Final Third Division 1986/1987 league table
Season completed Saturday, 9th May 1987 (click column headings to re-sort)
| Home | Away | Overall | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | Pl | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | GD |
| 1 | Bournemouth | 46 | 19 | 3 | 1 | 44 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 32 | 26 | 29 | 10 | 7 | 76 | 40 | 97 | +36 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 29 | 19 | 28 | 10 | 8 | 67 | 30 | 94 | +37 |
| 3 | Swindon Town | 46 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 37 | 19 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 40 | 28 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 77 | 47 | 87 | +30 |
| 4 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 15 | 5 | 3 | 47 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 36 | 34 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 83 | 60 | 85 | +23 |
| 5 | Gillingham | 46 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 42 | 14 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 23 | 34 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 65 | 48 | 78 | +17 |
| 6 | Bristol City | 46 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 42 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 63 | 36 | 77 | +27 |
| 7 | Notts. County | 46 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 52 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 25 | 32 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 77 | 56 | 76 | +21 |
| 8 | Walsall | 46 | 16 | 4 | 3 | 50 | 27 | 6 | 5 | 12 | 30 | 40 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 80 | 67 | 75 | +13 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 46 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 35 | 20 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 39 | 39 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 74 | 59 | 64 | +15 |
| 10 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 30 | 23 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 32 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 52 | 55 | 61 | -3 |
| 11 | Brentford | 46 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 39 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 34 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 64 | 66 | 60 | -2 |
| 12 | Port Vale | 46 | 8 | 6 | 9 | 43 | 36 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 33 | 34 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 76 | 70 | 57 | +6 |
| 13 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 32 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 24 | 43 | 14 | 15 | 17 | 56 | 62 | 57 | -6 |
| 14 | Rotherham United | 46 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 19 | 34 | 15 | 12 | 19 | 48 | 57 | 57 | -9 |
| 15 | Chester City | 46 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 32 | 28 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 29 | 31 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 61 | 59 | 56 | +2 |
| 16 | Bury | 46 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 30 | 26 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 34 | 14 | 13 | 19 | 54 | 60 | 55 | -6 |
| 17 | Chesterfield | 46 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 36 | 33 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 20 | 36 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 56 | 69 | 54 | -13 |
| 18 | Fulham | 46 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 35 | 41 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 24 | 36 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 59 | 77 | 53 | -18 |
| 19 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 26 | 29 | 6 | 4 | 13 | 23 | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 49 | 75 | 51 | -26 |
| 20 | York City | 46 | 11 | 8 | 4 | 34 | 29 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 21 | 50 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 55 | 79 | 49 | -24 |
| 21 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 29 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 32 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 46 | 58 | 45 | -12 |
| 22 | Carlisle United | 46 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 26 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 43 | 10 | 8 | 28 | 39 | 78 | 38 | -39 |
| 23 | Darlington | 46 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 25 | 28 | 1 | 6 | 16 | 20 | 49 | 7 | 16 | 23 | 45 | 77 | 37 | -32 |
| 24 | Newport County | 46 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 26 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 15 | 23 | 52 | 8 | 13 | 25 | 49 | 86 | 37 | -37 |
| Colour key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League champions | Relegated team(s) | Transferred team(s) | |||
| Promoted team(s) | Play-off place(s) | Merged team(s) | |||
| Play-off matches | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Round | Match | Att. |
| Thu 14th May | Semi Final 1st Leg | Gillingham 3 Sunderland 2 | 13,804 |
| Thu 14th May | Semi Final 1st Leg | Wigan Athletic 2 Swindon Town 3 | 6,718 |
| Sun 17th May | Semi Final 2nd Leg | Sunderland 4 Gillingham 3 (aet) | 25,470 |
| Sun 17th May | Semi Final 2nd Leg | Swindon Town 0 Wigan Athletic 0 | 12,485 |
| Fri 22nd May | Final 1st Leg | Gillingham 1 Swindon Town 0 | 16,775 |
| Mon 25th May | Final 2nd Leg | Swindon Town 2 Gillingham 1 (aet) | 14,382 |
| Fri 29th May | Final Replay | Swindon Town 2 Gillingham 0 | 18,491 |
