Third Division Days – Sunderland AFC 1987/88

Third Division Days – Sunderland AFC 1987/88

Sunderland AFC 1987/88

For a club like Sunderland, the “3rd division” is a sobering experience. As if to emphasise the point the season kicked off at Griffin Park, Brentford. Sunderland won, thanks to a good Keith Bertschin goal.

Sunderland then drew at home with Bristol Rovers, before travelling to Belle Vue, the home of Doncaster Rovers. The smallest crowd ever to watch a Sunderland league match was present; just 2,740 and with the Wearside fans caged in the open end it was not an impressive site. That Sunderland won was a blessing, and Sunderland then followed this up with a 4 v 1 thrashing of Mansfield Town. Then things went a bit pear shaped. Three draws, then 2 consecutive defeats, saw Sunderland in 12th place. The lowest league placing in their history. But help was at hand in the shape of a new signing, Marco Gabbiadini.

After home defeat at the hands of Chester City Sunderland took everyone too task. They won 6 off the belt, lost to Notts County and then came a rout.The evening of 17 November 1987 Southend United arrived on Wearside. The game started with the South coast team playing reasonably well and indeed they hit the woodwork before Sunderland even scored, but then the avalanche. In front of nearly 16,000 people Eric Gates scored 4, his fellow strike partner Gabbiadini notched and Atkinson got a brace. The final score of 7 v 0 had everyone looking for the record books.

Sunderland were now in their stride and the next 14 games brought 9 wins and 5 draws, 3 months without a defeat. Even 2 defeats, consecutively at Twerton Park, Bristol Rovers and The Recreation Ground Aldershot, didn’t disguise the inevitable. Sunderland were going straight back up.

The 12 March saw a game and a half at Wigan, where the travelling Roker Roar decided to cake themselves from head to foot in mud as they slid down the bank at one end. What sort of state some of them must have been in for the journey home doesn’t bear thinking about, but the result wasn’t what Sunderland wanted. Athletic scored a disputed equaliser almost at the death. Replays showed that the ball had clearly been kicked out of Hesfords’ hands. Then came another slight blip at Bootham Crescent, a 1 v 2 defeat.

Light relief came in the shape of the Mercantile Credit Football Festival at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the centenary of the Football League. At the invitation only tournament Sunderland didn’t last long and were defeated on penalties by Wigan Athletic after a goal less draw.

By the back end of April it was becoming clear, a couple more victories and Sunderland would be up. Mansfield Town and a midweek 4 v 0 success paved the way for Port Vale in the Potteries. Win and Sunderland were promoted. On a brilliant day for the travelling fans, Eric Gates scored the all important goal to seal victory and promotion. It was most opportune that there was a supermarket selling champagne right next to Vale Park. The Sunderland fans took full advantage.

On Easter Monday and the visit of Northampton Town to Roker Park the North East’s biggest gate of the season 29,454 turned up to watch Sunderland won 3 v 1 and claimed the third division championship.

With fancy dress being the order of the day “Dracula” and “The Pink Panther” made their way to Rotherham United for a final day party. That Sunderland won 4 v 1 was almost immaterial, that Sunderland had fun was the main thing. There were some sore head back in the North East that night.

Perhaps the most gratifying thing is that Sunderland got out at the first attempt and had now won 3 out of the 4 Football League Titles. Any longer and the consequences just didn’t bear thinking about. We bade farewell to the 3rd division, and in doing so, hoped that Sunderland would never go back.

G Force With The 3rd Division Trophy

Sunderland AFC – Fixtures & Results 1987/88

Date Competition Opponents Venue Result Att
23 7 1987 F Gretna Raydale Park 3 1 W
28 7 1987 F Harrogate Town Wetherby Road 2 1 W
29 7 1987 DSC SF Darlington Feethams 1 2 L
1 8 1987 F Ryhope CA Meadow Park 5 0 W
6 8 1987 F Marske United 6 1 W
10 8 1987 F Carlisle Utd Brunton Park 1 1 D
15 8 1987 FL3 Brentford Griffin Park 1 0 W 7509
18 8 1987 LWC 1/1 Middlesbrough Roker Park 1 0 W 15770
22 8 1987 FL3 Bristol Rovers Roker Park 1 1 D 13059
25 8 1987 LWC 1/2 Middlesbrough Ayresome Park 0 2 L 15571
29 8 1987 FL3 Doncaster Rovers Belle View 2 0 W 2740
31 8 1987 FL3 Mansfield Town Roker Park 4 1 W 13994
5 9 1987 FL3 Walsall Fellows Park 2 2 D 6909
12 9 1987 FL3 Bury Roker Park 1 1 D 13227
15 9 1987 FL3 Gillingham Priestfield 0 0 D 9184
19 9 1987 FL3 Brighton & HA Goldstone Grnd 1 3 L 8949
26 9 1987 FL3 Chester City Roker Park 0 2 L 12760
29 9 1987 FL3 Fulham Craven Cottage 2 0 W 6996
3 10 1987 FL3 Aldershot Town Roker Park 3 1 W 12542
10 10 1987 FL3 Wigan Athletic Roker Park 4 1 W 13974
17 10 1987 FL3 Blackpool Bloomfield Rd 2 0 W 8476
20 10 1987 FL3 Bristol City Ashton Gate 1 0 W 15109
24 10 1987 FL3 York City Roker Park 4 2 W 19314
29 10 1987 FRT Scarborough Seamer Road 3 0 W 3887
31 10 1987 FL3 Notts County Meadow Lane 1 2 L 8854
3 11 1987 FL3 Southend United Roker Park 7 0 W 15754
7 11 1987 FL3 Grimsby Town Roker Park 1 1 D 18197
14 11 1987 FAC 1 Darlington Roker Park 2 0 W 16892
21 11 1987 FL3 Chesterfield Saltergate 1 1 D 5700
24 11 1987 FRT Rotherham United Roker Park 7 1 W 6750
28 11 1987 FL3 Port Vale Roker Park 2 1 W 15655
5 12 1987 FAC 2 Scunthorpe Utd Old Show Grnd 1 2 L 7178
12 12 1987 FL3 Northampton Twn County Ground 2 0 W 7279
20 12 1987 FL3 Rotherham United Roker Park 3 0 W 20168
26 12 1987 FL3 Chester City Sealand Road 2 1 W 6663
28 12 1987 FL3 Preston North End Roker Park 1 1 D 24814
1 1 1988 FL3 Doncaster Rovers Roker Park 3 1 W 19474
2 1 1988 FL3 Bury Gigg Lane 3 2 W 4883
16 1 1988 FL3 Brighton & HA Roker Park 1 0 W 17404
19 1 1988 FRT Crewe Alaxandra Roker Park 1 0 W 8881
30 1 1988 FL3 Gillingham Roker Park 2 1 W 16195
6 2 1988 FL3 Walsall Roker Park 1 1 D 18311
9 2 1988 FRT Hartlepool United Roker Park 0 1 L 8976
13 2 1988 FL3 Preston North End Deepdale 2 2 D 10852
20 2 1988 FL3 Brentford Roker Park 2 0 W 15458
24 2 1988 FL3 Bristol Rovers Twerton Park 0 4 L 4501
27 2 1988 FL3 Aldershot Town Recreation Grd 2 3 L 5010
1 3 1988 FL3 Fulham Roker Park 2 0 W 11379
5 3 1988 FL3 Blackpool Roker Park 2 2 D 15513
12 3 1988 FL3 Wigan Athletic Springfield Pk 2 2 D 6949
19 3 1988 FL3 Notts County Roker Park 1 1 D 24071
26 3 1988 FL3 York City Bootham Cres 1 2 L 8878
2 4 1988 FL3 Grimsby Town Blundell Park 1 0 W 7001
4 4 1988 FL3 Chesterfield Roker Park 3 2 W 21886
9 4 1988 FL3 Southend United Roots Hall 4 1 W 8109
16 4 1988 MCT Wigan Athletic Wembley 0 0 D
23 4 1988 FL3 Bristol City Roker Park 0 1 L 18225
26 4 1988 FL3 Mansfield Town Field Mill 4 0 W 6930
30 4 1988 FL3   Port Vale Vale Park 1 0 W 7569
2 5 1988 FL3 Northampton Twn Roker Park 3 1 W 29454
7 5 1988 FL3 Rotherham United Millmoor 4 1 W 9374

198788-safc-art-print-mercantile-players

Final League Table – Barclays League Division 3 – Season 1987/88

    HOME AWAY  
  P W D L F A W D L F A PTS
Sunderland 46 14 7 2 51 22 13 5 5 41 26 93
Brighton 46 15 7 1 37 16 8 8 7 32 31 84
Walsall 46 15 6 2 39 22 8 7 8 29 28 82
Notts Co 46 14 4 5 53 24 9 8 6 29 25 81
Bristol C 46 14 6 3 51 30 7 6 10 26 32 75
Northampton 46 12 8 3 36 18 6 11 6 34 33 73
Wigan 46 11 8 4 36 23 9 4 10 34 38 72
Bristol R 46 14 5 4 43 19 4 7 12 25 37 66
Fulham 46 10 5 8 36 24 9 4 10 33 36 66
Blackpool 46 13 4 6 45 27 4 10 9 26 35 65
Port Vale 46 12 8 3 36 19 6 3 14 22 37 65
Brentford 46 9 8 6 27 23 7 6 10 26 36 62
Gillingham 46 8 9 6 45 21 6 8 9 32 40 59
Bury 46 9 7 7 33 26 6 7 10 25 31 59
Chester 46 9 8 6 29 30 5 8 10 22 32 58
Preston 46 10 6 7 30 23 5 7 11 18 36 58
Southend 46 10 6 7 42 33 4 7 12 23 50 55
Chesterfield 46 10 5 8 25 28 5 5 13 16 42 55
Mansfield 46 10 6 7 25 21 4 6 13 23 38 54
Aldershot 46 12 3 8 45 32 3 5 15 19 42 53
Rotherham 46 8 8 7 28 25 4 8 11 22 41 52
Grimsby 46 6 7 10 25 29 6 7 10 23 29 50
York 46 4 7 12 27 45 4 2 17 21 46 33
Doncaster 46 6 5 12 25 36 2 4 17 15 48 33

Appearances & Season Stats

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