Stevenage: 1987-8 Season Details
Relegation. It’s a word that you didn’t associate with Stevenage Borough; at least, not before the 1987-8 Vauxhall Opel League Division One season. For a team that were no strangers to firsts and setting new records, this was one we probably would have been happier without. The first half of the campaign hadn’t been great, but it wasn’t exactly dismal either; there were no immediate signs of danger going into Christmas.
After, however, was a whole different ball game. An abject second half of the season saw Boro’ pulled right into the mire and there would be no escaping.
After a 2-0 win over Worthing on 9 January, we lost seven league games on the spin. Then, we went on a six-game streak without scoring in April; y’know, the time when points were needed the most. By the time we took three points at Basildon on the final day, we were already gone; three points adrift of safety and ‘boasting’ the most number of defeats (22). Well, except the hapless Wolverton Town (36).
Full 1987-8 Details:
Most Appearances: Neil Madden and Graham Cox - 45
Top Goalscorer: Adrian Taylor – 9
1987-8 Boro' Rollcall
| Name | Pld | Gls | YC | RC | US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Boreham | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Cooper | 32 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Cox | 4 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graham Cox | 44 (1) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Cumberbatch | 21 (8) | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Kenny Dixon | 19 (0) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Gary French | 5 (1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jon Friend | 14 (6) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Des Gallagher | 32 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joe Gibbs | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Graham Harding | 17 (6) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Lawrence Honey | 39 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Andy Hudson | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jimmy Hughes | 8 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy Hughes | 0 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Neil Jeffrey | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clive Kemplen | 13 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Lincoln | 6 (2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Neil Madden | 42 (3) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Steve Manning | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ricky Marshall | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy McCollin | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Grant McRae | 0 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Geoff Mills | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Martin Murray | 2 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Chris Myers | 18 (1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dave Parratt | 6 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Payne | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Phillips | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doug Pirie | 32 (0) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Peter Shadbolt | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Steve Shea | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gary Sisman | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andy Slade | 12 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Herbie Smith | 2 (0) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbie Stanley | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Adrian Taylor | 37 (0) | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Templeton | 43 (1) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Mark Timpson | 32 (1) | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denny Tyler | 38 (1) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Vooght | 13 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| David Watkins | 38 (6) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Martin Westley | 10 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Key:
- Apps = Appearances (Substitute Appearances)
- Gls = Goals Scored
- YC = Yellow Cards
- RC = Red Cards
- US = Unused Subs
1987-8 Vauxhall Opel League Division One Table
| Pl | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marlow | 42 | 32 | 5 | 5 | 100 | 44 | 56 | 101 |
| 2 | Grays Athletic | 42 | 30 | 10 | 5 | 74 | 25 | 49 | 100 |
| 3 | Woking | 42 | 25 | 7 | 10 | 91 | 52 | 49 | 82 |
| 4 | Boreham Wood | 42 | 21 | 9 | 12 | 65 | 45 | 20 | 72 |
| 5 | Staines Town | 42 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 71 | 48 | 23 | 68 |
| 6 | Wembley | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 54 | 46 | 8 | 65 |
| 7 | Basildon United | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 65 | 58 | 7 | 63 |
| 8 | Walton & Hersham | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 53 | 44 | 9 | 61 |
| 9 | Hampton & Richmond Borough | 42 | 17 | 10 | 15 | 59 | 54 | 5 | 61 |
| 10 | Leatherhead | 42 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 64 | 53 | 11 | 59 |
| 11 | Southwick | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 59 | 63 | -4 | 51 |
| 12 | Oxford City | 42 | 13 | 12 | 17 | 70 | 77 | -7 | 51 |
| 13 | Worthing | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 67 | 73 | -6 | 50 |
| 14 | Kingsbury Town | 42 | 11 | 17 | 14 | 62 | 69 | -7 | 50 |
| 15 | Walthamstow Avenue | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 53 | 63 | -10 | 50 |
| 16 | Lewes | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 83 | 77 | 6 | 49 |
| 17 | Uxbridge | 42 | 11 | 16 | 15 | 41 | 47 | -6 | 49 |
| 18 | Chesham United | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 69 | 77 | -8 | 46 |
| 19 | Bracknell Town | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 54 | 80 | -26 | 45 |
| 20 | Billericay Town | 42 | 11 | 11 | 20 | 58 | 88 | -30 | 44 |
| 21 | Stevenage Borough | 42 | 11 | 9 | 22 | 36 | 64 | -28 | 42 |
| 22 | Wolverton Town | 42 | 3 | 3 | 36 | 23 | 124 | -101 | 12 |