1987–88 National Division 3

1987–88 National Division 3
Countries England
DateSeptember 1987 – April 1988
ChampionsWakefield (1st title)
Runners-upWest Hartlepool
RelegatedMorley
Birmingham
Matches played66
Top point scorer121 – Steve Burnage (Fylde)[1]
Top try scorer10 – Brendan Hanavan (Fylde)[1]

The 1987–88 National Division 3 was the first season of the third tier tier of the English rugby union league system, the Courage Clubs Championship, and the first to be sponsored by Courage Brewery. It was also the first season of a truly national rugby union league, with the third tier currently known as National League 1.

Both Wakefield and West Hartlepool won ten matches, lost one and finished on twenty points. Wakefield finished as champions due to their superior points difference but neither team was promoted to the 1988–89 National Division 2. Morley and Birmingham (without a win) finished in the bottom two places and both clubs were relegated to the 1988–89 Area League North.[2] Almost all clubs in the national divisions reported an increase in attendances.[3]

Structure

Each team played one match against the other teams, playing a total of eleven matches each. There was no set date for matches, clubs having to arrange the fixtures amongst themselves.[4] For this first season there was no promotion to National Division 2 but the bottom two sides would be relegated to either Area League 2 North or Area League South depending on locality.

Participating teams and locations

1987–88 National Division 3 teams in England
Team Stadium Capacity City/Area
Birmingham Sharmans Cross 4,000[5] Solihull, West Midlands
Exeter County Ground 5,750 (750 seats)[6] Exeter, Devon
Fylde Woodlands 7,500 (500 seats)[7] Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
Maidstone William Davey Memorial 2,000 (100 seats)[8] Maidstone, Kent
Metropolitan Police Imber Court 3,500 (500 seats)[9] East Molesey, Surrey
Morley Scatcherd Lane 6,000 (1,000 seats)[10] Morley, Leeds
Nuneaton Harry Cleaver Ground 5,000 (650 seats)[11] Nuneaton, Warwickshire
Plymouth Albion Beacon Park 1,950 (450 seats)[12] Plymouth, Devon
Sheffield Abbeydale Park 3,300 (100 seats)[a] Dore, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Vale of Lune Powderhouse Lane 9,860 (360 seats)[14] Lancaster, Lancashire
Wakefield College Grove 4,000 (500 seats)[15] Wakefield, West Yorkshire
West Hartlepool Brierton Lane 4,950 (450 seats)[16] Hartlepool, Cleveland

[2][3]

League table

1987–88 National Division 3 table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1 Wakefield (C) 11 10 0 1 308 90 +218 20
2 West Hartlepool 11 10 0 1 249 105 +144 20
3 Plymouth Albion 11 8 0 3 276 125 +151 16
4 Sheffield 11 7 1 3 134 161 −27 15
5 Vale of Lune 11 7 0 4 183 149 +34 14
6 Fylde 11 6 0 5 269 170 +99 12
7 Metropolitan Police 11 5 0 6 130 128 +2 10
8 Maidstone 11 4 0 7 134 162 −28 8
9 Exeter 11 3 2 6 128 197 −69 8
10 Nuneaton 11 2 1 8 94 157 −63 5
11 Morley 11 1 1 9 109 235 −126 3
12 Birmingham 11 0 1 10 46 381 −335 1
Source:
Rules for classification: Points were awarded as follows:
  1. 2 pts for a win
  2. 1 pt for a draw
  3. 0 pts for a loss

If teams were level at any stage, tiebreakers were applied in the following order:

  1. Difference between points for and against
Some publications listed league tables with 4 pts for a win, 2 pt for a draw and 1 pt for a loss. (This scoring system is not the same as the current bonus points system introduced in 2000–01.) There was no promotion this season.
(C) Champions

Notes

  1. ^ Although a 1990 club estimate was 1,100 (100 seated and 1,000 standing) this is very conservative as Abbeydale Park would experience 3,000+ crowds several times in later history in what was a relatively unchanged ground.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Season by Season Leading Scorers". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 52.
  2. ^ a b Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91. Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co Ltd.
  3. ^ a b Stephen Jones, ed. (1988). Rothmans Rugby Union Yearbook 1988–89. London: Rothmans Publications Ltd.
  4. ^ "Courage Club Championship 1987/88". Moseley Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  5. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Birmingham and Solihull R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 171.
  6. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Exeter R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 138.
  7. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Fylde R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 142.
  8. ^ Ross Young, ed. (1993). "Maidstone FC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1993–94. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 299.
  9. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Metropolitan Police R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 147.
  10. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Morley R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 152.
  11. ^ Bill Mitchell, ed. (1994). "Nuneaton RFC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1994–95. Taunton: Tony Williams Publications. p. 277.
  12. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Plymouth Albion RFC (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 109.
  13. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Sheffield R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 162.
  14. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Vale of Lune R.U.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 164.
  15. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "Wakefield R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 123.
  16. ^ Tony Williams and Bill Mitchell, ed. (1990). "West Hartlepool R.F.C. (Ground Details)". Courage Official Rugby Union Club Directory 1990–91 (3rd ed.). Windsor: Burlington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 165.
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