Freight Rover Trophy - 1986/87

Participating teams

48: 24 each from the Third and Fourth Divisions. 24 teams in each area group.
North: Blackpool, Bolton, Burnley, Bury, Carlisle, Chester, Chesterfield, Crewe, Darlington, Doncaster, Halifax, Hartlepool, Lincoln, Mansfield, Middlesbrough, Preston, Rochdale, Rotherham, Scunthorpe, Stockport, Tranmere, Wigan, Wrexham, York.
South: Aldershot, Bournemouth, Brentford, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Cambridge, Cardiff, Colchester, Exeter, Fulham, Gillingham, Hereford, Newport, Northampton, Notts County, Orient, Peterborough, Port Vale, Southend, Swansea, Swindon, Torquay, Walsall, Wolves.

Format

Preliminary round: 8 groups of 3 in each area. Winners and runners-up advance to the first round.
First round: 8 single-game ties in each area. Winners advance to the area quarter-finals.
Area quarter-finals: 4 single-game ties in each area. Winners advance to the area semi-finals.
Area semi-finals: 2 single-game ties in each area. Winners advance to the area finals.
Area finals: 1 two-legged tie in each area. Winners advance to the national final.
Final: a single game, played at Wembley.

Preliminary round

North

Group 1

2 Dec Crewe 1 - 2 Chester
16 Dec Chester 1 - 1 Preston
5 Jan Preston 1 - 0 Crewe

P W D L F A Pts
1 Chester 2 1 1 0 3 2 4
2 Preston 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
3 Crewe 2 0 0 2 1 3 0

Group 2

25 Nov Lincoln 1 - 0 Scunthorpe
2 Dec Scunthorpe 1 - 0 Hartlepool
6 Dec Hartlepool 0 - 0 Lincoln

P W D L F A Pts
1 Lincoln 2 1 1 0 1 0 4
2 Scunthorpe 2 1 0 1 1 1 3
3 Hartlepool 2 0 1 1 0 1 1

Group 3

2 Dec Bolton 1 - 0 Blackpool
9 Dec Blackpool 2 - 3 Burnley
16 Dec Burnley 0 - 2 Bolton

P W D L F A Pts
1 Bolton 2 2 0 0 3 0 6
2 Burnley 2 1 0 1 3 4 3
3 Blackpool 2 0 0 2 2 4 0

Group 4

6 Dec Bury 3 - 1 Stockport
8 Dec Stockport 0 - 1 Carlisle
16 Dec Carlisle 3 - 2 Bury

P W D L F A Pts
1 Carlisle 2 2 0 0 4 2 6
2 Bury 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
3 Stockport 2 0 0 2 1 4 0

Group 5

25 Nov Wrexham 6 - 1 Tranmere
16 Dec Wigan 2 - 2 Wrexham
3 Feb Tranmere 2 - 3 Wigan

P W D L F A Pts
1 Wrexham 2 1 1 0 8 3 4
2 Wigan 2 1 1 0 5 4 4
3 Tranmere 2 0 0 2 3 9 0

Group 6

24 Nov Middlesbrough 3 - 0 Doncaster
2 Dec Chesterfield 2 - 1 Middlesbrough
9 Dec Doncaster 0 - 0 Chesterfield

P W D L F A Pts
1 Chesterfield 2 1 1 0 2 1 4
2 Middlesbrough 2 1 0 1 4 2 3
3 Doncaster 2 0 1 1 0 3 1

Group 7

2 Dec Mansfield 2 - 2 Halifax
5 Dec Halifax 0 - 0 Rotherham
9 Dec Rotherham 1 - 1 Mansfield

P W D L F A Pts
1 Mansfield 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
2 Halifax 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
3 Rotherham 2 0 2 0 1 1 2

Group 8

25 Nov York 4 - 1 Darlington
2 Dec Darlington 2 - 2 Rochdale
6 Jan Rochdale 1 - 1 York

P W D L F A Pts
1 York 2 1 1 0 5 2 4
2 Rochdale 2 0 2 0 3 3 2
3 Darlington 2 0 1 1 3 6 1

South

Group 1

26 Nov Exeter 1 - 1 Bristol City
16 Dec Bristol City 3 - 0 Bristol Rovers
7 Jan Bristol Rovers 1 - 1 Exeter

P W D L F A Pts
1 Bristol City 2 1 1 0 4 1 4
2 Exeter 2 0 2 0 2 2 2
3 Bristol Rovers 2 0 1 1 1 4 1

Group 2

2 Dec Cambridge 0 - 4 Fulham
16 Dec Southend 5 - 4 Cambridge
6 Jan Fulham 1 - 2 Southend

P W D L F A Pts
1 Southend 2 2 0 0 7 5 6
2 Fulham 2 1 0 1 5 2 3
3 Cambridge 2 0 0 2 4 9 0

Group 3

2 Dec Torquay 0 - 0 Swansea
9 Dec Swansea 3 - 0 Walsall
16 Dec Walsall 1 - 0 Torquay

P W D L F A Pts
1 Swansea 2 1 1 0 3 0 4
2 Walsall 2 1 0 1 1 3 3
3 Torquay 2 0 1 1 0 1 1

Group 4

9 Dec Swindon 3 - 0 Orient
15 Dec Orient 1 - 5 Brentford
6 Jan Brentford 4 - 2 Swindon

P W D L F A Pts
1 Brentford 2 2 0 0 9 3 6
2 Swindon 2 1 0 1 5 4 3
3 Orient 2 0 0 2 1 8 0

Group 5

10 Dec Hereford 4 - 0 Newport
22 Dec Port Vale 1 - 0 Hereford
6 Jan Newport 2 - 1 Port Vale

P W D L F A Pts
1 Hereford 2 1 0 1 4 1 3
2 Port Vale 2 1 0 1 2 2 3
3 Newport 2 1 0 1 2 5 3

Group 6

25 Nov Colchester 2 - 1 Peterborough
3 Dec Peterborough 3 - 3 Aldershot
9 Dec Aldershot 4 - 2 Colchester

P W D L F A Pts
1 Aldershot 2 1 1 0 7 5 4
2 Colchester 2 1 0 1 4 5 3
3 Peterborough 2 0 1 1 4 5 1

Group 7

25 Nov Notts County 0 - 5 Gillingham
16 Dec Gillingham 1 - 0 Northampton
5 Jan Northampton 3 - 0 Notts County

P W D L F A Pts
1 Gillingham 2 2 0 0 6 0 6
2 Northampton 2 1 0 1 3 1 3
3 Notts County 2 0 0 2 0 8 0

Group 8

2 Dec Cardiff 0 - 1 Wolves
16 Dec Wolves 4 - 3 Bournemouth
6 Jan Bournemouth 1 - 0 Cardiff

P W D L F A Pts
1 Wolves 2 2 0 0 5 3 6
2 Bournemouth 2 1 0 1 4 4 3
3 Cardiff 2 0 0 2 0 2 0

First round

North

20 Jan Bolton 1 - 1 Burnley
(Abandoned after 45 minutes)
21 Jan Carlisle 1 - 2 Preston
Chester 1 - 1 Lincoln (aet)
(Chester won on penalties)
Halifax 1 - 2 Middlesbrough
27 Jan Bolton 2 - 1 Burnley
Rochdale 3 - 0 Chesterfield
Scunthorpe 1 - 2 Wrexham
York 0 - 1 Mansfield
10 Feb Bury 1 - 1 Wigan (aet)
(Bury won on penalties)

South

20 Jan Exeter 0 - 1 Port Vale
26 Jan Aldershot 2 - 0 Swansea
Brentford 4 - 2 Walsall
Fulham 3 - 2 Northampton
Gillingham 2 - 0 Colchester
Wolves 0 - 1 Hereford
27 Jan Bristol City 1 - 0 Southend
28 Jan Swindon 2 - 2 Bournemouth (aet)
(Swindon won on penalties)

Area quarter-finals

North

10 Feb Bolton 1 - 2 Chester
Rochdale 0 - 0 Middlesbrough (aet)
(Middlesbrough won on penalties)
17 Feb Wrexham 2 - 1 Preston
24 Feb Bury 1 - 2 Mansfield

South

10 Feb Aldershot 1 - 1 Fulham (aet)
(Aldershot won on penalties)
Bristol City 3 - 0 Brentford
Port Vale 3 - 3 Gillingham (aet)
(Gillingham won on penalties)
Swindon 4 - 2 Hereford

Area semi-finals

North

10 Mar Middlesbrough 0 - 1 Mansfield
23 Mar Wrexham 1 - 3 Chester (aet)

South

10 Mar Bristol City 2 - 0 Gillingham
Swindon 2 - 3 Aldershot

Area finals

North

8 Apr Mansfield 2 - 0 Chester
15 Apr Chester 1 - 0 Mansfield
(Mansfield won 2-1 on aggregate)

South

8 Apr Aldershot 1 - 2 Bristol City
14 Apr Bristol City 2 - 0 Aldershot
(Bristol City won 4-1 on aggregate)

Final

Sunday 24th May 1987, at Wembley

Mansfield Town 1 - 1 Bristol City (aet)
(Mansfield won 5-4 on penalties)