Neil Warnock’s Scarborough became the first club to vtan automatic promotion to the Football League. The system of applying for re-election was scrapped; the 4th Division’s bottom club would change places with the winners of the Vauxhall Conference.
Play-off matches were also introduced in aU divisions. The team which finished just above the automatic relegation spot entered into a play-off widi the three clubs that had just missed promotion from the division below. Charlton finished in that precarious position in Division One but survived the two-match ordeal.
The play-offs were introduced to make the run-in more exciting, with fewer “dead” matches. It was also designed over two seasons to decrease the size of Division
One from 22 clubs to 20.
In the second year Chelsea finished fourth from bottom and lost dieir Division One status at the expense of Middlesbrough.
Liverpool back on top
Liverpool, meanwhile, were back on top. After three seasons in which die Merseyside clubs had taken the top two spots, in 1987-88 Everton slipped to 4th and Manchester United were the closest challengers. Even then, Ferguson’s men finished nine points behind a team that looked stronger than ever. John Barnes, Ray Houghton and Peter Beardsley - bought from Newcasde for a record ?1.9 million - all added even more flair to the Anfield machine.
Liverpool went 29 matches unbeaten, equalling Leeds’ 1974 record. Everton’s Wayne Clark scored the goal which prevented Liverpool from taking the record outright, but the Reds lost just once more in the campaign to match Everton’s record points tally. Both finished on 90, although Liverpool had played two games fewer. Their 17th championship was secured with four matches to spare.
Opposite: Arsenal captain Kenny Sansom holds aloft the Littlewoods Cup after two goals from Charlie Nicholas saw Liverpool defeated 2-1.
Above: ArsenaPs Niall Quinn lines up a volley that narrowly misses its target and is just tipped wide by Spurs and former England keeper Ray Clemence.
Below: Everton’s Gary Stevens and Manchester United*s Arthur Albiston bear down on the ball in a Charity Shield match.
World History
