Northern Counties East Football League, a football competition in England.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League
At the end of the previous season divisions One North, One Central and One South was reorganised. The clubs were distributed between newly formed divisions One, Two and Three.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League
Division Three was disbanded at the end of the season. Most of the Division Three clubs were promoted to Division Two.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 17 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with three new clubs:


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League, Division One
At the end of the previous season divisions One North, One South and One Central was reorganised. The clubs were distributed between newly formed divisions One, Two and Three. Division One consisted of 16 clubs.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League, Division Two
At the end of the previous season divisions One North, One South and One Central was reorganised. The clubs were distributed between newly formed divisions One, Two and Three. Division Two consisted of 16 clubs.


1985–86 Northern Counties East Football League, Division Three
At the end of the previous season divisions One North, One South and One Central was reorganised. The clubs were distributed between newly formed divisions One, Two and Three. Division Three consisted of 14 clubs.


1985–86 Northern Football League
The 1985–86 Northern Football League season was the 88th in the history of Northern Football League, a football competition in England.


1985–86 Northern Football League, Division One
Division One featured 16 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with four new clubs, promoted from Division Two:


1985–86 Northern Football League, Division Two
Division Two featured 14 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with six new clubs.


1985–86 Northern Premier League
The 1985–86 Northern Premier League season was the 18th in the history of the Northern Premier League, a football competition in England. It was known as the Mulipart Premier League for sponsorship reasons.


1985–86 Northern Premier League, Overview, Team changes
The following two clubs left the League at the end of the previous season:


1985–86 Northern Premier League, Overview, Team changes
The following two clubs joined the League at the start of the season:


1985–86 Northern Premier League, Cup Results
Northern Premier League Shield: Between Champions of NPL Premier Division and Winners of the NPL Cup.


1985–86 Northern Premier League, End of the season
At the end of the eighteenth season of the Northern Premier League, Gateshead applied to join the Football Conference and were successful.


1985–86 Northern Premier League, End of the season, Promotion and relegation
The following club left the League at the end of the season:


1985–86 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season
The 1985–86 Norwegian 1. Divisjon season was the 47th season of ice hockey in Norway. Ten teams participated in the league, and Stjernen won the championship.


1985–86 OB I bajnoksag season
The 1985–86 OB I bajnokság season was the 49th season of the OB I bajnokság, the top level of ice hockey in Hungary. Seven teams participated in the league, and Ujpesti Dozsa SC won the championship.


1985–86 OHL season
The 1985–86 OHL season was the sixth season of the Ontario Hockey League. Fifteen teams each played 66 games. The Guelph Platers won the J. Ross Robertson Cup, defeating the Belleville Bulls.


1985–86 OHL season, New Arena, Copps Coliseum (Hamilton)
The Hamilton Steelhawks moved from the Mountain Arena to Copps Coliseum early in the season.


1985–86 OHL season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title


1985–86 OJHL season
The 1985–86 OJHL season is the 14th season of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL). The six teams of the league played a 50-game season. The top four teams made the playoffs.


1985–86 OJHL season
The winner of the OJHL playoffs, the Orillia Travelways, won the 1986 Buckland Cup for the OHA championship and the Dudley Hewitt Cup for the Central Canadian Championship. The Travelways failed to win the 1986 Centennial Cup.


1985–86 OJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title


1985–86 OJHL season, OHA Buckland Cup Championship
The 1986 Buckland Cup was a best-of-7 series between the Onaping Falls Huskies (NOJHL) and the Orillia Travelways. The winner moved on to the 1986 Dudley Hewitt Cup Final Series.


1985–86 OJHL season, 1986 Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship
The 1986 Dudley Hewitt Cup was a best-of-7 series between the Brockville Braves (CJHL) and the Orillia Travelways. The winner moved on to the 1986 Centennial Cup.


1985–86 OJHL season, 1986 Centennial Cup Championship
The 1986 Centennial Cup was the Canadian National Junior A championship in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, hosted by the Cole Harbour Colts. The Orillia Travelways lost in the semi-final.


1985–86 Omani League
The 1985–86 Omani League was the 12th edition of the top football league in Oman. Dhofar S.C.S.C. were the defending champions, having won the previous 1984–85 Omani League season. Fanja SC emerged as the champions of the 1985–86 Omani League with a total of five points in the Championship Play-off round.


1985–86 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo)
1985–86 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo) was the 80th water polo championship in Hungary. There were fourteen teams who played two round match for the title.


1985–86 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo), Final list
* M: Matches W: Win D: Drawn L: Lost G+: Goals earned G-: Goals got P: Point


1985–86 Oxford United F.C. season
During the 1985–86 English football season, Oxford United competed in the Football League First Division, after promotion from the Second Division the previous season. They secured survival with an 18th-place finish, and won the League Cup, the first major trophy win of their history.


1985–86 Oxford United F.C. season, Season summary
Despite the departure of manager Jim Smith, who left for Queens Park Rangers after guiding Oxford to two successive promotions, Oxford United narrowly survived their first ever season in English football's top flight. They required a win in their last game of the season to avoid relegation, which they achieved by beating Arsenal 3–0 at the Manor Ground. The club had greater success in the League Cup, reaching the final at Wembley, where they beat Queens Park Rangers 3–0 to win their first ever major trophy. Unfortunately, due to the ban on English teams competing in English competition as a result of the Heysel disaster, Oxford were unable to compete in the UEFA Cup the following season.


1985–86 Oxford United F.C. season, Kit
Oxford United's kits were manufactured by English company Umbro, who introduced a new home kit for the season. Wang Computers became the new kit sponsors. The home kit featured both navy shorts (for the first time since 1950) and navy socks (for the first time since 1935).


1985–86 Oxford United F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 PAOK FC season
The 1985–86 season was PAOK Football Club's 59th in existence and the club's 27th consecutive season in the top flight of Greek football. The team entered the Greek Football Cup in first round and also participated in the European Cup.


1985–86 PAOK FC season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 PAOK FC season, Statistics, Squad statistics
Appearances denote players in the starting lineup, with the numbers in parentheses denoting appearances as substitute.


1985–86 Panathinaikos F.C. season
In the 1985–86 season Panathinaikos played in Greece's top division, the Alpha Ethniki. They also competed in the UEFA Cup and the Greek Cup.


1985–86 Panathinaikos F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Panathinaikos F.C. season, Competitions, Greek Cup, Final
The 44th Greek Cup Final was played at the Athens Olympic Stadium "Spyridon Louis".


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The 1985–86 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 16th season in existence. PSG played their home league games at the Parc des Princes in Paris, registering an average attendance of 25,832 spectators per match. The club was presided by Francis Borelli and the team was coached by Gérard Houllier. Luis Fernández was the team captain.


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Arrivals
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Transfers, Departures
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Kits
French radio RTL was the shirt sponsor. French sportswear brand Le Coq Sportif was the kit manufacturer.


1985–86 Paris attacks
From 1985 to 1986, a series of terrorist attacks in Paris, France was carried out by the Committee for Solidarity With Arab and Middle Eastern Political Prisoners (CSPPA), a previously unknown group, demanding the release of three imprisoned international terrorists. The CSPPA was believed to have been some combination of Palestinians, Armenian nationalists, and Lebanese Marxists, though it was later reported that they were mainly instigated by Hezbollah, sponsored by the Iranian state. The CSPPA demanded the release of Anis Naccache, from the Iranian state network; Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, member of the Lebanese Armed Revolutionary Factions (LARF); and Varadjian Garbidjan, member of the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA).


1985–86 Paris attacks
Fouad Ali Saleh, a Tunisian convert to Shia Islam was in 1987 found by the counter-terrorism agency Direction de la surveillance du territoire (DST) to have been the leader of the group of eighteen terrorists directed by Hezbollah from Beirut. During the trials it was claimed that the attacks were ordered by Iran to stop France from selling arms to Iraq for use in the Iran–Iraq War, rather than the prisoners' releases.


1985–86 Paris attacks
Thirteen bombings including attempts were committed, the first in December 1985, a second wave in February and March 1986, and the third and most notorious wave in September 1986, targeting sites across the French capital. It caused a total of 20 deaths (including seven who died later from their wounds in hospitals) and 255 people were wounded.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Background
In 1984, Hezbollah-linked Islamic Jihad Organization terrorists were arrested while plotting bombings against a plane from Zürich Airport, and against the United States embassy in Rome. In 1985 the group was responsible for attacks including the El Descanso bombing in Madrid that killed eighteen people and wounded 82, the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 from Athens, and bombings in Copenhagen that killed one person and wounded 22.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Background
France applied a policy in response to attacks from Middle Eastern terrorism in Europe called the "sanctuary doctrine" by analysts, in which French authorities would not interfere with the activities of transnational terrorist groups operating in France as long as they did not attack France or French interests directly. A wave of bombings began in Paris in early 1985 with the bombing of a Marks & Spencer department store, and of the Jewish Rivoli Beaubourg cinema.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Overview
Two bombings on the same day occurred in December 1985. It came a day after Communist Combatant Cells attacks in Belgium and near Paris, and a bomb against a courthouse in Liège. This naturally created suspicion that they were linked, although eventually none of the three were.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Overview
Following three bombings in February 1986, thousands of extra police officers were sent out to patrol various areas in Paris. On 20 March 1986, a bomb killing two people took place within an hour of Jacques Chirac being named French Prime Minister under François Mitterrand, while simultaneously being Mayor of Paris. Chirac subsequently launched further increased security in public places, while promising "draconian" anti-terrorism measures. At the same time he began a policy of "normalisation" of relations with Iran and Syria.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Overview
After initially seeming to put a stop to attacks, a renewed bombing campaign in September 1986 turned out to become the most intense and is said to have "virtually paralyzed Paris." In addition, fifteen riot police companies were sent to Paris to reinforce security, while police raced to investigate more than a hundred bomb scares reported by members of the public.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation
The CSPPA (Comité de solidarité avec les prisonniers politiques arabes et du Proche-Orient) remained a mystery group at the time. A French defector claimed that the attacks were indirectly sponsored by Iran, Syria and Libya, which each had strained relations with the French state. One of the prisoner demands was Anis Naccache, who was convicted of attempting to assassinate former pre-Revolution Iran premier Shapur Bakhtiar. Armenian militants and Lebanese far-left militants were also thought to be involved. The CSPPA acronym was also used before by an Armenian group supporting prisoners of ASALA and Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide (JCAG), led by Jean-Marc Toranian.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation
ASALA's involvement was strongly noted by the authorities due to the CSPPA's demand of releasing Varoujan Garbidjian, who was in prison over the 1983 Orly Airport attack. In October 1986, a handwritten statement signed by ASALA spokesman Vahran Vahrania and delivered to a western news agency in Beirut threatened more violence against France unless Garbidjian and the other Middle Eastern prisoners were released. The ASALA claimed co-responsibility for the September 1986 attacks in Paris.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation
Jacques Chirac believed that the FARL was responsible due to the prison sentencing of its member Georges Ibrahim Abdallah at the time. However others, including Syria, claimed it was linked to the Iran–Iraq War, and it was later found out that the links between the CSPPA and the FARL were pretty weak, and that the main entity behind the group was Iran. Iran's involvement led to some to describe the attacks as having a dimension of Shia Islamic terrorism.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation
Investigations of the hijackers of TWA Flight 847 and Air Afrique Flight 56 were among the factors that helped lead investigators towards Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia, and the cell behind the attacks. In early 1987, following the arrest of Mohammed Ali Hammadi in West Germany, the DST identified Fouad Ali Saleh as the leader of a group of eighteen terrorists directed by Hezbollah from Beirut as being behind all the attacks. Previously, several other groups had been speculated to have been behind the attacks or falsely claimed responsibility. Saleh's group was in addition to Tunisians connected to Lebanese Hezbollah operatives responsible for mass-casualty bombings including the bombing of the United States embassy in Beirut and the Beirut barracks bombings in 1983.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation, Arrests and convictions
After the Paris City Hall bombing in September 1986, twelve people of Arab origin, mostly Tunisians, were detained and expelled from France. Later, in a police raid on 21 March 1987, Saleh and seven other suspects, two Lebanese French citizens and five Tunisians were arrested, among them a nephew of Hezbollah leader Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin. Police seized two automatic pistols, ammunition and methyl nitrate during the raid.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Investigation, Arrests and convictions
Saleh was charged in November 1987 by a special anti-terrorism court in France, and was in 1992 found guilty of murder, attempted murder and conspiracy, and sentenced to life in prison. A Tunisian former Sunni Muslim who converted to Shia Islam before moving to Iran and studying for two years in the religious seminaries of Qom in the early 1980s, Saleh had begun preaching and proselytising to people both in public places and private, which reportedly led him to be recruited by Hezbollah agents. During the court case he proclaimed his motivation for the attacks as being "a fighter advocating for the Islamic cause."


1985–86 Paris attacks, Aftermath
In September 1986, the French government allegedly sent officials to Syria, concluding a deal with the government in which support for terrorism in France would cease, in return for French arms, economic and diplomatic support to Syria. A similar deal was reportedly made with Iran the next year.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Aftermath
After the arrest of the Saleh group in 1987, Tunisia broke off diplomatic relations with Iran, accusing the country of recruiting Tunisians to carry out terrorist attacks. France initially accused Iran of "instigating the 1986 bombing campaign and of giving support to a cell of North African terrorists," and a subsequent diplomatic row caused France to sever its ties with Iran.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Aftermath
France eventually allowed Wahid Gordji, who was wanted for questioning in connection with the Paris attacks, to leave the Iranian embassy in Paris for Iran in order to secure the release of two French hostages who had subsequently been kidnapped by Hezbollah in Beirut, a move that was condemned by the United Kingdom and the United States for setting a "dangerous precedent" in dealing with hostage situations. After several more gestures were made by France, including the expulsion of Iranian opposition leaders from the country, the conflict and further attacks ceased.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Aftermath
In France the attacks triggered "profound changes" in the organisation and legislative base for French counter-terrorism. In Belgium the attacks had a major part in Belgian police starting to investigate political Islam, leading directly to the establishment of a specific office dedicated entirely to Islamic radicalism in the Brussels Gendarmerie anti-terrorism unit.


1985–86 Paris attacks, Aftermath
After the terror attacks of 1986, France was largely free of attacks from international terrorism for the next eight years, when a series of attacks were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA).


1985–86 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 1985–86 NBA season was the 76ers 37th season in the NBA and 23rd season in Philadelphia. The Sixers ended the regular season with a 54-28 record. In the first round off the playoffs they would beat the Washington Bullets in five games, but then lost a tough seven game series to the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that the Sixers had beaten in the playoffs in 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1985.


1985–86 Philadelphia 76ers season
This would be the last season for Bobby Jones, who would retire,  and the last season for Moses Malone in a Philadelphia uniform, who was dealt away in the Summer of 1986. Due to an eye injury sustained towards the end of the regular season, Malone did not participate in the 1986 NBA playoffs. Andrew Toney only played in six regular season games due to a foot injury and never was able to make it back to his previous all star form.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Philadelphia Flyers' 19th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs in five game to the New York Rangers.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
The club began the year 12–2–0 (with both losses coming at home to New Jersey and Quebec), which included 10 consecutive wins until goaltender Pelle Lindbergh was fatally injured in a car accident in the early hours of November 10.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Due to the tragedy, back-up Bob Froese became the de facto starter, and the club called up Darren Jensen for relief work. Froese suffered a groin injury in practice prior to the team's next game against the Edmonton Oilers, so Jensen got the start against the defending Stanley Cup champions at the Spectrum on November 14.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Following an emotional memorial service, the Flyers posted a spirited 5–3 win, featuring four goals in the third period to earn their 11th victory in a row. They went on to beat Hartford two days later to set a new franchise record for consecutive wins, then rallied from three-goals down to top the New York Islanders 5–4 in overtime the next day. The Islanders ended the streak two nights later in Uniondale, almost wasting a four-goal lead in an 8–6 decision.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Philly became the first club in the NHL to reach 30 wins, after a 4–0 shutout of the Washington Capitals on January 9, but began to falter in February and early March, losing four straight games and seeing the Capitals climb within striking distance. The Caps and Flyers each spent time in first place for the remainder of the schedule, but the orange and black took the division crown on the last day of the season (April 6) with a come-from-behind 5–3 home win.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
In a 7–3 loss to the Devils on March 8, Tim Kerr set an NHL record with his 29th power-play goal of the season, passing Hall-of-Famer Phil Esposito's mark. He finished the year with 34, the league record to this day.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Propp had the best chance of his career to crack the 100-point mark, but that was derailed on March 6, when Buffalo Sabres forward Lindy Ruff caught him in the eye with a high stick. The incident cost Propp several games, and he finished with a team-high 97 points while also causing him to wear a visor for the remainder of his career.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Bob Clarke made a couple minor deals during the season, trading Ed Hospodar and the enigmatic Todd Bergen to the Minnesota North Stars for Dave Richter and Bo Berglund on November 29. Neither player lasted beyond the season with the Flyers, while Hospodar returned in 1986–87. Also, Joe Paterson and Len Hachborn were sent in separate deals to the Los Angeles Kings, and Chico Resch was acquired from the Devils for a draft pick in early March.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
Froese finished second in voting for the Vezina Trophy. Mark Howe finished second in voting for the Norris Trophy and third in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP. Howe was named to the first NHL All-Star Team and took home the NHL Plus-Minus Award – the defense pairing of Howe and Brad McCrimmon finished with a +85 and a +83 respectively – while Froese was named to the second NHL All-Star Team and was the co-winner with Jensen of the William M. Jennings Trophy.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Playoffs
Despite their regular season success, an emotionally exhausted Flyers team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Rangers in five games.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from May 31, 1985, the day after the deciding game of the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals, through May 24, 1986, the day of the deciding game of the 1986 Stanley Cup Finals.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to contracts.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Waivers
The Flyers were involved in the following waivers transactions. The 1985 NHL Waiver Draft was held on October 7, 1985. The Flyers protected the following players: goaltenders Bob Froese and Pelle Lindbergh, defensemen Doug Crossman, Thomas Eriksson, Ed Hospodar, Mark Howe, Brad Marsh, Brad McCrimmon, and Daryl Stanley, and forwards Dave Brown, Lindsay Carson, Murray Craven, Len Hachborn, Tim Kerr, Joe Paterson, Dave Poulin, Brian Propp, and Ilkka Sinisalo. The Flyers left the following players unprotected: defensemen Kevin McCarthy and Mike Stothers, and forwards Ray Allison, Bill Barber, Jim Dobson, Ross Fitzpatrick, Al Hill, Steve Martinson, Carl Mokosak, and Don Nachbaur.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, on June 15, 1985. The Flyers traded their tenth-round pick, 210th overall, to the Boston Bruins for Ian Armstrong on May 24, 1984.


1985–86 Philadelphia Flyers season, Farm teams
The Flyers were affiliated with the Hershey Bears of the AHL and the Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL.


1985–86 Phoenix Suns season
The 1985–86 Phoenix Suns season was the 18th season for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association. The Suns finished the regular season tied with their third-worst record to that point, going just 32–50. Coupled with every team in the Western Conference's Midwest division finishing with a better record than all but two teams from the Pacific division, and the Suns were out of the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons, ending a then-franchise record streak for consecutive playoff berths. The Suns were led by head coach John MacLeod, in his 13th year with the Suns, and played all home games in Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum.


1985–86 Phoenix Suns season
Walter Davis bounced back from injury that caused him to miss the majority of the previous season, leading the Suns in scoring at 22 points per game, his highest output since his 1978–79 season with the Suns. Phoenix boasted a pair of 20–20 scorers, as Larry Nance continued to increase his scoring each season since being drafted five seasons ago by Phoenix, with a 20.2 average a game for the season. Nance would finish the season ranked third in the NBA in field goal percentage and lead the Suns in rebounds. Mike Sanders came off the bench and appeared in all 82 regular season games, averaging a career-high 11.0 points a game.


1985–86 Phoenix Suns season, Awards and honors, All-Star
This was the first year in franchise history that the Suns were not represented in the All-Star Game.


1985–86 Phoenix Suns season, Player statistics, Season
* – Stats with the Suns. † – Minimum 300 field goals made.


1985–86 Phoenix Suns season, Transactions, Trades
Suns agree to waive their right of first refusal on free agent Kyle Macy


1985–86 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 1985–86 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 1985–86 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Roy Chipman, the Panthers finished with a record of 15–14. They were invited to the 1986 National Invitation Tournament where they lost in the first round to SW Missouri State.


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the Penguins' 19th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Penguins did not qualify for the playoffs.


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Playoffs
The Penguins failed to make the playoffs again for the fourth straight year, two points behind the fourth place Rangers for the final spot from the Patrick Division.


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 1985–86 season:


1985–86 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Draft picks
The 1985 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 15, 1985 in Toronto, Ontario.


1985–86 Polska Liga Hokejowa season
The 1985–86 Polska Liga Hokejowa season was the 51st season of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level of ice hockey in Poland. 10 teams participated in the league, and Polonia Bytom won the championship.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1985–86 season was Port Vale's 74th season of football in the English Football League, and second successive (13th overall) season in the Fourth Division. John Rudge achieved his first success as manager, leading Vale to promotion into the Third Division with a fourth-place finish. The club also reached the Second Round in both the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as the Northern Section Semi-Finals of the Associate Members' Cup. Rudge signing Andy Jones excelled to become the club's top-scorer, whilst Robbie Earle had another impressive season. However the promotion campaign was built on the strength of the Vale defence, and goalkeeper Jim Arnold was made Player of the Year.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Fourth Division
The pre-season saw John Rudge sign big defender John Williams from Tranmere Rovers for £12,000, and powerful Welsh striker Andy Jones from Northern Premier League side Rhyl for £3,000. He also signed goalkeeper Jim Arnold (Everton); Paul Maguire (Tacoma Stars); Jeff Johnson (Gillingham); and Wayne Ebanks (West Bromwich Albion). Meanwhile, new safety regulations reduced Vale Park's capacity down to 16,800, and later again to 16,300. The club set a £10 bonus for clean sheets and also set bonuses for promotion. Another late addition was Jon Bowden from Oldham Athletic for £5,000.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Fourth Division
The season opened with a 1–0 defeat to Exeter City at St James Park. Vale continued on indifferent form, and on 17 September played out a goalless draw with Aldershot at the Recreation Ground's lowest recorded Football League attendance of 1,027. At the end of the month Vale went nine league games without a loss to fire the club into the promotion race, their run including three 4–0 wins in Burslem as they went clear at the top of the table.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Fourth Division
With John Williams sidelined with an ankle injury, Vale's form suffered with just two wins in the following eleven games, and Vale fell to fifth place. From 11 January to 26 April the "Valiants" hit a run of eighteen league games unbeaten (eight draws and ten wins), thus ensuring promotion. This run was built on the striking partnership of Robbie Earle and Andy Jones, as well as a solid defence and consistent displays from keeper Arnold.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Fourth Division
During this spell Rudge failed to re-sign Bob Newton from Chesterfield, though was cheered by completing the double over Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road. One low point was an attack by a Stockport gang on Russell Bromage following a 2–1 win over Stockport County at Edgeley Park. Promotion was ensured with a comfortable 1–0 win over bottom club Torquay United at Plainmoor, in which the majority of the crowd were Vale fans. However, with two defeats and a draw in their final three games, Rudge accused his players of lacking professionalism as they lost the chance to head into the Third Division as runners-up.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Fourth Division
They finished in fourth place with 79 points, seven points clear of Orient. Preston North End were the only team to beat Vale on their own ground in the league all season. Their 37 goals conceded was the lowest total in the division and a record excelled only by Manchester United in the First Division. Their 67 goals scored tally was not particularly impressive, though Earle and Jones' partnership provided almost half of these goals. Phil Sproson was selected for the PFA Fourth Division Team of the Year.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances
On the financial side, the season lost a disastrous sum of £79,474. The promotion bonuses meant the wage bill totalled at £413,471. Vale's average home attendance of 3,581 was the third-highest in the division. The club's shirt sponsors were ECI. Three players transferred at the end of the season were Peter Griffiths (Salisbury United), Chris Pearce (Wrexham), and Jeff Johnson (Barrow). Player of the Year Jim Arnold and Ally Brown retired, whilst Oshor Williams was sold to Preston North End for 'a small fee'.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale beat Mansfield Town 1–0 in a replay following a 1–1 draw at Field Mill. Vale Park saw a crowd of 11,736 for the Second Round goalless tie with Walsall, and were then eliminated following a 2–1 defeat at the Bescot Stadium.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Cup, Vale advanced past Third Division Wigan Athletic 3–2 on aggregate following at 2–0 win at Springfield Park. They were then knocked out by First Division West Bromwich Albion, losing 1–0 at The Hawthorns, before giving an excellent account of themselves by battling back from 2–0 down at Vale Park to draw 2–2.


1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the Associate Members' Cup, Vale advanced through the group stage with a 1–1 draw with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground and a 2–0 home win over Blackpool. The next stage saw Vale triumph over Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park with a 4–3 win on penalties following a 1–1 draw. In the Area Semi-Finals they were then defeated by holders Wigan Athletic, though still earned £1,250 in prize money.


1985–86 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 1985–86 season was the 16th season of the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Blazers finished 40–42, sixth in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year.


1985–86 Portland Trail Blazers season
Despite their losing record, the Blazers were the only team to defeat the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics at the Boston Garden during the regular season; the Celtics went 40–1 at home, a record that was unmatched until the San Antonio Spurs in the 2015-16 season.


1985–86 Portland Trail Blazers season
In the 1986 NBA Playoffs, the Blazers were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in their first-round, best-of-five playoff series, three games to one.


1985–86 Portland Trail Blazers season, Draft picks
Note:  This is not a complete list; only the first two rounds are covered, as well as notable post-second round picks.


1985–86 Primeira Divisão, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and F.C. Porto won the championship.


1985–86 QMJHL season
The 1985–86 QMJHL season was the 17th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The league loses one of its charter members in the offseason, when the Quebec Remparts suspend operations. The remaining ten teams played 72 games each in the schedule. Gilles Courteau became president of the QMJHL on February 13, 1986.


1985–86 QMJHL season
The Hull Olympiques finished first overall in the regular season, winning their first Jean Rougeau Trophy, and won their first President's Cup, defeating the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the finals.


1985–86 QMJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; PTS = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


1985–86 QMJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalties in Minutes


1985–86 QMJHL season, Playoffs
Luc Robitaille was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 44 points (17 goals, 27 assists).


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season
The 1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season was the Nordiques seventh season in the National Hockey League.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Offseason
The Nordiques had a pretty quiet off-season, with the only trade during the summer was acquiring John Anderson from the Toronto Maple Leafs for Brad Maxwell. Anderson was second in Leafs scoring with 32 goals and 63 points in 1984–85. Quebec also made a trade late in the pre-season, as the Nordiques acquired Gilbert Delorme from the St. Louis Blues for Bruce Bell. Delorme, a stay-at-home defenseman, had two goals and 14 points in 74 games with the Blues.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Offseason
The Nordiques signed free agent Tony Currie from the Edmonton Oilers, while they lost Blake Wesley, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
The Nordiques started the season with a seven-game winning streak, however, the club fell into a slump, and had a 3-10-1 record in their next fourteen games to fall to 10-10-1. Quebec returned to their winning ways, going unbeaten in their next eight games, and found themselves battling with the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens for first place in the Adams Division.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
The Nordiques fell into another slump, losing five of their next six games, however, the team then won seven in a row to improve to 25-15-2, and had a narrow two point lead over the Canadiens for first in the division. The Nordiques and Canadiens would continue to battle for the division title for the remainder of the season, and it was the Nordiques, who finished the year 43-31-6, earning 92 points, who came out of top to win the Adams Division for the first time in team history.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
Offensively, Quebec was led by Peter Stastny, who led the club with 122 points, as he scored 41 goals and added 81 assists, to finish sixth in NHL scoring. Stastny also became the Nordiques captain in November, when the club traded away former captain Mario Marois to the Winnipeg Jets. Michel Goulet had his fourth consecutive 50+ goal season, as he finished in fifth in the league with 53 goals. Goulet added 51 assists to earn 104 points, breaking the 100 point barrier for the third time in four seasons. Anton Stastny had a solid season, scoring 31 goals and 74 points, while Dale Hunter earned 28 goals and 70 points, along with a club high 265 penalty minutes.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
On defense, the Nordiques were led by Robert Picard, who earned 34 points in 48 games with Quebec after being acquired in the Mario Marois trade. Twenty-one-year-old David Shaw, in his first full NHL season, had seven goals and 26 points.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season
In goal, Clint Malarchuk emerged as the starter, as he won 26 games, a 3.21 GAA, and four shutouts, all team highs, in his first full NHL season.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals againstNote: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Playoffs
The Nordiques opened the 1986 Stanley Cup playoffs with a best of five Adams Division semi-final series against the Hartford Whalers. Despite finishing the season with a 40-36-4 record, earning 84 points, the Whalers finished in fourth place in the Adams Division. The series opened with two games at Le Colisée, however, the Whalers stunned the Nordiques with a 3-2 overtime victory to win the first game. Hartford then took a 2-0 series lead, as they easily defeated the favoured Nordiques 4-1 in the second game. The series moved to the Hartford Civic Center for the third game. The Whalers continued to dominate in the third game, destroying Quebec 9-4, to sweep the first place Nordiques out of the post-season.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Transactions
The Nordiques were involved in the following transactions during the 1985–86 season.


1985–86 Quebec Nordiques season, Draft picks
Quebec's draft picks from the 1985 NHL Entry Draft which was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season
The 1985–86 season was the 106th season of competitive football by Rangers.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 44 competitive matches during the 1985–86 season. The team finished a disappointing 5th in the Scottish Premier Division. A total of 35 points were gained from 36 games with only 13 wins and 14 defeats. This resulted in the departure of Jock Wallace as manager in April with the club announcing that Scotland captain Graeme Souness would take over as player-manager after the World Cup Finals in Mexico.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
In the cup competitions, they were knocked out of the Scottish Cup in the third round, losing 3–2 at Tynecastle to Hearts. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Edinburgh's other team Hibernian 2–1 on aggregate in the two legged semi final.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The European campaign lasted two matches. The club went out in the first round of the UEFA Cup after losing to Spanish side CA Osasuna. The first leg at Ibrox was won 1–0 thanks to a Craig Paterson goal but the team went down 2–0 in the second leg.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers qualified for Europe on the last day of the season, beating Motherwell 2–0 at Ibrox.


1985–86 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The Glasgow Cup was won with a 3–2 victory over Celtic at Ibrox in May. This match presented an early opportunity for the players to impress their new boss.


1985–86 Ranji Trophy
The 1985–86 Ranji Trophy was the 52nd season of the Ranji Trophy. Delhi defeated Haryana by an innings and 141 runs in the final.


1985–86 Ranji Trophy, Expansion
Three teams participated for the first time: Goa in the South Zone, Himachal Pradesh in the North Zone and Tripura in the East Zone. This raised the number of teams from 24 to 27.


1985–86 Reading F.C. season
During the 1985–86 English football season, Reading F.C. competed in the Football League Third Division where they finished in 1st position with 94 points. Reading set a new league record during the season for the most consecutive wins from the start of a season (13).


1985–86 Reading F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Real Madrid CF season
The 1985–86 season was Real Madrid Club de Fútbol's 84th season in existence and the club's 55th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football.


1985–86 Real Madrid CF season, Season
After six years without winning La Liga Real Madrid Club de Fútbol finally won the title in the 1985–86 season. Also the team won the UEFA Cup. Following a change in the Chairman office (from Luis de Carlos to Ramón Mendoza) the Real Madrid, renewed and with new top players such as Hugo Sánchez and Antonio Maceda) under manager Luis Molowny, delivered a good season. This was its 21st league title in history.


1985–86 Real Madrid CF season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Real Madrid CF season, Squad, Transfers, In
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Real Madrid CF season, Squad, Transfers, Out
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 Red Star Belgrade season
During the 1985–86 season, Red Star Belgrade participated in the 1985–86 Yugoslav First League, 1985–86 Yugoslav Cup and 1985–86 European Cup Winners' Cup.


1985–86 Red Star Belgrade season, Season summary
The last round of the 1985–86 Yugoslav First League finished with highly controversial results, as Partizan won the title. Slavko Šajber, the president of the Football Association of Yugoslavia, annulled the results of the last round and decided that all matches must be replayed. Partizan refused to play again, allowing Red Star to win the title and participate in the 1986–87 European Cup as Yugoslav champions. More than a year later, the Court of Joint Labour of SR Serbia returned the title to Partizan due to lack of evidence in match fixing.


1985–86 Rochdale A.F.C. season
The 1985–86 season saw Rochdale compete in their 12th consecutive season in the Football League Fourth Division.


1985–86 Roller Hockey Champions Cup
The 1985–86 Roller Hockey Champions Cup was the 21st edition of the Roller Hockey Champions Cup organized by CERH.


1985–86 Roller Hockey Champions Cup, Teams
The champions of the main European leagues played this competition, consisting in a double-legged knockout tournament. As Spanish champions Barcelona qualified as title holder, Liceo was also admitted as the Spanish representative.


1985–86 Romanian Hockey League season
The 1985–86 Romanian Hockey League season was the 56th season of the Romanian Hockey League. Eight teams participated in the league, and Steaua Bucuresti won the championship.


1985–86 Ronchetti Cup
The 1985-86 Ronchetti Cup was the 15th edition of the competition. It was won by Dynamo Novosibirsk, which defeated 1983 champions BSE Budapest in the final match, which took place in the Palau Blaugrana in Barcelona, Spain on 11 March 1986. Dynamo Novosibirsk became the fourth Soviet club to win the competition after Spartak Leningrad, Spartak Moscow and Daugava Rīga.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season
The 1985–86 Rugby Football League season was the 91st ever season of professional rugby league football in Britain. Sixteen teams competed from August, 1985 until May, 1986 for the Slalom Lager Championship.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Slalom Lager League Champions were Halifax. Halifax finished on top of the First Division table to claim their fourth, and to date, last championship, but Warrington defeated them in the Rugby League Premiership competition. Paul Bishop of Warrington scored a record equalling 5 drop goals in the Premiership semi-final against Wigan on 11 May 1986.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Castleford were 15-14 winners over Hull Kingston Rovers in the Silk Cut Challenge Cup.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Wigan were 11-8 winners over Hull Kingston Rovers in the final for the John Player Special Trophy.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Warrington were 38-10 winners over Halifax in the Premiership Trophy. Warrington's Australian forward Les Boyd was awarded the Harry Sunderland Trophy as man-of-the-match.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
2nd Division Champions were Leigh. Bridgend Blue Dragons and Southend Invicta dropped out of the competition. The promotion scheme was changed to 3-up 3-down.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Season summary
Wigan beat Warrington 34–8 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Hull Kingston Rovers beat Castleford 22–18 to win the Yorkshire County Cup.


1985–86 Rugby Football League season, Challenge Cup
The 1985-86 Silk Cut Challenge Cup Final was played by  Castleford and Hull Kingston Rovers at Wembley before a crowd of 82,134. was won by Castleford defeated Hull Kingston Rovers 15-14. Castleford's scrum half back, Bob Beardmore was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match.


1985–86 Rugby League Premiership
The 1985–86 Rugby League Premiership was the 12th end of season Rugby League Premiership competition.


1985–86 Rugby Union County Championship
The 1985–86 Thorn EMI Rugby Union County Championship was the 86th edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.


1985–86 Rugby Union County Championship
Warwickshire won their ninth title after defeating Kent in the final.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season
The 1985–86 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 82nd season in existence and the club's 52nd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1985 to 30 June 1986. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão, Taça de Portugal and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, and participated in the Cup Winners' Cup after winning the Taça de Portugal in the previous season.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season
In the new season, John Mortimore replaced Pál Csernai after the Hungarian underperformed at the helm. Only major signing was Rui Águas, but Benfica fought to kept a trio composed of Carlos Manuel, Diamantino Miranda and José Luís from leaving. In the league, Benfica started in erratic shape but quickly settled and racked up several consecutive wins. They ended 1985 in first place and having the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, their second Supertaça. In the first months of new year, Benfica kept their first place, while knocking out Porto and Sporting from the Portuguese Cup. In April, the season took a dramatic turn when Benfica lost at home to Sporting and were matched in first place by Porto, who confirmed their title a week later. Nonetheless, Benfica finished the month by lifting their 20th Taça de Portugal against Belenenses.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
Benfica started the new season with a change in leadership. The performance under Pál Csernai in 1984–85 was disappointing, so it was only expectable that he would be replaced. In late April, John Mortimore, was selected as his replacement. The club made some adjustments in the transfer window but the biggest signing was Rui Águas. The summer story instead revolved around the contract extensions for Carlos Manuel, Diamantino Miranda and José Luís. Particularly, Carlos Manuel, who was rumoured to move to Braga. In July, all three agreed terms and signed their extensions, ending the impasse. The pre-season began on 11 July, with three preparation games scheduled for late July. Benfica then took part in the regional Taça de Honra and in the Lisbon International Tournament, winning both.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
The league campaign started with the Clássico with Porto, with Benfica losing 2–0. The next week, Benfica defeated Marítimo by 9–0, and then lost again, now with Vitória de Guimarães. They followed that with a draw against Vitória de Setúbal. On the third weekend of September, Benfica opened the new third tier of Estádio da Luz, taking advantage of the week off from the first round of the Cup Winners' Cup. Because of the Heysel Stadium disaster, their opponent, Manchester United was banned. In October, in their debut in Europe, Benfica eliminated Sampdoria.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
Domestically, the league had much improve and by 25 November, Benfica was only a point shy of first place. In early December, Benfica drew in Antas and won their second Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, after having previously beat them by one-nil at home. On 21 December, Benfica drew with Sporting, which levelled the Big Three at the top with 22 points. Closing the year, Benfica defeated Boavista and lapped the first round of the league in first place, after recovering five points since September.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
After an event-less January, in which Benfica retained their one-point lead over Sporting; in February, Benfica faced Porto again, this time for the round of 16 of the Taça de Portugal, winning 2–1. Meanwhile, in the Primeira Divisão, they added another point in their lead over their closest competitors. In March, Benfica was eliminated of the Cup Winners' Cup by Dukla Prague, while in the Portuguese Cup, they thrashed Sporting by 5–0 in the quarter-finals. They finished the month with a replay of the match with Salgueiros, which had been postponed in February because of the pitch conditions. They drew 1–1 and lost points in title race.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
In April, Benfica received Sporting in what was labelled the D-Day for the league. Despite leading the league for most of second round, they lost 2–1, which allowed Porto to catch them in the first place, with a better head-to-head record. Mortimore said: "Sporting had two chances and converted them both, we had lost the league". On the last day of the campaign, Porto beat last classified, Sporting da Covilhã and won the league, while Benfica lost in Bessa with Boavista.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary
Benfica reacted in the best way and qualified for the Taça de Portugal Final, where they defeated Belenenses to lift their 20th Taça de Portugal. After the win, Manuel Bento said: "The bastards won the Cup after all". He also approached the loss of the league title with: "forces too powerful took away our title."


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member John Mortimore (manager),  Toni (assistant manager), Eusébio (assistant manager).


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 1985-86 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.


1985–86 S.S. Lazio season
S.S. Lazio finished 12th in its first Serie B season, staying in the league for another season.


1985–86 S.S.C. Napoli season
S.S.C. Napoli had its best league season in five years, finishing third in the 1985–86 league season. Due to Roma's collapse in the final rounds of the season, Napoli closed to within two points of second place, also having a significant margin to Torino in fourth. Diego Maradona prepared for his glorious World Cup with eleven goals and several assists.


1985–86 S.S.C. Napoli season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 SEC Bastia season
French football club SEC Bastia's 1985–86 season. Finished 20th place in league and relegated to Division 2. Top scorer of the season, including 8 goals in 7 league matches have been Jean-Roch Testa. Was eliminated to Coupe de France end of 32.


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
1. 16 July 1985, "Bastia" 2-4 Paris SG, 7,000 (L)


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
7. 16 August 1985, "Bastia" 0-0 AS Monaco, 5,000 (D)


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
14. 5 October 1985, "Bastia" 2-1 Le Havre, 1,517 (W)


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
25. 21 December 1985, AS Monaco 2-1 "Bastia", 3,028 (L)


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
32. 8 March 1986, Le Havre 5-2 "Bastia", 9,950 (L)


1985–86 SEC Bastia season, Division 1, Matches
38. 25 April 1986, Paris SG 3-1 "Bastia", 40,000 (L)


1985–86 SK Rapid Wien season
The 1985–86 SK Rapid Wien season was the 88th season in club history.


1985–86 SM-liiga season
The 1985-86 SM-liiga season was the 11th season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland. 10 teams participated in the league, and Tappara Tampere won the championship.


1985–86 Sacramento Kings season
The 1985–86 NBA season was the Kings' 37th season in the NBA and first in Sacramento following its relocation from Kansas City. The Kings played their home games at the original ARCO Arena, and finished the season with a record of 37 wins and 45 losses, placing them fifth in the Midwest Division and seventh in the Western Conference. They made the playoffs, but were quickly eliminated in the first round in three straight games by the eventual Western Conference champion Houston Rockets.


1985–86 Sacramento Kings season
On April 16, 1985, the NBA board of governors voted 22–0 for the Kings to be relocated to Sacramento. They moved into the first ARCO Arena, their temporary home for three seasons.


1985–86 Sacramento Kings season
Sacramento did not start the season well, having a 9–22 record on December 31, the worst in the Western Conference.


1985–86 San Antonio Spurs season
The 1985–86 NBA season was the Spurs' tenth season in the NBA, the 13th in San Antonio, and the 19th season as a franchise. It was also their first season without George Gervin, who played with the team since 1974 as he was traded to the Chicago Bulls during the offseason.


1985–86 San Antonio Spurs season
In his second year, Alvin Robertson led the league in steals and made his first All-Star Game appearance. Robertson earned Defensive Player of the year honors at the end of the season.


1985–86 Saudi Premier League
1985 saw the dawn of another new era in Saudi Arabian football with the league once again cut into two groups.


1985–86 Saudi Premier League
Al-Ta'ee were once again promoted, replacing city neighbours Al Jabalain who were relegated the previous season.


1985–86 Saudi Premier League
The winners and runners up of each six team group advanced to the finals phase to crown a champion, of which Al-Hilal won and defended the championship.


1985–86 Saudi Premier League
Teams finishing third and fourth in the group phases then played off for classification purposes and the teams finishing 5th and 6th played out a relegation pool. Newly promoted Al Kawkab were relegated along with Al-Riyadh.


1985–86 Scottish Cup
The 1985–86 Scottish Cup was the 101st staging of Scotland's most prestigious football knockout competition. The Cup was won by Aberdeen who defeated Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) in the final.


1985–86 Scottish First Division
The 1985–86 Scottish First Division season was won by Hamilton Academical, who were promoted along with Falkirk to  the Premier Division. Ayr United and Alloa Athletic were relegated to the Second Division.


1985–86 Scottish Football League, Scottish Premier Division
Celtic won the League and became champions in one of the closest finishes in League history. On the final day of the season Hearts were leading Celtic by two points - a draw against Dundee would have been sufficient to see them win their first League title since the 1959–60 season. Hearts lost 2–0 to Dundee at Dens Park thanks to two goals by substitute Albert Kidd; the first in the 83rd minute and the second in the final minute while Celtic beat St Mirren 5–0 at Love Street. As a result, Celtic won the league on goal difference.


1985–86 Scottish Football League, Scottish Premier Division
Relegation was suspended due to league reconstruction, therefore Motherwell and Clydebank retained their Premier Division status.


1985–86 Scottish Inter-District Championship
The 1985–86 Scottish Inter-District Championship was a rugby union competition for Scotland's district teams.


1985–86 Scottish Inter-District Championship, History
The South beat their own record in the Scottish Inter-District Championship this season, by winning their 18th consecutive inter-district match in the championship. A run which began in season 1981-82.


1985–86 Scottish League Cup
The 1985–86 Scottish League Cup was the fortieth season of Scotland's second football knockout competition. The competition was won by Aberdeen, who defeated Hibernian in the Final.


1985–86 Scottish Premier Division
Celtic won the 1985–86 Scottish Premier Division and became champions in one of the closest finishes in League history. On the final day of the season Hearts were leading Celtic by two points - a draw against Dundee would have been sufficient to see them win their first League title since the 1959–60 season. Hearts lost 2–0 to Dundee at Dens Park thanks to two late goals by substitute Albert Kidd, while Celtic beat St Mirren 5–0 at Love Street. As a result, Celtic won the league on goal difference.


1985–86 Scottish Premier Division
Relegation was suspended due to league reconstruction, therefore Motherwell and Clydebank retained their Premier Division status.


1985–86 Scottish Premier Division
Much of the season was only viewed by fans in stadiums as a dispute between television companies and the Scottish Football League resulted in no televised Scottish league football between September 1985 and March 1986.


1985–86 Scottish Premier Division, Results, Matches 1–18
During matches 1–18 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).


1985–86 Scottish Premier Division, Results, Matches 19–36
During matches 19–36 each team plays every other team twice (home and away).


1985–86 Scottish Second Division
The 1985–86 Scottish Second Division was won by Dunfermline Athletic who, along with second placed Queen of the South, were promoted to the First Division. Stranraer finished bottom.


1985–86 Seattle SuperSonics season
The 1985–86 NBA season was the SuperSonics' 19th season in the NBA.


1985–86 Seattle SuperSonics season
The SuperSonics finished the season in eleventh place in the Western Conference with a 31–51 record, the same as the previous year.


1985–86 Segunda División
The 1985–86 Segunda División season saw 20 teams participate in the second flight Spanish league. Real Murcia, CE Sabadell FC and RCD Mallorca were promoted to Primera División. Albacete Bp., Deportivo Aragón, CD Tenerife and Atlético Madrileño were relegated to Segunda División B.


1985–86 Segunda División B
The 1985–86 Segunda División B season was the 9th since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 31 August 1985, and the season ended in 18 May 1986.


1985–86 Segunda División B, Overview before the season
40 teams joined the league, including four relegated from the 1984–85 Segunda División and 6 promoted from the 1984–85 Tercera División. The composition of the groups was determined by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, attending to geographical criteria.


1985–86 Segunda División B, Group 1, Teams
Teams from Andorra, Aragon, Asturias, Basque Country, Castile and León, Catalonia and Galicia.


1985–86 Segunda División B, Group 2
Teams from Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Castilla–La Mancha, Ceuta, Extremadura, Madrid, Region of Murcia and Valencian Community.


1985–86 Serie A, Teams
Pisa, Lecce and Bari had been promoted from Serie B. They all will be relegated.


1985–86 Serie A (ice hockey) season
The 1985–86 Serie A season was the 52nd season of the Serie A, the top level of ice hockey in Italy. 10 teams participated in the league, and HC Merano won the championship by defeating Asiago Hockey in the final.


1985–86 Serie B
The Serie B 1985–86 was the fifty-fourth tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.


1985–86 Serie B, Teams
Brescia, Vicenza, Catanzaro and Palermo had been promoted from Serie C, while Ascoli, Lazio and Cremonese had been relegated from Serie A.


1985–86 Serie C1
The 1985–86 Serie C1 was the eighth edition of Serie C1, the third highest league in the Italian football league system.


1985–86 Serie C1, Overview, Serie C1/A
Eighteen teams competed in Serie C1/A and Parma won the championship. It was decided that Parma and Modena would be promoted to Serie B. Pavia, Varese, Sanremese were relegated to Serie C2.


1985–86 Serie C1, Overview, Serie C1/B
Also contested by 18 teams, the Serie C1/B champions were Messina.


1985–86 Sharjah Cup
The 1985 Rothmans Sharjah Cup was held in Sharjah, UAE, between November 15–22, 1985. Three national teams took part: India, Pakistan and West Indies.


1985–86 Sharjah Cup
The 1985 Rothmans Sharjah Cup was a round-robin tournament where each team played the other once. West Indies won both its matches, winning the Rothmans Cup and US$50,000. Pakistan came second while India lost both its matches. Player of the Series Richie Richardson won US$3,000 and a car.


1985–86 Sheffield Shield season
The 1985–86 Sheffield Shield season was the 84th season of the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. New South Wales won the championship.


1985–86 South Midlands League
The 1985–86 South Midlands League season was 57th in the history of South Midlands League.


1985–86 South Midlands League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 13 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with 3 new clubs, promoted from last season's Division One:


1985–86 South Midlands League, Division One
The Division One featured 10 clubs which competed in the division last season, along with 2 new clubs:


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season
The 1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season was an average tropical cyclone season, in terms of tropical cyclone formation, with ten tropical cyclones occurring within the basin between 160°E and 120°W. The season ran from February 5, 1985, to May 22, 1986, with tropical cyclones officially monitored by the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and New Zealand's MetService. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and other national meteorological services including Météo-France and NOAA also monitored the basin during the season. During the season there was nine tropical cyclones occurring within the basin, including three that moved into the basin from the Australian region.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Seasonal summary
During November and December no significant tropical cyclones developed in or moved into the basin in the region,


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Ima
Severe Tropical Cyclone Ima existed from February 5 to February 16.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Ima
Ima affected French Polynesia's Austral, Society and Tubuai Islands, from February 9–14 and caused extensive damage to Rimatara.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone June
On February 5, TCWC Nadi (a.k.a. Fiji Meteorological Service) reported that a tropical depression had developed early on February 10. About 24 hours later, the system intensified into a Category 1 cyclone on the Australian intensity scale. Around that same time, the Naval Pacific Meteorology and Oceanography Center followed suit by upgrading the system into a tropical storm. Gradually intensifying, Nadi estimated that June had peaked in intensity with winds of 65 mph (105 km/h) late on February 7. Meanwhile, the JTWC reported that Tropical Cyclone June had also peaked in intensity. By February 9, June had weakened into a tropical depression. June was no longer a tropical cyclone by the morning.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Keli
Tropical Cyclone Keli existed from February 8 to February 14.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Lusi
According to the Vanautu Meteorological Service, there was no significant damage reported within Vanautu.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Alfred
Tropical Cyclone Alfred existed from March 7 to March 11.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin
Severe Tropical Cyclone Martin from April 10 to April 15.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu
On May 15, TCWC Nadi started to monitor a tropical depression that had developed within the monsoon trough, in association with Typhoon Lola about 90 km (55 mi) to the north of the Solomon Island: Malaita. Over the next two days the system moved towards the southeast before it recurved, and started to move towards the southwest during May 17 as it started to show signs that it was developing further. After the system had acquired the characteristics of a tropical cyclone and become equivalent to a tropical storm, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center started to issue warnings on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 33P.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu
Later that day, TCWC Nadi named the depression Namu, after it had become equivalent to a modern-day category-two tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale with ten-minute sustained windspeeds of 155 km/h (95 mph).


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu
Cyclone Namu was responsible for the deaths of 103 people and caused US$100 million in economic losses in the Solomon Islands. It was considered the worst tropical cyclone to impact the area in five years. The storm was estimated to have caused a maximum wave height of 1.5 m (4.9 ft). Much of the damage caused by Namu was due to phenomenal flooding, and was widespread across the island chain. At Honiara International Airport, 340 mm (13 in) of rain was measured over a three-day period.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu
Increased river flow caused by the depositing of saturated material in rivers was the cause for much of the flood damage that occurred. Of all the islands, Malaita was the worst affected by the cyclone. On the island of Guadalcanal, a single mudslide was responsible for killing 38 villagers. Attaining a clean water supply was an issue on Guadalcanal, and 22% of homes on the island were either damaged or destroyed.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Cyclone Namu
As a result of the havoc caused by the cyclone, approximately 90,000 people, equal to a third of the country's population, were reported as homeless. The government of the Solomon Islands declared a national state of emergency for the entirety of the island chain. The United Kingdom, Papua New Guinea, the United States, and Japan also sent supplies and goods to the Solomon Islands.


1985–86 South Pacific cyclone season, Season effects
This table lists all the storms that developed in the South Pacific basin during the 1985–86 season. It includes their intensity on the Australian Tropical cyclone intensity scale, duration, name, areas affected, deaths, and damages. For most storms the data is taken from TCWC Nadi's and or TCWC Wellington's archives, however data for 03P has been taken from the JTWC/NPMOC archives as opposed to TCWC Nadi's or TCWC Wellington's, and thus the winds are over 1-minute as opposed to 10-minutes.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
The 1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season was the first in which the Météo-France office (MFR) on Réunion tracked cyclones as far east as 90° E in Indian Ocean, south of the equator. Previously, the agency's area of responsibility was limited to 80° E. It was an active season with twelve named storms, of which five strengthened into tropical cyclone with 10 minute sustained winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph). The first named storm was Tropical Storm Alifredy, which originated in the Mozambique Channel in late December and moved across Madagascar. However, the unofficial Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) tracked a short-lived storm in September.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
Most of the activity occurred in 1986, with four storms in January, three of which briefly existed simultaneously on January 10. The first of these three, Tropical Storm Berobia, struck eastern Mozambique. Tropical Storm Costa was a series of three tropical depressions within the same broader system that persisted for 12 days, bringing gusty winds and rainfall to the Mascarene Islands. The strongest storm of the season, Erinesta, formed in late January and struck the tiny Tromelin Island, decimating the native rabbit population.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season
Erinesta later produced 1,643 mm (64.7 in) of rainfall in the mountainous peaks of Réunion, one of the highest 24‑hour rainfall totals at the time at Cilaos. Two other storms in February – Filomena and Gista – moved southward for their durations and did not significantly impact land. In March, Cyclone Honorinina killed 99 people and caused $150 million (1986 USD) in damage when it struck eastern Madagascar. There were two other storms in March, Iarima and Jefotra, the latter of which brushed Rodrigues island with gusty winds. The final two storms of the season, Krisostoma and Lila, entered from the Australian basin in April and May, respectively, with Lila exiting the basin to end the season on May 10.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Seasonal summary
During the season, the Météo-France office (MFR) on Réunion island issued warnings in tropical cyclones within the basin. Using satellite imagery from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the agency estimated intensity through the Dvorak technique, and warned on tropical cyclones in the region from the coast of Africa to 90° E, south of the equator. In September 1985, their area of responsibility shifted from 80° E to the current 90° E, although lack of satellite imagery along the eastern periphery prevented complete coverage. The World Meteorological Organization would later label the MFR as a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center in 1993.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Seasonal summary
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), which is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force task force, also issued tropical cyclone warnings for the southwestern Indian Ocean. The season's twelve named storms was well above the average of nine, while the five tropical cyclones – storms attaining maximum sustained winds of at least 120 km/h (75 mph) – was average.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Seasonal summary
The MFR considered the tropical cyclone year to begin on August 1 and continue to July 31 of the following year. By December 1985, water temperatures were cooler than normal across the Indian Ocean. However, the monsoon intensified the following month, allowing for increased tropical cyclogenesis. There were no El Niño conditions by March.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Seasonal summary
In addition to the storms tracked by the MFR, the JTWC followed a short-lived tropical storm in September. Classified as Tropical Cyclone 01S, the storm developed on September 23 to the east-southeast of Diego Garcia, which is an atoll in the central Indian Ocean. It failed to intensify beyond peak 1 minute winds of 75 km/h (45 mph), and after passing south of Diego Garcia, the storm dissipated on September 29 south of the Seychelles.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Moderate Tropical Storm Alifredy
On December 23, a tropical depression formed in the Mozambique Channel, accompanied by spiral rainbands toward the center. That day, the system reached peak winds of 65 km/h (40 mph), and the Madagascar Meteorological Service named it Alifredy. The storm moved quickly southeastward toward Madagascar. High pressures to the south prevented much development, and Alifredy moved ashore near Morondava in western Madagascar on December 24 at peak intensity. While crossing the island, the storm weakened into a tropical depression. Alifredy emerged into the open Indian Ocean and failed to restrengthen. It became extratropical and turned southeastward, dissipating on December 27 within the westerlies. The JTWC did not track the storm. Alifredy had little impacts on Madagascar; Morombe reported a peak wind gust of 56 km/h (35 mph).


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Moderate Tropical Storm Berobia
The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) spawned a tropical depression in the northern periphery of the Mozambique Channel on January 5, near the Comoros. Initially still located with the ITCZ, the system tracked south-southwestward, although its motion slowed due to a ridge to the south. It passed near Juan de Nova Island on January 6, producing gusts of 81 km/h (50 mph). By January 7, the system began disassociating itself from the ITCZ and it intensified. That night, the Madagascar Meteorological Service named the depression Berobia, which intensified into a moderate tropical storm the next day.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Moderate Tropical Storm Berobia
Also on January 8, the JTWC began classifying the storm as Tropical Cyclone 06S. That day, Berobia began moving to the west-northwest, due to the strengthening ridge to the south. On January 9, the storm attained peak winds of 85 km/h (55 mph) according to the MFR; the JTWC estimated a slightly higher 1 minute peak of 95 km/h (60 mph). Late on January 9, Berobia made landfall about 125 km (75 mi) north of Beira, Mozambique, and it dissipated the next day after entering Zimbabwe. The remnants of Berobia dropped heavy rainfall in northeastern Zimbabwe, with a 24‑hour peak of 179 mm (7.0 in).


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Storm Costa
Tropical Storm Costa was a series of three different tropical depressions within the same broader system that persisted for 12 days east of Madagascar, all given the same name. The first circulation formed on January 7 between the northeast coast of Madagascar and Agaléga. Later that day, the Madagascar Meteorological Service named it Costa, and the JTWC labeled it Tropical Cyclone 05S. It moved eastward and later turned to the southeast, passing near Agaléga before weakening while moving into the ITCZ. Another circulation formed to the east of Costa, and the original circulation dissipated on January 9.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Storm Costa
The new center moved to the west-southwest toward St. Brandon, although it was disorganized, dissipating on January 11. A third circulation formed on the previous day to the east, becoming a tropical depression with well-organized rainbands. This third system would last the longest, originally moving to the northeast before curving southeastward.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Storm Costa
On January 12, Costa intensified into a moderate tropical storm. On the next day, the JTWC upgraded it to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane, and the MFR estimated peak winds of 95 km/h (60 mph). Costa weakened briefly on January 14 while passing about 100 km (60 mi) east of Rodrigues, although it re-attained its former peak on the next day while accelerating southeastward. Costa thereafter weakened rapidly and moved erratically toward the southwest. By January 15, it deteriorated into a minimal tropical storm, and meandered for several days. On January 19, Costa dissipated within the flow of the westerlies.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Severe Tropical Storm Costa
When Costa formed, it passed near Agaléga, producing wind gusts of 145 km/h (90 mph). The storm approached St. Brandon twice; on its first passage, Costa produced gusts of 91 km/h (57 mph) during a strong rainband. Later, the storm dropped 64 mm (2.5 in) of rainfall on Rodrigues while producing gusts of 107 km/h (66 mph).


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Delifina
The monsoon was active in early January across the Indian Ocean, spawning what would eventually become Tropical Cyclone Delifina. On January 7, the JTWC classified the system as Tropical Cyclone 04S to the east-southeast Tropical Storm Costa. However, the MFR did not classify it initially due to lack of data. The system had a curved area of convection, and organized enough for MFR to designate it Tropical Storm Delifina on January 10. On the same day, the JTWC upgraded the storm to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane. The storm moved generally southward, after an initial westward movement.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Tropical Cyclone Delifina
Delifina gradually intensified, becoming a tropical cyclone on January 13. By that time, the storm had an eye in the center of deep organized convection. The MFR estimated peak winds of 135 km/h (85 mph), while the JTWC estimated 1 minute winds of 205 km/h (125 mph). Subsequently, Delifina weakened as it progressed southward. After turning to the southeast, the deteriorating storm turned sharply northwestward between two ridges. Delifina turned back to the east and dissipated on January 19 at nearly the same longitude where it formed.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Intense Tropical Cyclone Erinesta
Satellite imagery indicated that a tropical disturbance formed on January 29 to the southwest of Diego Garcia. It moved westward and slowly organized, becoming a moderate tropical storm on January 31. On the same day, the JTWC classified the storm as Tropical Cyclone 13S, and the Mauritius Meteorological Service named it Erinesta. Its track shifted to a slow west-southwest trajectory while intensifying. The JTWC upgraded the storm to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane on February 1, and the MFR upgraded Erinesta to tropical cyclone status on the next day.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Intense Tropical Cyclone Erinesta
On February 4, the cyclone attained peak winds, becoming one of the strongest storms in the basin in several decades. The JTWC estimated peak 1 minute winds of 215 km/h (135 mph), and the MFR estimated peak winds of 170 km/h (105 mph). Shortly after Erinesta reached peak intensity, it passed within 20 km (12 mi) of Tromelin Island. The storm curved southward due to an approaching trough, briefly threatening to strike Réunion. However, a ridge built behind the trough, bringing the storm between the east coast of Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. Erinesta gradually weakened, passing west of Réunion as a severe tropical storm on February 7. The storm accelerated to the south-southeast and later became extratropical, dissipating on February 11 within the westerlies.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Intense Tropical Cyclone Erinesta
Passing near Tromelin at peak intensity, Erinesta produced peak wind gusts of 234 km/h (145 mph) before damaging the anemometer, with peak winds estimated as high as 250 km/h (155 mph). The high winds damaged every building and scientific instrument on the island. The passage of the storm killed Tromelin's entire rabbit population. Along the east coast of Madagascar, Erinesta produced 83 km/h (52 mph) wind gusts and 24‑hour rainfall of 64.8 mm (2.55 in) at Toamasina.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Intense Tropical Cyclone Erinesta
Lastly, the cyclone passed west of Réunion, where ten days of precipitation accumulated to 1,643 mm (64.7 in) at Cilaos, of which 1,017 mm (40.0 in) fell over 24 hours. The 24‑hour total there was among the highest on record, surpassing even Cyclone Hyacinthe, the wettest storm on record. In one hour, Erinesta dropped 70 mm (2.8 in) of rainfall, which only occurs every two and a half years. This helped replenish aquifer levels, after two years of drought conditions.


1985–86 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season, Systems, Intense Tropical Cyclone Erinesta
The rains caused 1 in 10 year flooding in portions of the island, reaching 30 m3/s (1,060 ft3/s) at Ravine Blanche. While moving past the island, Erinesta produced peak gusts of 139 km/h (86 mph) in the mountainous interior at Plaine des Cafres. The cyclone also produced very high waves along coastal roads, closing them for four days and damaging guard rails.