| 1985–86 season | |
|---|---|
| Manager | Bob Stokoe |
| Stadium | Brunton Park |
| Second Division | 20th (relegated) |
| FA Cup | Fourth round |
| League Cup | First round |
| Full Members Cup | First round |
For the 1985–86 season, Carlisle United F.C. competed in Football League Division Two.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Sunderland | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 47 | 61 | −14 | 50 | |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 53 | 62 | −9 | 49 | |
| 20 | Carlisle United (R) | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 47 | 71 | −24 | 46 | Relegation to the Third Division |
| 21 | Middlesbrough (R) | 42 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 45 | |
| 22 | Fulham (R) | 42 | 10 | 6 | 26 | 45 | 69 | −24 | 36 |
| Match Day | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Carlisle United Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 August | Bradford City | H | 1–2 | ||
| 2 | 24 August | Portsmouth | A | 0–4 | ||
| 3 | 27 August | Crystal Palace | H | 2–2 | ||
| 4 | 31 August | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–2 | ||
| 5 | 7 September | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | ||
| 6 | 13 September | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 | ||
| 7 | 17 September | Oldham Athletic | H | 3–1 | ||
| 8 | 21 September | Hull City | A | 0–4 | ||
| 9 | 28 September | Shrewsbury Town | H | 0–2 | ||
| 10 | 5 October | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–6 | ||
| 11 | 12 October | Norwich City | H | 0–4 | ||
| 12 | 19 October | Sunderland | H | 1–2 | ||
| 13 | 22 October | Millwall | A | 1–3 | ||
| 14 | 26 October | Huddersfield Town | A | 3–3 | ||
| 15 | 3 November | Wimbledon | A | 1–4 | ||
| 16 | 9 November | Stoke City | H | 3–0 | ||
| 17 | 23 November | Leeds United | H | 1–2 | ||
| 18 | 30 November | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–3 | ||
| 19 | 7 December | Millwall | H | 1–0 | ||
| 20 | 13 December | Bradford City | A | 0–1 | ||
| 21 | 22 December | Portsmouth | H | 0–1 | ||
| 22 | 26 December | Middlesbrough | H | 1–0 | ||
| 23 | 1 January | Sheffield United | A | 0–1 | ||
| 24 | 11 January | Grimsby Town | H | 1–2 | ||
| 25 | 18 January | Blackburn Rovers | H | 2–1 | ||
| 26 | 1 February | Crystal Palace | A | 1–1 | ||
| 27 | 8 February | Sunderland | A | 2–2 | ||
| 28 | 1 March | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–0 | ||
| 29 | 11 March | Hull City | H | 2–1 | ||
| 30 | 15 March | Norwich City | A | 1–2 | ||
| 31 | 18 March | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–0 | ||
| 32 | 22 March | Barnsley | A | 2–1 | ||
| 33 | 29 March | Sheffield United | H | 1–0 | ||
| 34 | 31 March | Middlesbrough | A | 3–1 | ||
| 35 | 6 April | Wimbledon | H | 2–3 | ||
| 36 | 8 April | Fulham | A | 1–0 | ||
| 37 | 12 April | Stoke City | A | 0–0 | ||
| 38 | 19 April | Fulham | H | 2–1 | ||
| 39 | 26 April | Leeds United | A | 0–2 | ||
| 40 | 29 April | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–0 | ||
| 41 | 3 May | Charlton Athletic | H | 2–3 | ||
| 42 | 5 May | Oldham Athletic | A | 1–2 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Carlisle United Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 L1 | 20 August | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–3 | ||
| R1 L2 | 3 September | Crewe Alexandra | H | 3–4 | ||
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Carlisle United Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 13 January | Queen's Park Rangers | H | 1–0 | ||
| R4 | 25 January | Peterborough United | A | 0–1 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | H/A | Score | Carlisle United Scorer(s) | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 8 October | Middlesbrough | A | 0–2 |