1987-88 season

1987-88 season
General information
Manager	Kenny Dalglish
Captain	Alan Hansen
Performance
Division 1	Winners
FA Cup	Runners-up
League Cup	3rd round
Top scorers
League	Aldridge (26)
FA Cup	Beardsley (3)
League Cup	Aldridge (1) Nicol (1)
Overall	Aldridge (29)
Attendances
Average	39,429
←1986-87	1988-89→

The 1987-88 season was Liverpool's 96th season of football since they were established. Liverpool racked up their 17th league title, finishing nine points ahead of nearest contenders Man Utd. They also fought their way to the 1988 FA Cup Final, but were defeated 1-0 by Wimbledon. Due to the Heysel Stadium disaster, English clubs were still banned from European competition.

Squad

• GK. Bruce Grobbelaar
• GK. Mike Hooper
• DF. Gary Gillespie
• DF. Alex Watson
• DF. Mark Lawrenson
• DF. Steve Nicol
• DF. Steve Staunton
• DF. Alan Hansen
• DF. Barry Venison
• DF. Gary Ablett
• MF. John Barnes
• MF. John Wark
• MF. Ray Houghton
• MF. Craig Johnston
• MF. Mike Marsh
• MF. Ronnie Whelan
• MF. Steve McMahon
• MF. Kevin MacDonald
• MF. Mark Seagraves
• MF. Nigel Spackman
• MF. Jan Molby
• MF. Kenny Dalglish
• FW. Peter Beardsley
• FW. Paul Walsh
• FW. John Aldridge
• FW. John Durnin

Note: Fixed squad numbers were not introduced until the 1993-94 season.

Friendlies

Pre-season

Date	Opponent	Score	Scorers
26 July 1987	Aalborg Chang	4-0	Aldridge 2 (1 pen), Whelan, Barnes
28 July 1987	Bronshoj	1-1	Nicol
1 August 1987	Vejle	3-0	Johnston, Aldridge, Beardsley
3 August 1987	Karlstad	3-0	Beardsley, Aldridge (pen), Walsh
6 August 1987	Valerengens	4-1	Aldridge 3 (1 pen), Walsh
19 August 1987	Irish Olympic XI	5-0	Walsh 2, Whelan, Aldridge (pen), Beardsley
23 August 1987	Atletico Madrid	1-0	Wark (73)

Other friendlies

Date	Opponent	Score	Scorers
23 July 1987	Bayern Munich	2-3	Barnes, Aldridge
9 August 1987	Celtic	1-0	Whelan
19 October 1987	Dundee	4-0	Barnes 2, Whelan, Houghton
1 March 1988	Osasuna	2-0	Dalglish, Houghton
16 May 1988	England XI	3-2	Whelan, Rush 2

Results

League

Date	Opponent	Score	Scorers
15 August 1987	Arsenal	2-1	Aldridge (9), Nicol (88)
29 August 1987	Coventry	4-1	Nicol (20, 49), Aldridge (pen 52), Beardsley (83)
5 September 1987	West Ham	1-1	Aldridge (pen 50)
12 September 1987	Oxford	2-0	Aldridge (13), Barnes (37)
15 September 1987	Charlton	3-2	Aldridge (pen 9), Hansen (71), McMahon (73)
20 September 1987	Newcastle	4-1	Nicol (20, 47, 70), Aldridge (37)
29 September 1987	Derby	4-0	Aldridge (pen 41, pen 68, 73), Beardsley (47)
3 October 1987	Portsmouth	4-0	Beardsley (30), McMahon (50), Aldridge (pen 52), Whelan (71)
17 October 1987	Queens Park Rangers	4-0	Johnston (41), Aldridge (pen 65), Barnes (79, 85)
24 October 1987	Luton	1-0	Gillespie (71)
1 November 1987	Everton	2-0	McMahon (35), Beardsley (70)
4 November 1987	Wimbledon	1-1	Houghton (62)
15 November 1987	Man Utd	1-1	Aldridge (21)
21 November 1987	Norwich	0-0
24 November 1987	Watford	4-0	McMahon (54), Houghton (64), Aldridge (68), Barnes (71)
28 November 1987	Tottenham	2-0	McMahon (63), Johnston (80)
6 December 1987	Chelsea	2-1	Aldridge (pen 67), McMahon (87)
12 December 1987	Southampton	2-2	Barnes (11, 38)
19 December 1987	Sheffield Wednesday	1-0	Gillespie (76)
26 December 1987	Oxford	3-0	Aldridge (42), Barnes (54), McMahon (61)
28 December 1987	Newcastle	4-0	McMahon (4), Aldridge (pen 48, 76), Houghton (88)
1 January 1988	Coventry	4-0	Beardsley (22, 83), Aldridge (53), Houghton (75)
16 January 1988	Arsenal	2-0	Aldridge (44), Beardsley (61)
23 January 1988	Charlton	2-0	Beardsley (30), Barnes (60)
6 February 1988	West Ham	0-0
13 February 1988	Watford	4-1	Beardsley (29, 49), Aldridge (47), Barnes (60)
27 February 1988	Portsmouth	2-0	Barnes (49, 85)
5 March 1988	Queens Park Rangers	1-0	Barnes (34)
16 March 1988	Derby	1-1	Johnston (54)
20 March 1988	Everton	0-1
26 March 1988	Wimbledon	2-1	Aldridge (34), Barnes (78)
2 April 1988	Nottingham Forest	1-2	Aldridge (pen 70)
4 April 1988	Man Utd	3-3	Beardsley (38), Gillespie (41), McMahon (46)
13 April 1988	Nottingham Forest	5-0	Houghton (18), Aldridge (37, 88), Beardsley (79), Gillespie (58)
20 April 1988	Norwich	0-0
23 April 1988	Tottenham	1-0	Beardsley (34)
30 April 1988	Chelsea	1-1	Barnes (75)
2 May 1988	Southampton	1-1	Aldridge (41)
7 May 1988	Sheffield Wednesday	5-1	Johnston (31, 90), Barnes (36), Beardsley (87, 88)
9 May 1988	Luton	1-1	Aldridge (17)

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Score	Scorers
3	9 January 1988	Stoke	0-0
3 (R)	12 January 1988	Stoke	1-0	Beardsley (9)
4	31 January 1988	Aston Villa	2-0	Barnes (53), Beardsley (86)
5	21 February 1988	Everton	1-0	Houghton (76)
6	13 March 1988	Man City	4-0	Houghton (32), Beardsley (pen 53), Johnston (77), Barnes (85)
Semi-final	9 April 1988	Nottingham Forest	2-1	Aldridge (pen 14, 51)
Final	14 May 1988	Wimbledon	0-1

League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Score	Scorers
2 (1st leg)	23 September 1987	Blackburn	1-1	Nicol (30)
2 (2nd leg)	6 October 1987	Blackburn	1-0	Aldridge (89)
3	28 October 1987	Everton	0-1

Tables

League

Pos	Club	Pld	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Liverpool	40	26	12	2	87	24	63	90
2	Man Utd	40	23	12	5	71	38	33	81
3	Nottingham Forest	40	20	13	7	67	39	38	73

Player stats

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
DF	Gary Ablett	17	0	5	0	0	0	0	0	22	0
FW	John Aldridge	36	26	6	2	3	1	0	0	45	29
MF	John Barnes	38	15	7	2	3	0	0	0	48	17
FW	Peter Beardsley	38	15	7	3	3	0	0	0	48	18
MF	Kenny Dalglish	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Gary Gillespie	35	4	5	0	2	0	0	0	42
GK	Bruce Grobbelaar	38	0	5	0	3	0	0	0	46	0
DF	Alan Hansen	39	1	7	0	3	0	0	0	49	1
GK	Mike Hooper	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
MF	Ray Houghton	28	5	7	2	0	0	0	0	35	7
MF	Craig Johnston	30	5	3	1	2	0	0	0	35	6
DF	Mark Lawrenson	14	0	2	0	3	0	0	0	19	0
MF	Kevin MacDonald	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Steve McMahon	40	9	7	0	2	0	0	0	49	9
MF	Jan Molby	7	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
DF	Steve Nicol	40	6	7	0	3	1	0	0	50	7
MF	Nigel Spackman	27	0	5	0	1	0	0	0	33	0
DF	Steve Staunton	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	Barry Venison	18	0	2	0	2	0	0	0	22	0
FW	Paul Walsh	8	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	9	0
MF	John Wark	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Alex Watson	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
MF	Ronnie Whelan	28	1	2	0	3	0	0	0	33	1

Transfers

In

Player	From	Fee	Date
John Barnes	Watford	£900,000	9 June 1987
Peter Beardsley	Newcastle	£1,900,000	14 July 1987
Mike Marsh	Kirby Town	Free	21 August 1987
Ray Houghton	Oxford	£825,000	19 October 1987

Out

Player	To	Fee	Date
John McGregor	Rangers	£70,000	June 1987
Ken De Mange	Leeds	£65,000	September 1987
Mark Seagraves	Man City	£100,000	25 September 1987
Brian Mooney	Preston	£82,000	9 October 1987
John Wark	Ipswich	£100,000	4 January 1988
Paul Walsh	Tottenham	£500,000	16 February 1988