During the 1986–87 English football season, Coventry City competed in the Football League First Division.
| Manager |  John Sillett |
|---|---|
| Stadium | Highfield Road |
| First Division | 10th |
| FA Cup | Winners |
| League Cup | Fourth round |
| Full Members Cup | Second round |
| Top goalscorer | League: Cyrille Regis (12) All: Cyrille Regis (16) |
Season summary
Coventry City won the FA Cup, defeating Tottenham Hotspur, who had spent much of the season competing for a unique domestic treble of the league and the League and FA Cups, 3–2 in a final considered by many[who?] to be one of the greatest FA Cup finals of all time. The FA Cup triumph was Coventry's first (and, as of 2024, only) major trophy. The only downside to Coventry's victory was UEFA's decision to extend the ban on English teams competing in European competition to a third season, denying Coventry a place in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
Players
First-team squad
- Squad at end of season[1]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | FW | ENG | Gareth Evans (to Rotherham United) |
Transfers
In
- David Phillips - Manchester City
- Keith Houchen - Scunthorpe United, July, £60,000
- Nick Pickering - Sunderland
Out
- Andy Williams - Rotherham United, October
Results
FA Cup
Third round
- Coventry City 3–0 Bolton Wanderers
Fourth round
- Manchester United 0–1 Coventry City
Fifth round
- Stoke City 0–1 Coventry City
Sixth Round
- Sheffield Wednesday 1–3 Coventry City
Semi-final
| Coventry City | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Leeds United |
|---|---|---|
Gynn  68' Houchen 77' Bennett 99' | Report | Rennie 14' Edwards 83' |
Final
| Coventry City | 3 – 2 (aet) | Tottenham Hotspur |
|---|---|---|
| Bennett 9' Houchen 64'Mabbutt (o.g.) 96' | C. Allen 2' Mabbutt 40' |
        Coventry | Tottenham |
After only two minutes, Clive Allen scored his 49th goal of the season, heading past keeper Steve Ogrizovic at the near-post from a perfect Chris Waddle cross. Within seven minutes though, the Sky Blues were level through Dave Bennett, a Cup Final loser in 1981 for Manchester City, ironically at the hands of Spurs.
The London club were back in front five minutes before the break through past defender Gary Mabbutt. Midway through the second half Coventry were level again – Bennett's pinpoint cross from the right was met by striker Keith Houchen with a diving header for a memorable goal.
The scores stayed level until full-time and the game went into extra time. Six minutes in, Mabbutt scored an own goal after Lloyd McGrath centred the ball and it took a deflection off of the Spurs defender's knee and over keeper Ray Clemence.
English League Cup
Second round
- Coventry City 4-2 Rotherham United (On aggregate)
- 1st Leg, Coventry City 3-2 Rotherham United
- 2nd Leg, Rotherham United 0-1 Coventry City
Third round
- Coventry City 2-1 Oldham Athletic