The 1988 Associate Members' Cup Final, known as the Sherpa Van Trophy Final for sponsorship reasons, was the 5th final of the domestic football cup competition for teams from the Third and Fourth Divisions.

Burnley Football Club are a football club in Burnley, Lancashire, England. They compete in the Premier League, the first tier of English football, but will compete in the 2024–25 EFL Championship following relegation. Founded in 1882, the club was one of the first to become professional and subsequently put pressure on the Football Association to permit payments to players. The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1885–86 and was one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888–89. From the 1950s until the 1970s, under chairman Bob Lord, the club became renowned for its youth policy and scouting system, and was one of the first to set up a purpose-built training ground.