1988 Epping Forest by-election
A by-election was held in the House of Commons constituency of Epping Forest on 15 December 1988, following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Sir John Biggs-Davison. The result was a hold for the Conservative Party.


1988 Epping Forest by-election, Candidates
Steven Norris was the Conservative candidate. Norris had been elected to serve as MP for Oxford East at the 1983 general election but had lost the seat in 1987. His opponent from the Labour Party was Stephen Murray. Andrew Thompson was chosen as the candidate for the recently formed Social and Liberal Democrats. Thompson had been a founder member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and had served as a councillor in the local area since 1984. His main campaign issues were saving a local hospital from closure and defending the green belt status of Epping Forest.


1988 Epping Forest by-election, Candidates
The rump SDP which had rejected the merger with the Liberal Party also put forward a candidate, Michael Pettman. Pettman, a solicitor and local councillor, and Oxford University (Magdalen College) graduate, had been the candidate for the SDP in Epping Forest at the previous general election. Michael had a son born 1982 and a daughter born in 1986 and was married to Gillian. He was originally from Kent. Both the Green Party of England and Wales, represented by Andrew Simms and the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, represented by party leader and serial election candidate David Sutch, contested the election as well. Sutch stood under the name "Monster Raving Loony - Liberal Birthday Party" in this election.


1988 Epping Forest by-election, Candidates
Tina Wingfield stood under the designation of "Independent National Front" although at the time she was actually a member of the National Council of the Flag Group, a breakaway party from the NF. Other candidates were Jackie Moore for the Rainbow Alliance (who added the name Change the World to her party designation) and Brian Goodier, who stood as the "Vote no Belsen for South Africans" candidate.


1988 Epsom Derby
The 1988 Epsom Derby was a horse race which took place at Epsom Downs on Wednesday 1 June 1988. It was the 209th running of the Derby, and it was won by Kahyasi. The winner was ridden by Ray Cochrane and trained by Luca Cumani. The pre-race favourite Red Glow finished fourth.


1988 Epsom Derby, Full result
* The distances between the horses are shown in lengths or shorter. hd = head; nk = neck.† Trainers are based in Great Britain unless indicated.


1988 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Two-year-old races
Notable runs by the future Derby participants as two-year-olds in 1987.


1988 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, The road to Epsom
Early-season appearances in 1988 and trial races prior to running in the Derby.


1988 Epsom Derby, Form analysis, Subsequent Group 1 wins
Group 1 / Grade I victories after running in the Derby.


1988 Epsom Derby, Subsequent breeding careers, Other Stallions
Sheriff's Star (6th) - Seuin Sky (1st Kikuka-shō 1998)Charmer (11th) - Passion For Life (1st Abernant Stakes 1996), Quinze (1st Galway Hurdle 1999)Kefaah (5th) - Dr Leunt (1st Rehearsal Chase 1999) - Exported to South AfricaAl Mufti (10th) - Exported to South Africa - Victory Moon (3rd Dubai World Cup 2004), Captail Al - Champion Sire in South AfricaRed Glow (4th) - Exported to New Zealand - Mr Mutual Respect (3rd Australian Guineas 1994)Project Manager (9th) - Strong Project (1st Phil Sweeney Memorial Chase 2006)


1988 Equatorial Guinean legislative election
Parliamentary elections were held in Equatorial Guinea on 3 and 10 July 1988. The Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea (PDGE), established the previous year, was the sole legal party at the time, as an attempt at legalising the opposition Progress Party of Equatorial Guinea in June had failed. The PDGE presented a single list of 60 candidates for the 60 seats, which was reportedly approved by 99.2% of voters.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy
The 1988 Espirito Santo Trophy took place 8–11 September at Drottningholm Golf Club in Stockholm, Sweden. The club was later renamed the Royal Drottningholm Golf Club, named from the palace close to the course, the Drottningholm Palace, home of the Swedish king and queen. The course, laid out on crown property, opened in 1959 in a park and woodland area about 15 kilometres (9 miles) from midtown Stockholm. For this championship, the course was set up as the women's championship course with par 73.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy
It was the 13th women's golf World Amateur Team Championship for the Espirito Santo Trophy. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke play team event with 27 team entries, each with three players. The best two scores for each round counted towards the team total.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy
The United States team won the Trophy, earning the title for the tenth time, beating the hosting country team Sweden by one stroke. Sweden earned the silver medal while the combined team of Great Britain & Ireland took the bronze on third place another twelve strokes back.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy
Anne Quast Sander, playing in the United States team, was a member of the winning team for a tied record third time, in 1988 at 51 years of age and 24 years after her first win in 1966 (at the time known as Anne Quast Welts). Her second win came in 1968. The only other women to have won the Espirito Santo Trophy three times is Jane Bastanchury Booth, who was a member of the winning U.S. team in 1968, 1970 and 1972.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy, Teams
27 teams entered the event and completed the competition. Each team had three players.


1988 Espirito Santo Trophy, Individual leaders
There was no official recognition for the lowest individual scores.


1988 Estonian SSR Football Championship
The 1988 Estonian SSR Football Championship was won by Norma.


1988 Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council election
Elections to the Ettrick and Lauderdale District Council took place in May 1988, alongside elections to the councils of Scotland's various other districts. The number of seats and the total vote share won by each party is listed below.


1988 Europcar Cup
The 1988 Europcar Cup was a professional team golf tournament played 3-6 November 1988 in Biarritz, France. It was the fourth Europcar Cup.


1988 Europcar Cup
The tournament was designated as an "Approved Special Event" on the European Tour schedule. A further event was planned in 1989 but was cancelled.


1988 Europcar Cup
The event was contested by national teams of four players. Each golfer played four stroke-play rounds; the best three scores for each round being used for the team's score for that round.


1988 Europcar Cup
Sweden won the event by 7 strokes with a score of 810, 18 under par. In the Swedish team played Magnus Persson, Johan Ryström, Mats Lanner and Jesper Parnevik. The second placed team was Spain, with Juan Anglada, Antonio Garrido, José Gervas and Miguel Ángel Martín.


1988 Europcar Cup
The players in the winning team received FRF 35,000 each in prize money. The players in the second placed team received FRF 22,500 each.


1988 Europcar Cup
Individual winner was David Jones, Ireland, scoring 12 under par.


1988 Europcar Cup
The following teams competed: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Wales, West Germany.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships
The 19th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary on 5 and 6 March 1988.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 1500 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 200 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 200 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 3000 metres
The men's 3000 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 3000 metres, Results, Heats
First 4 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres event at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 400 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 5000 metres walk
The men's 5000 metres walk event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres
The men's 60 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles
The men's 60 metres hurdles event at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres
The men's 800 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's 800 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's high jump
The men's high jump event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's long jump
The men's long jump event at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's pole vault
The men's pole vault event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's shot put
The men's shot put event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's triple jump
The men's triple jump event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 1500 metres
The women's 1500 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 1500 metres, Results, Heats
First 3 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 200 metres
The women's 200 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 200 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 200 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres
The women's 3000 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 3000 metres walk
The women's 3000 metres walk event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres, Results, Heats
First 3 from each heat (Q) and the next 3 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 400 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres
The women's 60 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 2 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles
The women's 60 metres hurdles event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 60 metres hurdles, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres
The women's 800 metres event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 and 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres, Results, Heats
First 2 from each heat (Q) and the next 4 fastest (q) qualified for the semifinals.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's 800 metres, Results, Semifinals
First 3 from each semifinal qualified directly (Q) for the final.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's high jump
The women's high jump event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's long jump
The women's long jump event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 5 March.


1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Women's shot put
The women's shot put event  at the 1988 European Athletics Indoor Championships was held on 6 March.


1988 European Badminton Championships
The 11th European Badminton Championships were held in Kristiansand, Norway, between 10  and 16 April 1988, and hosted by the European Badminton Union and the Norges Badminton Forbund.


1988 European Cup Final
The 1988 European Cup Final was a football match played between PSV of the Netherlands and Benfica of Portugal to decide the champion of the 1987–88 European Cup. PSV won 6–5 on penalties after a goalless draw after extra time. The match was played at Neckarstadion, Stuttgart, on 25 May 1988. According to PSV player Berry van Aerle, it was not a particularly good match, with both teams very cautious. However, it was exciting until the end and concluded in a tense penalty shoot-out.


1988 European Cup Final
For PSV, this win secured a treble of the Dutch Cup, the Dutch Championship and the European Cup. Five members of Guus Hiddink's PSV side were also part of the Dutch team that went on to win UEFA Euro 1988 in West Germany that summer.


1988 European Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1988 European Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match contested between Mechelen of Belgium and the defending champions, Ajax of the Netherlands. It was the final match of the 1987–88 European Cup Winners' Cup and the 28th European Cup Winners' Cup final. The final was played at Stade de la Meinau in Strasbourg, France, on 11 May 1988. Mechelen won the match 1–0 thanks to a goal by Piet den Boer.


1988 European Figure Skating Championships
The 1988 European Figure Skating Championships was a senior-level international competition held in Prague, Czechoslovakia (present-day Czech Republic) on January 22–27, 1988. Elite skaters from European ISU member nations competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1988 European Figure Skating Championships, Results, Men
Fadeev attempted but missed a quadruple jump but was able to win. The podium was the same as the previous year.


1988 European Indoors
The 1988 European Indoors was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts at the Saalsporthalle Allmend in Zürich in Switzerland and was part of the Category 3 of the 1988 WTA Tour. It was the fifth edition of the tournament and was held from 17 October through 23 October 1988. First-seeded Pam Shriver won the singles title  and earned $40,000 first-prize money.


1988 European Indoors, Finals, Doubles
Isabelle Demongeot /  Nathalie Tauziat defeated  Claudia Kohde-Kilsch /  Helena Suková 6–3, 6–3


1988 European Indoors – Doubles
Nathalie Herreman and Pascale Paradis were the defending champions but only Herreman competed that year with Sophie Amiach.


1988 European Indoors – Doubles
Amiach and Herreman lost in the quarterfinals to Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Helena Suková.


1988 European Indoors – Doubles
Isabelle Demongeot and Nathalie Tauziat won in the final 6–3, 6–3 against Kohde-Kilsch and Suková.


1988 European Indoors – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1988 European Indoors – Singles
Steffi Graf was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


1988 European Indoors – Singles
Pam Shriver won in the final 6–3, 6–4 against Manuela Maleeva.


1988 European Indoors – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


1988 European Junior Swimming Championships
The 1988 European Junior Swimming Championships were held from July 28 to July 31, 1988, in Amersfoort, Netherlands.


1988 European Karate Championships
The 1988 European Karate Championships, the 23rd edition, was held in Genoa, Italy from May 3 to 5, 1988.


1988 European Marathon Cup
The 1988 European Marathon Cup was the fourth edition of the quadrennial team marathon competition between European countries, which was held in Huy, Belgium on 30 April.


1988 European Open
The 1988 European Open was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Drizia-Miremont Tennis Club in Geneva in Switzerland and was part of the Category 2 of the 1988 WTA Tour. The tournament ran from 16 May until 22 May 1988. Barbara Paulus won the singles title.


1988 European Open, Finals, Doubles
Christiane Jolissaint /  Dianne van Rensburg defeated  Maria Lindström /  Claudia Porwik 6–1, 6–3


1988 European Open – Doubles
Betsy Nagelsen and Elizabeth Smylie were the defending champions but did not compete that year.


1988 European Open – Doubles
Christiane Jolissaint and Dianne Van Rensburg won in the final 6–1, 6–3 against Maria Lindström and Claudia Porwik.


1988 European Open – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1988 European Open – Singles
Chris Evert was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


1988 European Open – Singles
Barbara Paulus won in the final 6–4, 5–7, 6–1 against Lori McNeil.


1988 European Open – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


1988 European Promotion Cup for Men
The 1988 European Promotion Cup for Men was the first edition of the European Promotion Cup for Men, today known as European Basketball Championship for Small Countries.


1988 European Promotion Cup for Men, Results, Group Stage
The eight teams were allocated in two groups of four teams each.


1988 European Shotgun Championships
The 1988 European Shooting Championships was the 34th edition (including the European Shooting Championships), of the global shotgun competition, European Shotgun Championships, organised by the International Shooting Sport Federation.


1988 European Super Cup
The 1988 UEFA Super Cup was played between KV Mechelen and PSV Eindhoven, with Mechelen winning 3–1 on aggregate.


1988 European Tour
The 1988 European Tour was the 17th official season of golf tournaments known as the PGA European Tour. It marked the beginning of a long association for the tour with Swedish car maker Volvo, who became the tour's first official title sponsor.


1988 European Tour
The Order of Merit was won by Spain's Seve Ballesteros.


1988 European Tour, Schedule
The table below shows the 1988 European Tour schedule which was made up of 29 tournaments counting for the Order of Merit, and several non-counting "Approved Special Events". There were several changes from the previous season, with the addition of the Open de Baleares, the Biarritz Open, the English Open and the Volvo Masters; the return of the Barcelona Open, which had been cancelled due to bad weather in 1987; and the loss of the Lawrence Batley International. The Moroccan Open, originally scheduled to open the season, was initially postponed until October but ultimately cancelled.


1988 European Tour, Order of Merit
The PGA European Tour's money list was known as the "Volvo Order of Merit". It was based on prize money earned during the season and calculated in Pound sterling.


1988 European Weightlifting Championships
The 1988 European Weightlifting Championships were held in Cardiff, United Kingdom from April 26 to May 3, 1988. This was the 67th edition of the event. There were 175 men in action from 25 nations. The women competition were held in City of San Marino, San Marino. It was the 1st event for the women.


1988 European Wrestling Championships
The 1988 European Wrestling Championships were held in the men's Freestyle style in Manchester 13 – 16 April 1988; the Greco-Romane style in Kolbotn 10 – 13 May 1988; the women's Freestyle style in Dijon 14 – 17 July 1988.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix
The 1988 "Expo 92" Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 29 April–1 May 1988 at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix
While the race is called the EXPO 92 Grand Prix, the race is classified as the "Portuguese Grand Prix", despite the fact that it is not called that.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix, 500 cc race report
Eddie Lawson on pole. Wayne Rainey got the start from Lawson and Kevin Schwantz.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix, 500 cc race report
Schwantz passed Lawson at the final hairpin, and after the first lap, the order was Rainey, Schwantz, Lawson, Christian Sarron and Kevin Magee.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix, 500 cc race report
Schwantz tried to close the gap to Rainey, but started to look behind him more than usual, and it seemed his Suzuki was having problems. Magee 3rd ahead of Lawson. Schwantz quickly dropped to 4th and looked at his rear wheel; he soon headed into the pits.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix, 500 cc race report
Lawson fought back and swapped the lead with Magee and then went after Rainey.


1988 Expo 92 motorcycle Grand Prix, 500 cc race report
Catching up to Rainey who had led for 27 laps, Lawson had a very hard time getting past, but finally managed it.


1988 FA Charity Shield
The 1988 FA Charity Shield was the 66th Charity Shield, a football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Football League and FA Cup competitions. The match was played on 20 August 1988 between 1987–88 Football League champions Liverpool and 1987–88 FA Cup winners Wimbledon.


1988 FA Charity Shield
The fixture was a rematch of previous season's FA Cup Final, and Liverpool gained some small revenge for that defeat with a 2–1 win, with both of their goals coming from John Aldridge – the player whose penalty in the final three months earlier had been saved. However, the man who had saved his penalty – Wimbledon's goalkeeper Dave Beasant – had gone, transferred to Newcastle United in the close season, and his place for this game was taken by Simon Tracey.


1988 FA Charity Shield
Wimbledon had taken the lead in the 17th minute with a John Fashanu header from a Dennis Wise cross from the right. Liverpool equalized with John Aldridge scoring after 23 minutes. Wimbledon goalkeeper Simon Tracey had come out of the penalty box to clear the ball, but the ball was quickly passed to Aldridge from John Barnes who rolled the ball into the empty net from the edge of the penalty area. Liverpool took the lead after 69 minutes with Aldridge again scoring after a cross from John Barnes. Barnes had made a long run down the left and crossed to Aldridge who controlled the ball with his left leg before volleying with his right to the net.


1988 FA Cup Final
The 1988 FA Cup Final was the 107th final of the FA Cup. It took place on Saturday, 14 May 1988 at Wembley Stadium and was contested between Wimbledon and Liverpool, the dominant English club side of the 1980s and newly crowned league champions.


1988 FA Cup Final
In one of the biggest shocks in the entire history of the competition, Lawrie Sanchez' solitary goal of the game won Wimbledon their only FA Cup final win in their history; they had just completed their second season in the Football League First Division and had only been in the Football League for a total of 11 years. The final also featured the first ever penalty save in an FA Cup final, by Dave Beasant from John Aldridge.


1988 FA Cup Final
Beasant is often mistakenly believed to have been the first goalkeeper to captain a winning side in an FA Cup Final but this honour falls to Major William Merriman of the Royal Engineers who captained his side to victory in 1875. It was the last FA Cup final to be broadcast live simultaneously by both the BBC and ITV, which had happened at every final since 1958. Wimbledon's victory ended Liverpool's bid to become the first team to win the Double twice, a feat that was eventually achieved by rivals Manchester United in 1996 and Arsenal in 1998. The game was the last that former England international Laurie Cunningham would play in England, before his death in Spain in 1989.


1988 FA Cup Final, The build up
Liverpool had just been crowned once again as champions of Division One and were the all-conquering giants of English football throughout the 1980s. Wimbledon had just finished a creditable seventh in the Division One table that season, only their second year in the top tier, but had surprised everyone as they were expected to finish much lower than that.


1988 FA Cup Final, The build up
Liverpool, with a team full of international star players, were strongly expected and favoured to win the FA Cup by all the experts, as they had secured their 17th league title by playing in an exciting and flamboyant style, whereas Wimbledon, who had been playing in the semi-professional Southern Football League just eleven years earlier, were  derided by many pundits as being technically limited and dismissed as relying only on their strength, and were expected to have almost no chance of beating their illustrious opponents.


1988 FA Cup Final, Match summary
Wimbledon took the lead shortly before half-time, when Lawrie Sanchez's looping header, from a Dennis Wise free kick on the left, went across goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar and into the net. Liverpool created a host of chances, including a chipped goal over the goalkeeper by Peter Beardsley which was disallowed as the referee had already awarded a free kick to Liverpool, but were unable to find a way past Wimbledon goalkeeper Dave Beasant. The Merseysiders were awarded a penalty on the hour mark following a foul by Clive Goodyear on John Aldridge.


1988 FA Cup Final, Match summary
However, Aldridge's penalty was saved by Beasant's diving save to his left, thus Beasant became the first keeper to save a penalty in a Wembley FA Cup final. The Londoners survived more pressure from Liverpool to secure their first major trophy and a notable upset in FA Cup Final history. Captain Dave Beasant became the second goalkeeper to lift the FA Cup as a result (Royal Engineers goalkeeper and captain Major William Merriman lifted the Cup in 1875). After the final whistle John Motson who was commentating for the BBC delivered his famous line: "The Crazy Gang have beaten the Culture Club."


1988 FA Cup Final, Europe
Although they had won the Cup, Wimbledon were prevented from competing in the 1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup the following season due to the ongoing ban on all English teams from European competitions, following the actions of a group of Liverpool supporters in the 1985 European Cup Final Heysel disaster. At the time of the final, it was hoped that the ban would be rescinded, but after a number of violent incidents involving English fans during the 1988 European Championships, the FA withdrew their application for readmission.


1988 FAI Cup Final
The 1988 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 1987–88 FAI Cup, a knock-out association football competition contested annually by clubs affiliated with the Football Association of Ireland. It took place on Sunday 1 May 1988 at Dalymount Park in Dublin, and was contested by Dundalk and Derry City. Dundalk won the match 1–0 to win the cup for the eighth time, and, in so doing, won their second League and Cup Double.


1988 FAI Cup Final, Background
The two sides' three previous meetings that season had been in the League, with Dundalk winning both matches in Oriel Park and Derry winning the match in the Brandywell. Dundalk had already been confirmed League of Ireland Champions for 1987–88, and they were chasing their second League and Cup Double. They had lost the previous season's final and hadn't won the Cup since 1981. To reach the final they had defeated Sligo Rovers (3–2 in a replay after a 1–1 draw), Bray Wanderers (2–0), Cork City (1–0 in a replay after a 0–0 draw), and St Patrick's Athletic (4–0 on aggregate in a two-leg semi-final).


1988 FAI Cup Final, Background
Derry City had joined the League in 1985–86, and been promoted in 1986–87. They finished eighth in the Premier Division in their first season, and were playing in their first FAI Cup final, but had already qualified for the 1988–89 European Cup Winners' Cup due to Dundalk qualifying for the 1988–89 European Cup. They had overcome non-league St Joseph's Boys (6–0), Bohemians (4–1 in a replay after a 0–0 draw), Home Farm (3–0), and Longford Town (6–2 on aggregate in a two-leg semi-final) to reach the final.


1988 FAI Cup Final, Background
The match was broadcast live on RTÉ Two in Ireland with commentary from George Hamilton.


1988 FAI Cup Final, Match, Summary
The match, spoiled somewhat by a strong blustery wind and a cut-up pitch, was settled by a controversial 20th-minute penalty, scored by John Cleary. Derry's Martin Bayly had been harshly adjudged to have fouled Dundalk's Larry Wyse by referee Spillane, when Bayly pushed Wyse on the right-hand side of the penalty area but not with enough force to knock him over.


1988 FAI Cup Final, Match, Summary
Derry City had two claims for penalties of their own waved away in the second half, but on the balance of play Dundalk were considered to have been the better team, generally snuffing out Derry City's attacking play and creating a number of good chances of their own. Dundalk's victory meant that they had secured their second League and Cup Double, the first having been won in 1978–79.


1988 FAMAS Awards
The 35th Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards Night was held in 1988  in the Philippines. This is for the Outstanding Achievements of the different  films for the year 1987.


1988 FAMAS Awards
Saan Nagtatago ang Pag-ibig won the most awards with four wins including the most coveted FAMAS Award for Best Picture Three people were elevated to the "Hall Of Fame" status after winning their respective categories five times. They were Fernando Poe Jr. for best actor, Augusto Salvador for editing and George Canseco for musical score. This is the second time for Canseco who was earlier inducted to the Hall of Fame for winning five time in the Theme Song Category.


1988 FIA European Formula 3 Cup
The 1988 FIA European Formula 3 Cup was the fourth European Formula 3 Cup race and the first to be held at the Nürburgring on 25 September 1988. The race was won by German driver Joachim Winkelhock, driving for W.T.S. Racing Liqui Moly Equipe, who finished ahead of Italians Mauro Martini and Emanuele Naspetti.


1988 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship
The 1988 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was an international basketball  competition held in Yugoslavia in 1988.


1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four
The 1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four was the concluding tournament of the 1987–88 FIBA European Champions Cup, and the first one with the new FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four format, since the 1967 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament
The 1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, or International Women's Football Tournament, was organised by FIFA in China from 1 to 12 June 1988. The competition was a test to study if a global women's World Cup was feasible following the experience of non-FIFA invitational competitions such as the Mundialito (1981–88) and the Women's World Invitational Tournament (1978–87). The competition was a success and on 30 June FIFA approved the establishment of an official World Cup for 1991, which would also be held in China.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament
Twelve national teams took part in the competition – four from UEFA, three from AFC, two from CONCACAF and one from CONMEBOL, CAF and OFC. European champion Norway defeated Sweden 1–0 in the final to win the tournament, while Brazil clinched the bronze by beating the hosts in a penalty shootout. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and the United States also reached the final stages.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, Venues
The tournament took place in 4 cities in the province of Guangdong: Guangzhou, Foshan, Jiangmen and Panyu.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, Teams
12 national teams participated in the tournament, all invited by FIFA.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, Group stage, Group A
The matches of China were held in Guangzhou. The rest of the matches of this group were held in Foshan.


1988 FIFA Women's Invitation Tournament, All-Star Team
The all star team was voted by the Chinese press.


1988 Falkirk District Council election
Elections to the Falkirk District Council took place in May 1988, alongside elections to the councils of Scotland's various other districts. The number of seats and the total vote share won by each party is listed below.


1988 Family Circle Cup
The 1988 Family Circle Cup was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts at the Sea Pines Plantation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina in the United States and was part of the Category 5 tier of the 1988 WTA Tour. It was the 16th edition of the tournament and ran from April 4 through April 10, 1988. First-seeded Martina Navratilova won the singles title.


1988 Family Circle Cup, Finals, Doubles
Lori McNeil /  Martina Navratilova defeated  Claudia Kohde-Kilsch /  Gabriela Sabatini 6–2, 2–6, 6–3


1988 Family Circle Cup – Doubles
Mercedes Paz and Eva Pfaff were the defending champions but they competed with different partners that year, Paz with Mary-Lou Daniels and Pfaff with Zina Garrison.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Doubles
Daniels and Paz lost in the second round to Bettina Fulco and Emilse Raponi-Longo.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Doubles
Garrison and Pfaff lost in the semifinals to Lori McNeil and Martina Navratilova.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Doubles
McNeil and Navratilova won in the final 6–2, 2–6, 6–3 against Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Gabriela Sabatini.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated. The top four seeded teams received byes into the second round.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Singles
Steffi Graf was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Singles
Martina Navratilova won in the final 6–1, 4–6, 6–4 against Gabriela Sabatini.


1988 Family Circle Cup – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.


1988 Faroese general election
Parliamentary elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 17 November 1988.


1988 Faroese general election, Results
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1988 Faroese general election, Results
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1988 Federation Cup (tennis)
The 1988 Federation Cup was the 26th edition of the most important competition between national teams in women's tennis. The tournament was held at Flinders Park in Melbourne, Australia, from 4–11 December. Czechoslovakia defeated the Soviet Union in the final (in what was the first time the Soviet Union reached the semifinals since 1979), giving Czechoslovakia their 5th title, and 4th in six years.


1988 Federation Cup (tennis), Qualifying Round
All ties were played at Flinders Park in Melbourne, Australia, on hard courts.


1988 Federation Cup (tennis), Qualifying Round
Winning nations advance to Main Draw, losing nations play in Consolation Rounds.


1988 Fernleaf Classic
The 1988 Fernleaf Classic was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts in Wellington in New Zealand and was part of the Category 1 tier of the 1988 WTA Tour. The tournament ran from 1 February through 8 February 1988. The singles title was won by 13th seeded Jill Hetherington.


1988 Fernleaf Classic, Finals, Doubles
Patty Fendick /  Jill Hetherington defeated  Belinda Cordwell /  Julie Richardson 6–3, 6–3


1988 Fernleaf Classic – Doubles
Patty Fendick and Jill Hetherington won in the final 6–3, 6–3 against Belinda Cordwell and Julie Richardson.


1988 Fernleaf Classic – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated. All eight seeded teams received byes into the second round.


1988 Fernleaf Classic – Singles
Jill Hetherington won in the final 6–2, 6–1 against Katrina Adams.


1988 Fernleaf Classic – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. The top eight seeds received a bye to the second round.


1988 Fiesta Bowl
The 1988 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl was the 17th edition of the college football bowl game played at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona on Friday, January 1. Part of the 1987–88 bowl game season, it matched the third-ranked independent Florida State Seminoles and the #5 Nebraska Cornhuskers of the Big Eight Conference. Favored Florida State rallied to win 31–28.


1988 Fiesta Bowl, Game summary
Kickoff was just after 11:30 a.m. MST, and underdog Nebraska scored first on a three-yard run by senior halfback Keith Jones with 9:31 left in the first quarter. With 1:15 left in the opening stanza, Dana Brinson fielded a punt and returned it 52 yards for a touchdown and Nebraska led 14–0.


1988 Fiesta Bowl, Game summary
Florida State got on the board in the second quarter when quarterback Danny McManus threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Herb Gainer. With under five minutes left in the first half, running back Dayne Williams scored from four  yards out to tie the game at fourteen. With 44 seconds left in the half, McManus connected with Gainer on a 25-yard touchdown pass, marking their second hook-up of the game, and the Seminoles took a 21–14 advantage into halftime.


1988 Fiesta Bowl, Game summary
Just over three minutes into the third quarter, Nebraska quarterback Steve Taylor notched the equalizer, rumbling in from two yards out to tie the game at 21. Florida State settled for a field goal for a 24–21 lead. With forty seconds left in the quarter, running back Tyreese Knox scored on a four-yard run, giving Nebraska a 28–24 lead.


1988 Fiesta Bowl, Game summary
In the fourth quarter, Nebraska got the ball back on its 26-yard line. Following a methodical drive, they managed to move all the way to the FSU two-yard line for a first and goal. Knox took the handoff, looking for a sure touchdown, when a defender forced a fumble at the goal line, recovered by Florida State. Ten plays later, Florida State had advanced to the Nebraska 15 and McManus threw a touchdown pass to Ronald Lewis for the clinching 31–28 score.


1988 Fiesta Bowl, Aftermath
Florida State climbed to second in the final AP poll and Nebraska fell to sixth.


1988 Finnish presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Finland in 1988. They were the first elections held under a new system. Previously, the public had elected an electoral college that in turn elected the President. For this election, the public directly elected the President on 31 January and 1 February, but also elected an electoral college that would elect the President if no candidate won over 50% of the popular vote. The college was increased in size from 300 to 301 seats to make a tie less likely, though this was still technically possible, as electors could abstain from voting.


1988 Finnish presidential election
The contest's outcome, the re-election of Mauno Koivisto, surprised no one, yet he captured a smaller portion of the direct popular vote than expected—only 48.9 percent, rather than the 60 to 70 percent forecast by opinion polls during 1987. His failure to win more than half of the direct, or popular, vote with an 84 percent turnout meant that Koivisto could claim victory only after he had the support of a majority of the 301-member electoral college.


1988 Finnish presidential election
This he achieved on the body's second ballot, when the votes of 45 of the 63 electors pledged to the National Coalition Party (KOK) candidate, Prime Minister Harri Holkeri, were added to those of the 144 electors he had won on his own.


1988 Finnish presidential election
Koivisto's inability to win the presidency directly was caused by an upsurge of support in the final weeks of the campaign for his stronger rivals, Centre Party's Paavo Väyrynen and the KOK's Holkeri—who got 20.1 and 18.1 percent of the vote respectively, and Kalevi Kivistö, the candidate of voters linked to the Finnish People's Democratic League (SKDL) and the Greens, who got 10.4 percent. The strong finish of Väyrynen and Kivistö was regarded by some as a vote against the KOK-SDP coalition formed after the March 1987 parliamentary election. The 1.4 percent garnered by the Democratic Alternative (DeVa) candidate, Jouko Kajanoja, indicated the marginal role that the Stalinist wing of the communist movement played in the country's political life.


1988 Finnish presidential election, Campaign
The campaign did not center, to any significant degree, on issues, but on the candidates themselves; Väyrynen and Holkeri both clearly wanted to position themselves well for the presidential election of 1994. Neither had any hope of defeating the ever-popular Koivisto in 1988, and it was widely assumed that he would not seek re-election again in 1994.


1988 Finnish presidential election, Campaign
Väyrynen was seen as the winner of this race for position, in that he had come from far behind in the polls, had easily beaten Koivisto in the northern provinces, had found good support elsewhere—except in the Helsinki area, and had cemented his leadership role in his own party. His strong party base and his ability to attract conservatives dissatisfied with their party's alliance with the socialists, combined with his extensive ministerial experience, made the relatively young Väyrynen Finland's foremost opposition politician.


1988 Finnish presidential election, Campaign
His strong finish, and the lack of any SDP politician of Koivisto's personal stature and popularity, guaranteed the Centre Party's continued significance in the country's political life even when in opposition, and were perhaps signs that the dominance of postindustrial southern Finland over the country as a whole might only be temporary.


1988 Five Nations Championship
The 1988 Five Nations Championship was the 59th series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the ninety–fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played over five weekends between 16 January and 19 March. Wales and France were declared joint winners with six points each; it was the most recent time the Championship was shared between two or more nations as the rules were changed in 1994 to make such an event unlikely.


1988 Five Nations Championship
The final match of the tournament, England's victory over Ireland, was notable for the crowd bursting into song with "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" as a response to the hat-trick of tries scored by England's Chris Oti (only the second black player, and the first for 80 years, to be capped by England). The song was subsequently to become the unofficial rugby anthem for England.


1988 Five Nations Championship
Wales missed out on a ninth Grand Slam after losing to France at Cardiff Arms Park.


1988 Five Nations Championship squads, Wales
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1988 Florida Citrus Bowl
The 1988 Florida Citrus Bowl was held on January 1, 1988 at the Florida Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The #14 Clemson Tigers defeated the #20 Penn State Nittany Lions by a score of 35–10.


1988 Florida Citrus Bowl
The first quarter saw both teams score: first the Tigers on a 7-yard rush and then Penn State on a 39-yard pass. The second quarter saw only a Clemson touchdown on a 6-yard rush and the halftime score was 14–7. Penn State converted a 27-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 4, but Clemson then preceded to score 21 unanswered points. They scored on a 1-yard touchdown rush to end the third quarter 21–10, and then scored on two more rushes, from 25 and 4 yards out. The game ended 35–10 in favor of Clemson.


1988 Florida Gators football team
The 1988 Florida Gators football team represented the University of Florida during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. The season  was Galen Hall's fifth as the head coach of the Florida Gators football team. Hall's 1988 Florida Gators finished with a 7–5 overall record and a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 4–3, tying for fourth place among the ten SEC teams.


1988 Florida Gators football team
The Gators started the 1988 season 5–0 and were ranked as high as No. 14. During an October game against the Memphis State Tigers, star running back Emmitt Smith injured his knee and was unable to play for a month. Florida lost the Memphis State contest and the next three as well, with the Gator offense unable to score a single touchdown while Smith was sidelined. The offense under coordinator Lynn Amadee struggled all season, with Gator quarterbacks combining to throw three touchdowns and 17 interceptions, leading one Florida sports columnist to dub the offense the "Amadeeville Horror". Defensive tackle Trace Armstrong was All-SEC in 1988, setting a new school, single-season record for tackles for a loss with nineteen, including seven sacks. In both 1987 and 1988, walk-on safety Louis Oliver was an All-American.


1988 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 1988 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team was coached by Bobby Bowden and played their home games at Doak Campbell Stadium.


1988 Florida State Seminoles football team
Defensive back Deion Sanders was a Heisman finalist, finishing in eighth place.


1988 Flynn by-election
A by-election for the seat of Flynn in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was held on 10 September 1988. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Country Liberal Party (CLP) member Ray Hanrahan, a former Deputy Chief Minister. The seat had been held by Hanrahan since its creation in 1987.


1988 Football Cup of Ukrainian SSR among KFK
The 1988 Football Cup of Ukrainian SSR among KFK  was the annual season of Ukraine's football knockout competition for amateur football teams.


1988 Football League Cup Final
The 1988 Football League Cup Final (also known as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup Final for sponsorship reasons) was an association football match between Luton Town and Arsenal on 24 April 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London. It was the final match of the 1987–88 staging of the Football League Cup. Luton were making their first League Cup Final appearance, while the competition holders Arsenal were appearing in their fourth final.


1988 Football League Cup Final
Each club needed to get past five rounds to reach the showpiece event at Wembley. Both clubs made comfortable progress; Luton scored 14 goals and conceded three, Arsenal on the other hand conceded two fewer. Luton for the final were without Darron McDonough who injured himself in training, but David Preece and Ricky Hill both returned to the side after lengthy periods of treatment. Goalkeeper Les Sealey was not fit in time to play, so Andy Dibble deputised in goal for only his sixth appearance of the season. Gus Caesar replaced David O'Leary in Arsenal's starting eleven, as the Irishman was ruled out for the final having damaged his achilles weeks prior.


1988 Football League Cup Final
Arsenal, the defending champions, entered the match as favourites, but went behind early when Brian Stein scored. Luton's disciplined approach, coupled with a strong performance by Dibble, contained Arsenal to few chances throughout the game. The holders equalised and took the lead in quick succession through Martin Hayes and Alan Smith, but failed to seal the win when Nigel Winterburn missed a penalty. A revitalised Luton staged a late comeback; Caesar's failed clearance led to Danny Wilson equalising, and in the 90th minute, Brian Stein scored the winner after poor defending from Arsenal.


1988 Football League Cup Final
The 1988 final was Luton's first major cup victory; their manager Ray Harford later described it as the greatest win in his time at the club. Luton did not qualify for European football the following season, despite winning the League Cup as UEFA chose not to relax its ban on English teams. Arsenal manager George Graham in the meantime strengthened his squad as a result of his team's poor defensive display. Caesar found his playing time limited in subsequent seasons, as the manager brought in Steve Bould. The 1988 final has been regarded as one of the best in the competition's history and the most exciting at Wembley, and has been likened to the "five-minute" FA Cup Final of 1979.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal entered the competition in the second round, as one of the 22 teams from the Football League First Division. They were drawn against Doncaster Rovers; the first leg was staged at Belle Vue on 23 September 1987. Arsenal eased to a 3–0 win, with goals from Perry Groves, Alan Smith and Steve Williams. A fortnight later, midfielder David Rocastle scored the only goal in the second leg to give Arsenal a 4–0 aggregate scoreline win. AFC Bournemouth were Arsenal's opponents in the third round. The match was played at Highbury on 27 October 1987.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal needed 33 minutes to open the scoring, when Michael Thomas converted a penalty kick. Smith extended their lead and in the second half, Kevin Richardson scored Arsenal's third, profiting from a mix-up between the Bournemouth defenders. The win was Arsenal's tenth in succession at Highbury, setting a new club record in the process.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
In the fourth round Arsenal faced Stoke City of the Second Division at home. They made light work of the opposition, winning by three goals and once more set a unique record: David O'Leary's strike meant all 10 regular outfield players each had scored for Arsenal during the season. In his match report for The Times, Stuart Jones assessed: "Having experienced northing but victory since the end of August, Arsenal are walking around with almost too much belief", and felt complacency was the only issue preventing the club from reaching the quarter-finals.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Arsenal
Arsenal profited from a mistake by Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Martin Hodge to progress to the semi-finals, where they were paired up against Everton. The first leg was staged at Goodison Park and saw the Arsenal players, rejuvenated by a five-day break in Marbella, come away with a 1–0 win. Groves scored the only goal of the match when he managed to get a shot in from Kenny Sansom's free kick. Arsenal secured a place in the final with a 3–1 victory in the second leg.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
Luton drawn as home side, but match took place at a neutral venue.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
Luton Town, also of the First Division, began the competition in the second round and played Wigan Athletic over two legs. The first, staged at Wigan's Springfield Park ended as a 1–0 win for the visitors, courtesy of Mickey Weir's goal. In the return leg, Mick Harford scored a hat-trick to give Luton a comfortable 4–2 victory (5–2 on aggregate). Coventry City were Luton's opponents in the third round.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
The tie was played at Filbert Street – a neutral venue – given Luton had banned away supporters from its home, Kenilworth Road as a consequence of the rioting which marred English football in 1985. At Filbert Street, Luton started strongly and took a 30th-minute lead when Weir scored. Further goals from Harford saw them progress into the next round.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
In the last 16 of the competition, Luton faced Ipswich Town of the Second Division. Without several senior players because of ineligibility and injury, Luton scored early through Brian Stein's strike, and then produced a solid defensive performance, reliant on goalkeeper Les Sealey to earn a place in the quarter-finals. The result marked Ipswich's first defeat of the season, having earlier recorded 10 wins and two draws at Portman Road. Luton hosted Bradford City in the fifth round of the competition on 19 January 1988.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
A mistake by Bradford goalkeeper Paul Tomlinson handed Luton the lead four minutes before the hour, when he gave away a free kick for placing the ball down before picking it up again. A shot from Danny Wilson in the 65th minute resulted in Luton's second goal; though his effort was saved by Tomlinson, the goalkeeper could not fend off the advancing Harford's header.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Route to the final, Luton Town
Luton faced Oxford United in the semi-final which was played over two-legs. The first leg was at Oxford's home ground Manor Ground, where Luton had beaten their opponents 5–2 earlier in the league season. On a wet, muddy surface, both clubs struggled to control the tempo, though Luton played the more incisive football and looked threatening in their opponent's half. Brian Stein gave Luton the breakthrough in the tie, but Oxford equalised from the penalty spot. The home side were awarded a second penalty when Dean Saunders was brought down in Luton's area, but Sealey saved his attempt. Having received consent from the police to stage the second leg at Kenilworth Road, a near-capacity crowd saw Luton win 2–0.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
Arsenal, the match favourites and holders of the Football League Cup, were making their fourth final appearance in the competition. They had won the League Cup once before, in 1987, and lost two consecutive finals in 1968 and 1969. By contrast Luton Town were making their first League Cup final appearance. The club enjoyed relative success in the cups during the 1987–88 season, reaching the last four of the FA Cup and final of the Full Members Cup.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
Arsenal and Luton had only played each other once in the League Cup; George Graham the present-day manager of Arsenal, scored the decider in a third-round tie on 6 October 1970. Luton's last victory against Arsenal came in March 1986, a 3–0 win in an FA Cup fifth round, second replay.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
Luton manager Ray Harford had doubts over his team selection for the final. Though buoyed by the return of David Preece and Ricky Hill to full training, he was without Darron McDonough who injured his knee ligaments in training. Harford said the instability presented a selection dilemma, telling reporters: "I think I have got to break somebody's heart by telling him he is not playing." He admitted Luton's poor run of form since losing the Full Members Cup was a reason why he would make changes for the Wembley final, and noted his side's difficulty on grass away from home.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
Harford identified David Rocastle as Arsenal's biggest threat and felt they had few weaknesses in the side other than the ability to finish chances. He believed O'Leary absence through injury was a big loss for Arsenal, and implied that Williams was needed in midfield: "Without him they don't have a leader. He has a presence and that Wembley flair."


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
Like Harford, Graham had issues selecting his side, going as far to say "it's the hardest line-up I have had to choose." Already without O'Leary, Graham was waiting for Paul Davis to pass a fitness test before finalising his first eleven; the England international had caught a virus a week before the final and subsequently missed training. Arsenal defender Gus Caesar, who deputised for O'Leary, relished the challenge of being up against Harford: "[He] is aggressive, but I'm not worried. I played with Tony Adams for two years in the youth team. We can always draw on that experience. It's instinctive."


1988 Football League Cup Final, Pre-match
The final was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on ITV, presented by Elton Welsby with commentary from Brian Moore and David Pleat. The winners stood to receive £75,000 in prize money, while the losing finalists earnt £25,000.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
Sealey was not fit in time for the final, so Harford selected Andy Dibble to deputise in only his sixth game of the season. Mal Donaghy passed a fitness test and partnered Steve Foster in defence, while Rob Johnson was preferred as left back to Ashley Grimes. Hill and Preece came back into the side in midfield, and Brian Stein played behind Harford and Kingsley Black. As expected for Arsenal, Graham paired Caesar with Adams in central defence, and Davis returned to the first eleven after his short illness. Up front, Smith was positioned alongside Groves. Harford set his team up in a 4–3–3 formation, whereas Graham went for the traditional 4–4–2 system: a four-man defence (comprising two centre backs and left and right full-backs), four midfielders (two in the centre, and one on each wing) and two centre forwards.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
Luton kicked off the final, and both sides enjoyed early spells of possession, moving the ball about briskly. Arsenal tested the Luton back four in the eighth minute, when Davis' pass went over Johnson and the ball was collected by Thomas on the right flank. Charging towards the penalty area, he was impeded by the incoming Dibble and moved near the byline, but Johnson obstructed his eventual shot at goal. Minutes later, Luton had their first chance of the match from a long free kick, taken by Tim Breacker.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
The ball reached the Arsenal penalty area, and goalkeeper John Lukic failed to collect it; Harford got his head to the ball, but it just went over the crossbar. Another Luton free kick, this time in the 13th minute, led to the opening goal. The Arsenal defence failed to clear Preece's incoming delivery, and Foster, thinking quick, managed to slip an angled pass in Brian Stein's direction. The midfielder scored – it was the second goal Arsenal had conceded in the competition.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
Arsenal began to play with purpose once going behind, but for the rest of the half struggled to get the better of Luton's defence. A long ball by Davis sent Rocastle charging forward in the 16th minute, and momentarily upset Luton's shape, but it was caught by Dibble. The Luton goalkeeper was again called into action when Arsenal were awarded a set piece; Sansom slid the ball to Nigel Winterburn, whose shot was gathered.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
Foster made a timely challenge on Davis on the edge of the penalty area to end another Arsenal attack; Graham's team had been more threatening on right-hand flank with Rocastle and Winterburn. Harford, who had been a long figure up front for Luton, still managed to trouble the Arsenal defence with little service; near the end of the first half, he collected a pass from the left, bypassed his marker Adams and aimed his shot at goal, which went wide of the right-hand post.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
Luton came close to scoring their second goal of the match when Harford got away from Caesar and ran towards the left byline. His cross into the penalty area was met by Brian Stein's head, but Lukic made a crucial save, tipping the ball wide. Both managers brought on substitutes after the hour mark – Mark Stein came on for Harford, while Martin Hayes replaced Groves. The latter substitution worked to Arsenal's advantage, as it brought about their equaliser in the 72nd minute. Davis' free kick delivered in was only half cleared by Foster and amongst the scramble, Hayes drove the ball in the net. Arsenal continued to pile on pressure, and took the lead three minutes later, when Smith received a pass from Thomas to score.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Match, Summary
The turning point of the match came with ten minutes left. After a period of fluent football by the Arsenal forwards which saw Smith hit the woodwork and Hayes, Thomas and Rocastle all had shots saved by Dibble, Arsenal were awarded a penalty after Rocastle was fouled in the box. Dibble saved Winterburn's spot-kick by turning the ball round the post. A newly inspired Luton equalised with seven minutes remaining when Caesar mis-kicked a clearance on the edge of his penalty area, enabling Luton's Wilson to head the ball into the Arsenal goal from a Mark Stein cross. With less than a minute to go, Adams fouled Mark Stein, and from the resulting free kick, Brian Stein scored his second goal of the match to put the game beyond the reach of the defending champions.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
Luton's cup win was the club's first major piece of silverware in its history. A jubilant Harford described it as "the greatest win in my time at Luton", having thought his team had lost the match when Smith scored. He commended his goalkeeper, saying: "Considering all the circumstances, I think Dibble had to be the man of the match, and as for the young boy, [Kingsley] Black was sensational. He has so much talent."


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
The stand-in goalkeeper for Luton was delighted with his role in the final, but made it pertinent that he needed regular first-team football, or he would be tempted to leave the following season. Brian Stein spoke of his surprise of scoring the winner, and said: "I asked the referee how long was left and he just blew the whistle." Luton held a civic ceremony two days after the final, where the trophy was presented in front of the club's supporters. It was there the stem of the trophy had become noticeably damaged; Luton the following morning returned it to the competition's sponsors for repairs.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
Graham felt his team "... were there when we were leading 2–1", and expressed his sympathy for Winterburn, "He is a good signing for Arsenal and to miss a penalty so close to the end was a great disappointment to him." He extended his congratulations to Luton, in particular Dibble, telling reporters: "Their goalkeeper was absolutely superb. He kept them in the game when they could have been finished." The Arsenal manager also revealed the club would take action against Williams for disappearing on the matchday.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
The defeat prompted Graham to strengthen his defence over the summer; he was unable to convince his first choice Gary Pallister to join the club, but managed to sign 25-year-old defender Steve Bould from Stoke. Bould went on to displace Caesar in the starting eleven, whose career stalled after the 1988 final.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
Although Luton won the League Cup, they did not earn a place in the UEFA Cup, as UEFA chose not to relax its ban on English teams from playing in European club competitions during the late 1980s. David Evans, the Luton chairman was against his club participating in European football, though he never publicised his reasoning.


1988 Football League Cup Final, Post-match and legacy
The match is considered as one of the best League Cup finals, and greatest Cup shocks in the competition's history. In 2015, Luton's victory was ranked 12th in a list of the "50 greatest things from the past three decades", by readers of the Luton on Sunday.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
The 1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final was an association football match contested by Swansea City and Torquay United over two legs on 25 and 28 May 1988, to determine which club would play the following season in the Third Division. Torquay United had finished in fifth place in the Fourth Division while Swansea City finished sixth. They were joined in the play-offs by fourth-placed Scunthorpe United and Rotherham United, who had finished in 21st place in the division above. Swansea City defeated Rotherham United County in their semi-final, consigning the latter to relegation to the Fourth Division, while Torquay United beat Scunthorpe United in the other.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
The play-off final first leg was played at Swansea City's Vetch Field, in front of a crowd of 10,825, and was refereed by Roger Milford. The first half ended goalless and Swansea City took the lead when McCarthy scored with a header in the 73rd minute. Ian Love doubled their advantage thirteen minutes later, again with a header. With two minutes remaining, Torquay United's Jim McNichol scored to end the game 2–1 to Swansea City.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
The second leg of the final was played at Plainmoor in Torquay on 28 May 1988 in front of 5,000 spectators and was refereed by J. Martin. In the 22nd minute, Paul Raynor gave Swansea City the lead and five minutes later McCarthy scored a penalty kick. McNichol then scored with two headers in the space of six minutes, but just before half-time, Alan Davies struck the ball past Kenny Allen, the Torquay United goalkeeper. In the 65th minute, David Caldwell scored at the near post, and the match ended 3–3 with Swansea City winning the final 5–4 on aggregate to secure promotion to the Third Division.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final
Swansea City's next season saw them finish in twelfth place in the Third Division, eleven points outside the 1989 Football League play-offs. Torquay United ended the following season in fourteenth position in the Fourth Division, twelve points below the play-offs.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
This was the second time the Football League play-offs had taken place. They were introduced in the previous season as part of the "Heathrow Agreement", a ten-point proposal to restructure the Football League. For the first two years of the play-offs, the team which had finished immediately above the relegation positions in the Third Division competed with three clubs from the Fourth Division for a place in the third tier of English football for the following season.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Swansea City finished the season in sixth place in the Fourth Division, and faced Rotherham United, who had finished 21st in the Third Division in their play-off semi-final. The first match of the two-legged tie took place at the Vetch Field in Swansea on 15 May 1988 in front of 9,148 spectators. After a goalless first half, Sean McCarthy scored with five minutes of the match remaining to give Swansea City a 1–0 victory. The second leg was held three days later at Millmoor in Rotherham in front of a crowd of 5,568.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
McCarthy scored with a volley after 19 minutes before Rotherham United's Nigel Johnson equalised with a goal before half-time. Although Rotherham United dominated the second half, the match ended 1–1. Swansea City progressed to the final with a 2–1 aggregate victory while Rotherham United were relegated to the fourth tier of English football for the first time since 1975.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Torquay United had finished second-from-last in the 1986–87 Fourth Division, only avoiding relegation by scoring a final minute penalty kick in their final game of the season. Going into the final match of the 1987–88 season, Torquay United were in third and played Scunthorpe United, only needing a draw to secure automatic promotion. Torquay United lost the game 2–1, and ended the season in fifth position, behind Scunthorpe United.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Torquay United thus faced Scunthorpe United in the other play-off semi-final, with the first leg being played eight days after their final league encounter, again at Plainmoor in Torquay, on 15 May 1988, in front of 4,602 spectators. Scunthorpe were reduced to ten players when Paul Nicol was sent off. David Caldwell and Paul Dobson put Torquay United 2–0 ahead in the first half, before Kevin Taylor scored in the 71st minute to make the final score 2–1 to Torquay United.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Route to the final
The second leg was held three days later at the Old Show Ground in Scunthorpe which was hosting its final game, in front of a crowd of 4,602. Mark Loram opened the scoring from a Dobson pass for Torquay United despite Scunthorpe dominating the early stages of the match. Steve Lister scored a late penalty for Scunthorpe United, but the match ended 1–1 and Torquay United progressed to the final with a 3–2 aggregate win.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Match, Background
Torquay United had played in the Fourth Division since being relegated in the 1971–72 season and had avoided relegation to the Football Conference the previous season on goal difference. This was their first appearance in the play-offs. Swansea City had played in the fourth tier of English football for two seasons, and had featured in the First Division as recently as the 1982–83 season, before suffering three relegations in four seasons. In the matches between the sides during the regular season, the game at the Vetch Field in December 1987 ended in a 1–1 draw while the fixture at Plainmoor the following March saw Swansea City win 1–0.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Match, First leg, Summary
The play-off final first leg was played at Swansea City's Vetch Field, in front of a crowd of 10,825, and was refereed by Roger Milford. Swansea were the stronger team in the early minutes, and won an attacking free kick, which was taken by Robbie James. Andy Melville had a headed chance at goal from the free kick, but did not score. According to The Guardian's Grahame Lloyd, "Torquay always threatened to score on the break", and they had two opportunities to score in five minutes through Derek Dawkins.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Match, First leg, Summary
First, he had a headed shot from a cross by Tom Kelly, and then a shot from 12 yards (11 m), both saved by the Swansea goalkeeper, Peter Guthrie. The first half ended goalless and soon after the interval, Dobson's strike hit the Swansea City crossbar. McCarthy scored with a header in the 73rd minute to give Swansea City the lead before Ian Love doubled their advantage thirteen minutes later, again with a header. With two minutes remaining, Torquay United's Jim McNichol scored to end the game 2–1 to Swansea City.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Match, Second leg, Summary
The second leg of the final was played at Plainmoor on 28 May 1988 in front of 5,000 spectators and was refereed by J. Martin. In the 22nd minute, Paul Raynor gave Swansea City the lead when he scored from missed clearances by Torquay United. Five minutes later, Love was pulled down in the Torquay United penalty area and McCarthy scored the resulting penalty kick.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Match, Second leg, Summary
McNichol then scored with two headers in the space of six minutes, but just before half-time, Alan Davies struck the ball past Kenny Allen, the Torquay United goalkeeper, to make it 3–2 to Swansea City at the interval. In the second half, Torquay United went close to scoring twice more, with Caldwell shooting off-target from close range and McNichol heading the ball against the Swansea City crossbar. In the 65th minute, Caldwell scored at the near post, flicking the ball with his head past Guthrie. The match ended 3–3 and Swansea City won the final 5–4 on aggregate to secure promotion to the Third Division.


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Post-match
Terry Yorath, Swansea City's manager, offered condolences to his opponents, saying "I've got all the sympathy in the world for them". His counterpart, Cyril Knowles, was critical of the play-offs, suggesting "it's all wrong. I don't like it, whatever the financial considerations, and I'm not saying that because we lost."


1988 Football League Fourth Division play-off Final, Post-match
Swansea City's next season saw them finish in twelfth place in the Third Division, eleven points outside the 1989 Football League play-offs. Torquay United ended the following season in fourteenth position in the Fourth Division, twelve points below the play-offs.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final
The 1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final was an association football match contested between Chelsea and Middlesbrough over two legs on 25 May 1988 and 28 May 1988. It was to determine which club would play the next season in the First Division, the top tier of English football. Chelsea had finished the season fourth from bottom in the First Division, while Middlesbrough were third in the Second Division. They were joined in the play-offs by the teams that had finished fourth and fifth in the Second Division: Chelsea defeated Blackburn Rovers in their play-off semi-final, while Middlesbrough beat Bradford City.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final
The first leg of the final was played at Ayresome Park in Middlesbrough, in front of a crowd of 25,531. Trevor Senior and Bernie Slaven scored for Middlesbrough, who won the match 2–0. Three days later, at Stamford Bridge in London, 40,550 fans watched Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 1–0. Gordon Durie scored the only goal of the match, but it was not enough for Chelsea, who lost the tie 2–1 on aggregate. Middlesbrough were promoted to the First Division where they remained for one season before they were relegated. Chelsea won the Second Division the following season and, as of 2020, remain in the top tier of English football.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final
After the final whistle, a few hundred Chelsea fans broke onto the pitch and threw projectiles at the visiting supporters. It took the police around 40 minutes to clear the pitch and the terraces, and 45 people were injured, including 25 police officers. In total, 102 arrests were made, and Chelsea were later found guilty of failing to control their supporters. They were given a £75,000 fine and had to close their terraces for the first six matches of the subsequent season.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background
English Football League play-offs were first introduced to determine promotion and relegation between the First and Second Divisions, the top two tiers of the English football league system, in the 1986–87 season. They were a means of reducing the number of teams in the First Division from 22 down to 20, but were also designed to add excitement to the end of the season, giving more teams something to compete for, while also generating more money for those clubs involved. For the first two seasons, they featured three teams from the Second Division, along with one from the First Division. The bottom three clubs from the First Division were automatically relegated, while the fourth from bottom entered the play-offs. In the Second Division, the top two clubs gained automatic promotion, and the teams finishing in third to fifth competed in the play-offs.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background
Chelsea had been Second Division champions in the 1983–84 season, and had played in the First Division for the four seasons since. After two sixth-placed finishes in their first two seasons in the top tier, they dropped to 14th in the 1986–87 season. Middlesbrough had a more turbulent recent history: they were relegated from the First Division in 1982, and four years later dropped down into the Third Division. They were also struggling financially, and in July 1986 their debts forced them into liquidation.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background
The club were locked out of their Ayresome Park ground, and only a last minute rescue by a consortium saved the club. Middlesbrough gained promotion back to the Second Division at their first attempt in the 1986–87 season. According to accountancy firm Deloitte, the match was worth £1 million to the promoted club through increases in matchday, commercial and broadcasting income.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background, Football hooliganism
Football hooliganism has been present within English football since its inception. In the 1960s it escalated and developed from attacks towards oppositions players into fights between opposing fans. The driving force behind the escalation was predominantly groups of young, male fans who wanted to prove their toughness. By the middle of the 1960s, football hooliganism was considered a national problem which affected the image of England overseas. Local and national government intervened to tackle the problem rather than leave it to the football authorities.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background, Football hooliganism
Measures introduced to deal with hooliganism were the segregation of opposing fans at matches, which was initially voluntary, before later being enforced, and an increased police presence at football matches. Security fences were erected at grounds, often topped with barbed wire, to keep fans apart and off the pitch. Although this segregation resulted in reduced violence at football matches, it helped to foster a collective identity for the groups of supporters, and often just shifted the violence out of the stadium into the nearby streets. This in turn led to the creation of what Ramón Spaaij describes as "super hooligan" groups, such as Chelsea's Headhunters group, who actively sought out fights against opposing fans.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background, Football hooliganism
In 1985, a series of incidents brought English football hooliganism to a head. First, during a match between Luton Town and Millwall in March, a mass riot broke out between the two sets of fans, which spread onto the pitch and into the surrounding town. Sean Ingle writing in The Guardian described it as "a night football died a slow death", and the chairman of the Football Association, Bert Millichip, said that the riot was the reason that England was not named as host for the 1988 UEFA European Football Championship. Two months later, Liverpool fans were blamed for the Heysel Stadium disaster, in which 39 fans, predominantly supporters of Juventus, were killed and over 600 injured. That incident led to English clubs being banned from European competitions for five years.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Background, Football hooliganism
In the late 1980s, Chelsea's hooligan groups, particularly the Headhunters, were well known for their racism, far-right extremism and violence. According to Nick Lowles and Andy Nicholls, in their history of British hooliganism, Chelsea were widely considered to be the "top dogs" of hooligan groups at the time, though the club's chairman, Ken Bates blamed the media for this reputation, saying that although he accepted the club had a problem with hooligans, he blamed the press coverage the club was given: "[Chelsea] are the only club consistently criticised, consistently persecuted and consistently emphasised. If Chelsea has the worst reputation in the country it is because of irresponsible reporting."


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Chelsea finished the 1987–88 season in 18th place—fourth from bottom—in the First Division. They finished seven points ahead of Portsmouth (who were relegated in 19th place), and were level on points with West Ham United and Charlton Athletic; but both teams had a superior goal difference to Chelsea. Middlesbrough finished the season in third place in the Second Division: goals scored over the season had to be used as a tie-breaker, as they were level on both points and goal difference with Aston Villa, who were automatically promoted in second place.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Aston Villa had scored 68 goals over the course of the season, while Middlesbrough had scored 63. Both teams, along with Bradford City and Blackburn Rovers entered the play-offs to determine who would play in the First Division in the following 1988–89 season. Middlesbrough were managed by Bruce Rioch who had held the position since February 1986. Bobby Campbell had been appointed as Chelsea's caretaker manager two weeks prior to the final, after the resignation of John Hollins.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Chelsea travelled to Blackburn's Ewood Park for the first leg of their play-off semi-final. They lost John Bumstead to an injury midway through the first half, but opened the scoring after a minute of the second half when Gordon Durie curled a shot around Blackburn's Terry Gennoe. Pat Nevin later doubled the lead, and the match ended 2–0 to Chelsea. In the second leg, both sides missed chances early on before Kevin Wilson scored a volley for Chelsea after 26 minutes.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Kerry Dixon redirected the ball into the goal with his thigh 10 minutes into the second half to give Chelsea a four-goal advantage in the tie, and although Scott Sellars pulled a goal back for Blackburn, Chelsea added two more late goals through Wilson and Durie to secure a 4–1 victory in the match, and Chelsea progressed to the final 6–1 on aggregate.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
For their semi-final, Middlesbrough also journeyed away from home for the first leg, visiting Bradford City's Valley Parade ground. Both sides had chances in the first half, but the match remained goalless until the 67th minute, when Karl Goddard scored for the hosts. Middlesbrough equalised a minute later, through a header from Trevor Senior, but Bradford retook the lead almost immediately when Stuart McCall scored from close-range. After three goals in three minutes, no more were scored, and the match finished 2–1 to Bradford.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Route to the final
In the second leg, a goal from Bernie Slaven gave Middlesbrough the lead in the 35th minute, and the match remained 1–0 at the end of 90 minutes: 2–2 on aggregate. Going into extra time, Middlesbrough added a second goal almost immediately; the Bradford City defender Lee Sinnott missed a cross by Colin Cooper, which fell to Gary Hamilton who put it in the net. Stephen Pears, the Middlesbrough goalkeeper made two saves from Ian Ormondroyd in the 111th minute, and his side held on to claim a 3–2 aggregate victory. In his history of the club, Richard Piers Rayner describes watching that match from the terraces as among his favourite moments as a Middlesbrough fan.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, First leg, Summary
The play-off final first leg was played at Middlesbrough's Ayresome Park, in front of a crowd of 25,531. Keith Hackett was chosen to referee the fixture; The Guardian's David Lacey rated him as the Football League's best. Middlesbrough had a chance at goal early in the match; Slaven beat Chelsea's offside trap and set-up Senior, but the Chelsea goalkeeper, Kevin Hitchcock managed to get his left palm to the attempted chip. Nevin then created an opportunity for Chelsea, crossing the ball to Dixon, who missed the goal with his header.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, First leg, Summary
Chelsea created another chance in the 27th minute; the ball bounced over the head of the Middlesbrough defender Gary Pallister, and was collected by Durie, who evaded another defender, Tony Mowbray, but his shot was saved by Pears. Three minutes later, Slaven crossed the ball to Senior, who scored with a glancing header, to put Middlesbrough 1–0 ahead: Clive White of The Times described it as "a slightly flattering lead". The score remained unchanged at half-time.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, First leg, Summary
In the second half, Stuart Ripley crossed the ball into the Chelsea penalty area, but there were no Middlesbrough forwards to convert the chance. Shortly after, Tony Dorigo broke through the Middlesbrough defence with a run, but nothing came of the opportunity. Both teams continued to attack; Cynthia Bateman of The Guardian said that "Chelsea always had the edge in skill", but were always at risk of "being overwhelmed by the ferocity" of Middlesbrough's attacks. Pallister had a shot after a Middlesbrough corner was palmed away from goal by Hitchcock, but he put the rebound straight back at the goalkeeper.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, First leg, Summary
Chelsea also missed a rebound: Durie struck a strong shot, which Pears parried to Colin Pates, but he mishit his shot. Senior and Slaven combined again in the 81st minute to double Middlesbrough's lead; Senior crossed the ball in from the right, and Slaven cut in from the opposition wing. His first shot was saved by Hitchcock, but Slaven put away his own rebound to make it 2–0.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, Second leg, Summary
The second leg took place at Stamford Bridge in London on 28 May 1988 in front of a crowd of 40,550. Chelsea dominated play early on; within 90 seconds of kick-off, Nevin had a shot at goal which Pears "brilliantly" deflected onto the post, according to White. Middlesbrough's best chance of the match came a few minutes later, when a cross-cum-shot from Cooper rebounded off the post to Slaven. From 5 yards (5 m), his headed shot went over the bar.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Match details, Second leg, Summary
Nevin created Chelsea's goal in the 18th minute, finding Durie with a long pass, who curled the ball into the net from 10 yards (9 m) out. Soon after, Durie broke through the Middlesbrough defence, but Dixon was offside, and play was stopped. Chelsea continued to dominate possession for the rest of the game, and Nevin created more opportunities for his side, but they did not manage to have another shot on target after their goal. The Observer's Louise Taylor credited Chelsea's superiority "to an outstanding individual performance from Pat Nevin", but in the second half she said that "Chelsea's play became infected with desperation". The match finished 1–0 to Chelsea; Middlesbrough won the tie 2–1 on aggregate.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
After the final whistle had been blown, around twelve Middlesbrough fans climbed over the fencing surrounding the pitch, and according to White, "celebrated provocatively on the pitch". Seeing this, roughly 300 Chelsea supporters broke through a gate in the security fence at the Shed End to enter the pitch and ran towards the stand holding the Middlesbrough fans, while throwing a variety of projectiles, including stones. White said that while the Chelsea fans were entering the pitch, he could not see any of the 378 police officers who were on duty at the match.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
Writing about the incident in 2020, Anthony Vickers of TeessideLive described it as "a sustained and unprovoked attack from vicious Chelsea hooligans", though Lowles and Nicholls suggest that had the members of Middlesbrough's hooligan group managed to get onto the pitch, "the story would have been very different". According to them, around 1,000 members of Middlesbrough's "Frontline" mob had travelled to London for the match, and had marched provocatively en masse to the ground.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
Slaven, part of the victorious Middlesbrough team, had initially started to run towards his team's supporters to celebrate, but he recalls "the Boro fans looking fearful and apprehensive", and when he turned around to see the Chelsea fans running towards him, he joined his teammates in escaping down the tunnel. He said that one of them, Gary Hamilton, had a bottle thrown at him.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
Roughly 30 police officers created a cordon between the opposing fans, and prevented them from engaging until a mounted police unit arrived to disperse the crowd, and according to the Sunday Mirror, they charged into the supporters on the pitch, knocking some of them over. The police continued to clear the Chelsea fans from the pitch and the terraces for 40 minutes, doing so "under a constant hail of missiles" according to the Sunday Tribune. After 45 minutes, the Middlesbrough players were able to return to the pitch and celebrate with their fans, who remained in the North Stand.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
The police made 102 arrests after the match, 3 of which were Middlesbrough fans, and 45 people were injured, including 25 police officers. Bates played down the incident, saying that "the people who described it as a riot have obviously never seen a riot". He blamed the incident on the police, claiming that they should have been policing the perimeter fence. Paul Condon, the Metropolitan Police's deputy assistant commissioner, rebutted the claim, while the official police view was that the fault lay with Chelsea.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Post-match hooliganism
Both clubs were charged by the Football Association with failing to control their supporters; Middlesbrough were cleared of the charge, but Chelsea were found guilty. They were fined £75,000 plus costs, the largest financial penalty given by the Football Association at the time, and had to close their terraces for the first six home games of the 1988–89 season.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Aftermath
Chelsea's Nevin later recalled the defeat, noting that for him "the last moment was the worst moment". The second leg was his final appearance for Chelsea before moving to Everton, and he referred to his team's dominance in the match: "we absolutely battered them". Middlesbrough were promoted to the First Division for the 1988–89 season, completing back-to-back promotions, but only survived one season in the top tier. They finished their next campaign in 18th place and were relegated back to the Second Division, where they remained for a further three seasons. Chelsea were Second Division champions in the 1988–89 season, regaining promotion to the top tier and, as of 2021, have remained there ever since.


1988 Football League Second Division play-off Final, Aftermath
In June 1988, UEFA, the governing body for association football in Europe, had been due to meet to discuss whether to readmit English clubs to European competitions in the 1988–89 season. In the wake of the post-match incident during the second leg between Chelsea and Middlesbrough, along with hooliganism at a match between England and Scotland, the English Football Association withdrew their request to be re-admitted. English clubs eventually returned to European competition in the 1990–91 season, at the conclusion of the original five-year ban.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final
The 1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final was an association football match contested by Walsall and Bristol City over two legs on 25 and 28 May 1988, and then a replay on 30 May 1988, to determine which club would play the following season in the Second Division. Walsall had finished in third place in the Third Division while Bristol City finished fifth. They were joined in the play-offs by fourth-placed Notts County and Sheffield United, who had finished in 21st place in the division above. Walsall defeated Notts County in their semi-final while Bristol City beat Sheffield United in the other.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final
The first leg of the final took place on 25 May 1988 at Ashton Gate in Bristol and was refereed by Joe Worrall. Alan Walsh scored directly from a free kick for Bristol City before Walsall equalised in the 62nd minute through Trevor Christie. David Kelly put Walsall ahead with ten minutes to go and scored again just before the final whistle to end the match 3–1. The second leg took place three days later at Fellows Park in Walsall, refereed by George Tyson.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Rob Newman gave Bristol City the lead in the 31st minute and Carl Shutt made it 2–0 midway through the second half. The match ended with the aggregate score at 3–3 so a penalty shootout was used to determine the venue for a replay: Walsall won 4–2 so the deciding match took place at Fellows Park on 30 May 1988. A hat-trick from Kelly along with a header from Phil Hawker secured a 4–0 victory for Walsall and promotion to the Second Division.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final
Walsall's manager Tommy Coakley was sacked in December 1988 after a losing streak of eleven games, culminating in a 5–1 Boxing Day defeat at home to Oxford United which sent Walsall to the bottom of the league. He was replaced the following January by John Barnwell, but Walsall ended their following season in last position in the Second Division and were relegated back to the Third Division. Bristol City's next season saw them finish in 11th position in the Third Division, five places and nine points outside the play-offs.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final, Route to the final
This was the second time the Football League play-offs had taken place. They were introduced in the previous season as part of the "Heathrow Agreement", a ten-point proposal to restructure the Football League. For the first two years of the play-offs, the club which had finished immediately above the relegation places in the Second Division competed with three clubs from the Third Division for a place in the second tier of English football for the following season.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Sheffield United had finished the 1987–88 season in 21st place in the Second Division, having won their final game against bottom club Huddersfield Town on the last day of the season to avoid automatic relegation. Walsall had finished in third place in the Third Division, two points behind Brighton & Hove Albion (who were automatically promoted in second position) and eleven behind Sunderland (who were promoted as champions). Bristol City ended the regular season in fifth place, two positions and seven points below Walsall.


1988 Football League Third Division play-off Final, Route to the final
Walsall's opponents in their play-off semi-final were Notts County with the first match of the two-legged tie being played at Meadow Lane in Nottingham on 15 May 1988. The home side took an early lead when Dean Yates scored with a header from an Aidey Thorpe inswinging cross in the second minute of the match. Walsall started to control the match and four minutes before half-time, David Kelly scored the equaliser from a Richard O'Kelly cross.