| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | UK |
| Dates | 16–17 April |
| Teams | 16 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Nottingham Forest |
| Runner-up | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 15 |
The Football League Centenary Tournament (also known as the Mercantile Credit Football Festival) was a friendly tournament[1] held from 16 to 17 April 1988 at Wembley Stadium to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Football League. The tournament was won by First Division Nottingham Forest, who beat Sheffield Wednesday in the final on penalties. Their success was achieved despite manager Brian Clough not attending the Saturday.[2][3] Arguably the biggest success story was Division Four side Tranmere Rovers, who a year earlier had almost been relegated out of the Football League. They defeated top-flight sides Wimbledon and Newcastle United, before taking Forest to a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals. Despite the hopes of the Football League, the tournament was poorly attended, with attendance figures of 41,500 on the first day and 17,000 for the second in a stadium capable of holding 100,000. The attendance situation was not helped by leading London clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United and Chelsea not qualifying for the tournament.