During the 1987–88 English football season, Wimbledon F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. It was Wimbledon's second consecutive season in the top flight and eleventh consecutive season in the Football League. They ended the season as FA Cup winners and finished seventh in the league. It was their first season under the management of Bobby Gould, who had been appointed following the resignation of Dave Bassett at the end of the previous season.
Season summary
Wimbledon continued to exceed expectations in the First Division, finishing in seventh in the final table, one place lower than their sixth place the previous season. However, Wimbledon's greatest success during the season, perhaps in their entire history, came in the FA Cup, defeating West Bromwich Albion (4–1, home), Mansfield Town (1-2, away), Newcastle United (1-3, away), Watford (2–1, home) and Luton Town (2-1, neutral) to reach their first ever FA Cup Final, against that season's champions Liverpool. Wimbledon took a lead in the 37th minute when Lawrie Sanchez scored a looping header from Dennis Wise's free kick on the left. Liverpool created many chances, with Peter Beardsley finding the net but his goal being disallowed, but failed to pull a goal back, with Dave Beasant saving a penalty from John Aldridge after Clive Goodyear was (incorrectly) adjudged to have fouled inside the box; Beasant was the first goalkeeper to ever save a penalty in an FA Cup final at Wembley. Wimbledon held on to win their first (and only) FA Cup. Due to the ban on English clubs competing in European competition as a result of the Heysel disaster, Wimbledon were denied the opportunity to compete in the Cup Winners' Cup.
Kit
Wimbledon's kit was manufactured by Spall and sponsored by Truman. Wimbledon's kit for the FA Cup final were sponsored by Danish brewery Carlsberg, who had signed a deal to sponsor Wimbledon's kits for the next season.
First-team squad
Staff
Manager: Bobby Gould
Assistant manager: Don Howe
Chief scout: Ron Suart
Youth team manager: David Kemp
Physiotherapist: Steve Allen
Kit man: Sid Neal, Joe Dillon
Transfers
In
Terry Gibson from Manchester United, £200,000, 24 August
Out
Results
First Division
October
17 October: Luton Town 2-0 Wimbledon
November
4 November: Wimbledon 1-1 Liverpool
7 November: Wimbledon 2-0 Southampton
14 November: Coventry 3-3 Wimbledon
21 November: Wimbledon 2-1 Manchester United
28 November: Chelsea 1-1 Wimbledon
December
5 December: Wimbledon 1-1 Nottingham Forest
12 December: Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Wimbledon
18 December: Wimbledon 1-0 Norwich City
26 December: West Ham United 1-2 Wimbledon
January
2 January: Oxford United 2-5 Wimbledon
March
5 March: Wimbledon 2-0 Luton Town
May
9 May: Manchester United 2-1 Wimbledon
Unknown date
Wimbledon 3-1 Arsenal
Wimbledon 4-1 Charlton Athletic
Wimbledon 2-2 Chelsea
Wimbledon 1-2 Coventry City
Wimbledon 2-1 Derby County
Wimbledon 1-1 Everton
Wimbledon 0-0 Newcastle United
Wimbledon 1-0 Norwich City
Wimbledon 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Wimbledon 1-1 Oxford United
Wimbledon 2-2 Portsmouth
Wimbledon 1-2 Queens Park Rangers
Wimbledon 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Wimbledon 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Wimbledon 1-2 Watford
Wimbledon 1-1 West Ham United
Arsenal 3-0 Wimbledon
Charlton Athletic 1-1 Wimbledon
Derby County 0-1 Wimbledon
Everton 2-2 Wimbledon
Liverpool 2-1 Wimbledon (matchday 31) Newcastle United 1-2 Wimbledon Norwich City 0-1 Wimbledon Nottingham Forest 0-0 Wimbledon Portsmouth 2-1 Wimbledon Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Wimbledon Southampton 2-2 Wimbledon Tottenham Hotspur 0-3 Wimbledon Watford 1-0 Wimbledon
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points