1986–87 Middlesbrough F.C. season

During the 1986–87 season, Middlesbrough participated in the Football League Third Division following their relegation the previous season. They were promoted back to the Second Division at the end of the season having finished second in the league.

Middlesbrough
1986-87 season
ChairmanColin Henderson
ManagerBruce Rioch
Football League Third Division2nd
FA Cup3rd round
League Cup2nd round
Top goalscorerLeague: Bernie Slaven (17)
All: Bernie Slaven (21)
Highest home attendance18,523 v Wigan Athletic
Away: 13,835 v AFC Bournemouth
Lowest home attendance3,690 v Port Vale[1]
Away: 2,788 v Newport County

Team kit and sponsors

During the 198687 season, Middlesbrough maintained the white band on their home kit from the previous two seasons and were sponsored by Dickens.[2]

Season review

Pre-season panic

The financial problems that had been plaguing the club since the early 1980s almost led the club into extinction following their relegation the previous season.

After Alf Duffield's resignation near the end of the previous season, Boro had been operating without a chairman. On 21 May 1986, the worst fears of Middlesbrough fans were realised. Debts believed to be in the region of £2 million meant the club were forced to call in the provisional liquidator. Late in July, the Inland Revenue took the club to court, claiming that it was owed £115,156 in tax arrears and so the judge issued a winding up order. On the second of August, Bruce Rioch and twenty-nine other non-playing staff were sacked by the Official Receiver and the gates of Ayresome Park were padlocked. Some players chose to remain and train under Rioch and coach Colin Todd, while others chose to leave.

Steve Gibson approached the local council, ICI and Graham Fordy of Scottish & Newcastle for help. An advert was placed in The Times for help, and Henry Moszkowicz was one of those who replied. Gibson reached an agreement with former chairman Alf Duffield, who was owed £500,000, that he would wind up the company. Clubs in less serious situations had previously used liquidation to get out of problems, but when it came to Middlesbrough's turn, the Football League showed a lack of support.

The council was unable to meet its £200,000 share of the pot to help the club, meaning Gibson and Moszkowicz had to raise their inputs. Three days before the start of the season, the league introduced a ruling meaning the club had to have £350,000 in working capital and show it could pay all creditors 100 pence in the pound. The death of the club was then announced on Tyne Tees Television.

A meeting with the Football League took place on Friday 22 August. Notes were passed from room to room between the league's representatives and the consortium. Colin Henderson agreed a deal with ICI for a bond, meaning that they would pick up a major part of any subsequent debt, and the consortium put in their £825,000. With ten minutes to spare before the registration deadline, the documents were signed by Graham Fordy, Reg Corbridge and Henry Moszkowicz. In recognition of Henderson's achievements in delivering the bond in a format acceptable to everyone, he was named chairman of Middlesbrough Football & Athletic Company (1986) Ltd., the new company formed by the purchase of Blackplay Ltd., a dead company, off the shelf. Gibson, Fordy, Corbridge and Moszkowicz formed the board. The club had been saved and the deal was announced to the public at the town hall.

Football League Third Division

Results

  Win   Draw   Loss

Game Date Venue Opponent Result
FA
Attendance Boro Goalscorers
123 August 1986H[1]Port Vale223,690Stephens (2)
230 August 1986AWigan202,904Turnbull, Mowbray
36 September 1986HBury316,499Stephens (2), Slaven
413 September 1986AGillingham004,888
517 September 1986ABristol Rovers213,768Slaven (2)
620 September 1986HChesterfield207,633Mowbray, Laws
727 September 1986AFulham223,852Laws, Hamilton
830 September 1986HSwindon109,221Laws
94 October 1986ARotherham414,321Stephens (2), Laws (2)
1011 October 1986HBlackpool1311,470Stephens
1118 October 1986HWalsall318,349Stephens (2), Laws
1221 October 1986ANotts County014,405
1325 October 1986ABristol City228,800Slaven, Laws
141 November 1986HAFC Bournemouth4010,702Stephens, Slaven, Hamilton, Ripley
154 November 1986HBolton0010,092
168 November 1986ADarlington109,947Stephens
1722 November 1986ANewport County102,788Mowbray
1829 November 1986HChester City129,376Slaven
1913 December 1986HDoncaster108,100Mowbray
2021 December 1986ABrentford105,504Slaven
2126 December 1986HCarlisle1014,216Gill
2227 December 1986AMansfield115,042Proudlock
231 January 1987AYork City138,611Mowbray
243 January 1987HNewport County209,595Gill, Stephens
2524 January 1987ABury203,485Slaven (2), Laws (pen)
267 February 1987HBristol Rovers109,610Ripley
2714 February 1987AChesterfield124,085Slaven
2817 February 1987APort Vale003,263
2921 February 1987HFulham309,361Slaven, Hamilton
3028 February 1987ASwindon0111,341
313 March 1987AAFC Bournemouth1313,835Slaven
327 March 1987HBristol City1010,220Mowbray
3314 March 1987AWalsall017,332
3417 March 1987HNotts County209,845Stephens, Slaven
3521 March 1987ABlackpool107,132Stephens
3628 March 1987HRotherham009,569
375 April 1987HDarlington1111,969Slaven
3811 April 1987ABolton105,858Slaven
3918 April 1987HYork City3110,546Ripley, Stephens, Turnbull
4020 April 1987ACarlisle105,993Pallister
4125 April 1987HBrentford209,942Slaven, Turnbull
4228 April 1987HGillingham3011,937Stephens, Slaven, Turnbull
432 May 1987AChester City213,788Mowbray, Hamilton
444 May 1987HMansfield1013,543Hamilton (pen)
456 May 1987HWigan0018,523
469 May 1987ADoncaster203,556Hamilton, Ripley

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Bournemouth 46 29 10 7 76 40 +36 97 Division Champions, promoted
2 Middlesbrough 46 28 10 8 67 30 +37 94 Promoted
3 Swindon Town 46 25 12 9 77 47 +30 87 Promoted through play-offs[lower-alpha 1]
4 Wigan Athletic 46 25 10 11 83 60 +23 85 Participated in play-offs
5 Gillingham 46 23 9 14 65 48 +17 78
Source: [3]
Notes:
  1. Swindon Town were winners of the play-offs and were thus promoted.

Cup Reviews

League Cup

  Win   Draw   Loss

Round Date Venue Opponent Result
FA
Attendance Boro Goalscorers
1R 1st LegAHartlepool112,356Slaven
1R 2nd LegHHartlepool20 (31 agg)7,735Ripley, Hamilton
2R 1st LegHBirmingham229,412Stephens, Ripley
2R 2nd LegABirmingham23 (45 agg)4,987Laws (2) (1 pen)

FA Cup

Round Date Venue Opponent Result
FA
Attendance Boro Goalscorers
1R15 November 1986HBlackpool3011,205Bernie Slaven (3)
2R7 December 1986ANotts County107,415Hamilton
310 January 1987HPreston0115,458

Squad

Senior squad

The following are all the players who were involved the Middlesbrough F.C. first team at some point during the 1986-87 season.[4] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK England ENG Stephen Pears
GK England ENG Kevin Carr
GK England ENG Peter Flear
DF England ENG Colin Cooper
DF Scotland SCO Ronnie Coyle (loan)
DF Ireland EIR Alan Kernaghan
DF England ENG Gary Pallister
MF England ENG Gary Gill
MF Scotland SCO Gary Hamilton
MF England ENG Paul Kerr
FW England ENG Peter Duffield
FW England ENG David Hodgson (loan)
No. Pos. Nation Player
DF England ENG Brian Laws
DF England ENG Tony Mowbray
DF England ENG Gary Parkinson
FW England ENG Paul Proudlock
MF England ENG Stuart Ripley
MF England ENG Gary Rowell
FW Ireland EIR Bernie Slaven
MF England ENG Steve Spriggs (loan)
FW England ENG Archie Stephens
FW England ENG Lee Turnbull

Coaching staff

Transfers

Players Out
Mitch Cook to Scarborough free
Gary Rowell to Brighton and Hove Albion free
David Currie to Darlington free
Peter Beagrie to Sheffield United £37,500 (tribunal)
Tony McAndrew to Darlington free
David Mills to Darlington free
Don O'Riordan to Grimsby Town free
Tony Hall released
Irving Nattrass retired
Players In
Paul Proudlock from South Bank £2,000
Paul Kerr from Aston Villa £35,000
Ronnie Coyle from Celtic loan
David Hodgson from Norwich City loan
Steve Spriggs from Cambridge United loan
Kevin Carr from Newcastle non contract

References and notes

  1. Game was played at Victoria Park, Hartlepool due to Ayresome Park's gates being locked.
  2. "Middlesbrough". historicalkits.co.uk. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 21 September 2007.
  3. "League Division Three end of season table for 1986–87 season". 11v11. AFS Enterprises. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
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