FA Cup Top 25 Ranking as at 1887-88
| Pos |  |
Club | Div | Pld | Won | Draw | Lost | FG | AG | Diff | No of RD 1 | First | Last | 1887-88 | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | |||||||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | Old Etonians | NL | 58 | 39 | 9 | 10 | 161 | 76 | 85 | 12 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 | Rd 4 |  |
| 2 | 0 | Royal Engineers | NL | 56 | 33 | 7 | 16 | 144 | 67 | 77 | 17 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | Rd 2 | |
| 3 | 0 | Blackburn Rovers | NL | 43 | 33 | 4 | 6 | 157 | 44 | 113 | 9 | 1879-80 | 1887-88 | Rd 6 | |
| 4 | 0 | Swifts | NL | 51 | 29 | 8 | 14 | 119 | 69 | 50 | 14 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 | Rd 4 | |
| 5 | 2 | Old Carthusians | NL | 37 | 29 | 0 | 8 | 132 | 46 | 86 | 9 | 1879-80 | 1887-88 | Rd 6 | |
| 6 | -1 | Oxford University | NL | 41 | 27 | 7 | 7 | 99 | 33 | 66 | 8 | 1872-73 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 7 | 1 | Aston Villa | NL | 40 | 26 | 7 | 7 | 133 | 58 | 75 | 9 | 1879-80 | 1887-88 | Rd 5 | |
| 8 | -2 | Clapham Rovers | NL | 44 | 26 | 4 | 14 | 149 | 55 | 94 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | |
|
| 9 | 2 | Darwen | NL | 42 | 24 | 7 | 11 | 123 | 66 | 57 | 11 | 1877-78 | 1887-88 | Rd 5 | |
| 10 | -1 | Notts County | NL | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 145 | 62 | 83 | 11 | 1877-78 | 1887-88 | Rd 3 | |
| 11 | 4 | West Bromwich Albion | NL | 29 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 77 | 24 | 53 | 5 | 1883-84 | 1887-88 | Winner | |
| 12 | -2 | Wanderers | NL | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 94 | 22 | 72 | 9 | 1871-72 | 1879-80 | |
|
| 13 | 0 | Nottingham Forest | NL | 35 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 88 | 44 | 44 | 10 | 1878-79 | 1887-88 | Rd 5 | |
| 14 | -2 | Upton Park | NL | 39 | 19 | 5 | 15 | 92 | 68 | 24 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | ||
| 15 | -1 | Marlow | NL | 37 | 18 | 3 | 16 | 78 | 50 | 28 | 17 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | Rd 2 | |
| 16 | 1 | Old Westminsters | NL | 24 | 15 | 3 | 6 | 69 | 34 | 35 | 6 | 1882-83 | 1887-88 | Rd 3 | |
| 17 | -1 | Maidenhead | NL | 33 | 15 | 2 | 16 | 46 | 60 | -14 | 16 | 1871-72 | 1887-88 | Rd 1 | |
| 18 | 4 | The Wednesday | NL | 25 | 14 | 4 | 7 | 65 | 39 | 26 | 7 | 1880-81 | 1887-88 | Rd 6 | |
| 19 | 15 | Preston North End | NL | 16 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 92 | 14 | 78 | 4 | 1883-84 | 1887-88 | Final | |
| 20 | 4 | Old Foresters | NL | 27 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 39 | 21 | 11 | 1877-78 | 1887-88 | Rd 5 | |
| 21 | -3 | Queen's Park | NL | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 69 | 17 | 52 | 5 | 1871-72 | 1886-87 | ||
| 22 | -3 | Blackburn Olympic | NL | 20 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 80 | 37 | 43 | 8 | 1880-81 | 1887-88 | Rd 2 | |
| 23 | -3 | Sheffield | NL | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 61 | -8 | 14 | 1873-74 | 1887-88 | Rd 1 | |
| 24 | -3 | Cambridge University | NL | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 7 | 1873-74 | 1879-80 | ||
| 25 | 4 | Old Harrovians | NL | 21 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 44 | 36 | 8 | 9 | 1876-77 | 1887-88 | Rd 2 | |
