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1977–78 Watford F.C. season

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Watford
1977–78 season
ChairmanElton John
ManagerGraham Taylor
StadiumVicarage Road
Fourth Division1st (promoted)
FA CupThird Round (eliminated by West Ham United)
League CupThird Round (eliminated by West Bromwich Albion)
Top goalscorerLeague: Ross Jenkins (16)
All: Ross Jenkins (18)
Highest home attendance18,947 (vs Southend United, 15 April 1978)
Lowest home attendanceLeague: 6,850 (vs Grimsby Town, 6 September 1977)
Cup: 5,722 (vs Reading, 13 August 1977)

Watford Football Club is an English football team, based in Watford, Hertfordshire. 1977–78 was the club's first season under the management of Graham Taylor, and its last in the fourth tier of English football. Watford ended the season as champions of the Football League Fourth Division with 71 points, the club's highest Football League total under the system of two points for a win, and three points short of the all-time Football League record set by Graham Taylor's Lincoln City side in 1975–76. The season also marked new club records for the most league wins in a season (30), most home wins (18), most away wins (12), and most away goals scored (42).[1]

Ross Jenkins finished at the club's top scorer for the third time in four campaigns, with 18 goals in all competitions. He was followed by Alan Mayes and Keith Mercer with 16 and 13 goals respectively; both men also scored hat-tricks for the team. Bobby Downes and Alan Garner made the most appearances, playing some part in all 54 competitive fixtures. Garner went on to receive the Watford F.C. Player of the Season award for his efforts. Other player milestones included the arrival of future club captain Ian Bolton, and the breakthrough into the first team of young striker Luther Blissett, who went on to become the club's all-time leading appearance maker and goalscorer.[2]


Results

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Watford's score listed first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League Fourth Division

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Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Watford scorers
20 August 1977 Stockport County A 3–1 3,056 Jenkins (2), Ellis (pen)
27 August 1977 York City H 1–3 7,620 Mayes
3 September 1977 Doncaster Rovers A 1–0 2,963 Jenkins
6 September 1977 Grimsby Town H 1–0 6,850 Blissett
10 September 1977 Huddersfield Town H 2–0 7,852 Jenkins (2)
14 September 1977 Reading A 3–1 4,862 Mayes (2), Blissett
17 September 1977 Barnsley A 0–1 6,443
24 September 1977 Darlington H 2–1 7,632 Blissett, Ellis (pen)
27 September 1977 A.F.C. Bournemouth H 2–1 8,191 Bolton, Coffill
1 October 1977 Rochdale A 3–2 1,278 Joslyn, Mayes, Mercer
3 October 1977 Brentford A 3–0 14,500 Ellis, Jenkins, Mayes
8 October 1977 Swansea City H 2–1 10,232 Downes, Mercer
15 October 1977 Aldershot A 0–1 8,059
22 October 1977 Newport County H 2–0 10,749 Downes, Mercer
29 October 1977 Crewe Alexandra H 5–2 10,871 Mercer (3), Downes, Garner
5 November 1977 Hartlepool United A 2–1 3,121 Garner, Mercer
12 November 1977 Scunthorpe United H 4–1 10,565 Jenkins (2), Mercer (2)
19 November 1977 Southend United A 0–1 10,919
3 December 1977 Halifax Town H 1–1 9,329 Garner
10 December 1977 Southport A 2–2 1,727 Jenkins, Pollard
26 December 1977 Northampton Town H 3–0 15,056 Downes, Mayes, Pollard
27 December 1977 Torquay United A 3–2 6,228 Mayes (2), Bolton
31 December 1977 Wimbledon A 3–1 7,324 Downes, Jenkins, Mayes
2 January 1978 Hartlepool United H 1–0 16,866 Bolton
13 January 1978 Stockport County H 1–0 12,754 Garner
21 January 1978 York City A 4–0 3,831 Mayes (3), Blissett
28 January 1978 Doncaster Rovers H 6–0 11,816 Joslyn (2), Bolton, Downes, Garner, Jenkins
11 February 1978 Barnsley H 0–0 13,216
25 February 1978 Rochdale H 1–0 10,139 Jenkins
3 March 1978 Swansea City A 3–3 15,000 Bolton, Jenkins, Mayes
7 March 1978 Reading H 1–0 11,439 Garner
11 March 1978 Aldershot H 1–0 12,641 Downes
14 March 1978 Huddersfield Town A 0–1 6,603
17 March 1978 Newport County A 2–2 8,409 Downes, Jenkins
24 March 1978 Crewe Alexandra A 2–2 4,652 Ellis (pen), Jenkins
25 March 1978 Torquay United H 1–0 10,491 Garner
28 March 1978 Northampton Town A 2–0 8,041 Bolton, Mayes
1 April 1978 Wimbledon H 2–0 11,212 Mayes, Pritchett
4 April 1978 A.F.C. Bournemouth A 2–1 6,532 Downes, Pollard
8 April 1978 Scunthorpe United A 1–0 5,202 Joslyn
11 April 1978 Grimsby Town A 1–1 7,189 Pritchett
15 April 1978 Southend United H 1–1 18,947 Jenkins
18 April 1978 Darlington A 0–0 2,407
22 April 1978 Halifax Town A 1–1 3,542 How
25 April 1978 Brentford H 1–1 16,544 Blissett
29 April 1978 Southport H 3–2 10,089 Pritchett (2 pens), Blissett

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Watford scorers
R1 26 November 1977 Hendon H 2–0 11,825 Garner, Mercer
R2 17 December 1977 Colchester United H 2–0 11,907 Jenkins, Mercer
R3 7 January 1978 West Ham United A 0–1 36,475

League Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Watford scorers
R1 1st Leg 13 August 1977 Reading H 2–1 5,722 Mercer (2)
R1 2nd Leg 17 August 1977 Reading A 0–1 4,533
R1 Replay 23 August 1977 Reading H 5–0 7,082 Downes, Ellis (pen), Joslyn, Mayes, Pritchett
R2 30 August 1977 Grimsby Town A 2–1 4,345 Bolton, Jenkins
R3 25 October 1977 West Bromwich Albion A 0–1 22,140

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Watford 46 30 11 5 85 38 +47 71 Division Champions, promoted
2 Southend United 46 25 10 11 66 39 +27 60 Promoted
3 Swansea City 46 23 10 13 87 47 +40 56
4 Brentford 46 21 14 11 86 54 +32 56
5 Aldershot 46 19 16 11 67 47 +20 54
Source: [citation needed]

References

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General
  • Watford Football Club official site
  • Phillips, Oliver (1991). The Official Centenary History of Watford FC 1881–1991. Watford Football Club. ISBN 0-9509601-6-0.
  • Jones, Trefor (1996). Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who. ISBN 0-9527458-0-1.
  • Jones, Trefor (1998). Watford Season by Season. ISBN 0-9527458-1-X.
Specific
  1. ^ Jones, Watford Season by Season pp. 247–248
  2. ^ Jones, Watford Season by Season pp. 164–165