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1978–79 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

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West Bromwich Albion
1978–79 season
ManagerRon Atkinson
StadiumThe Hawthorns
Football League First Division3rd
FA CupFifth round
League CupSecond round
UEFA CupQuarter-finals
Tennent Caledonian CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
All: Brown (18)
Highest home attendance36,175 v Coventry City
Lowest home attendance17,499 v Southampton
Average home league attendance28,929 (27,456 league)

During the 1978–79 English football season, West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. The club enjoyed their highest league finish since 1953–54 when they were runners-up.[1]

Season summary

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West Bromwich Albion enjoyed one of their finest seasons to date during Ron Atkinson's first season in charge of the Midlanders, finishing in third place – nine points behind champions Liverpool – to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Integral to Albion's success were the "Three Degrees", Brendan Batson, Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis, but Cunningham left at the end of the season to join Spanish side Real Madrid. The season was also memorable for club legend Tony "The Bomber" Brown as the goal he scored in a 2–1 defeat against Leeds United in February was his 209th Football League goal for the club, overtaking Ronnie Allen's club record in the process.[2]

Albion made two big money signings during the course of the season, bringing in David Mills from Middlesbrough in January 1979 for a club record £516,000.[2] Mills however struggled to get into the team and when he left the club for Sheffield Wednesday in 1983 it was for half a million pounds less than Albion had paid for him.[3] Willie Johnston, who had been sent home from the 1978 FIFA World Cup after failing a drug test, left the club for Vancouver Whitecaps on a £100,000 deal.[2]

Albion's form the previous season had meant that they had qualified for the UEFA Cup and it proved a comparatively successful campaign in Europe for the club. Albion reached the quarter-finals, having defeated Galatasaray, Braga and Valencia before losing to Red Star Belgrade. Albion had reached the quarter-finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup but this season represented the first occasion on which they had successfully negotiated three rounds of a European competition in one season.[4]

Cunningham, Regis and Derek Statham were named in the First Division PFA Team of the Year.[5]

Kit

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West Bromwich Albion's kit was manufactured by English company Umbro.

Squad

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Name Pos FL apps FL goals FAC apps FAC goals FLC apps FLC goals UEFA apps UEFA goals
Tony Godden GK 42 00 6 0 3 0 ? 0
Brendan Batson DF 41 00 6 1 3 0 ? 0
Derek Statham DF 39 01 6 0 3 0 ? 0
John Wile DF 42 02 6 1 3 0 ? 0
Ally Robertson DF 39 00 6 0 3 0 ? 0
Martyn Bennett DF 01 00 0 0 0 0 ? 0
Tony Brown MF 31 10 6 0 1 0 ? 2
Bryan Robson MF 41 07 5 0 3 0 ? 2
Willie Johnston MF 07 00 1 0 2 0 ? 0
Len Cantello MF 32 03 3 0 2 0 ? 0
John Trewick MF 21 03 3 0 1 0 ? 1
Mick Martin MF 01 00 0 0 1 0 ? 0
Laurie Cunningham FW 40 09 6 3 3 0 ? 3
Cyrille Regis FW 39 13 6 1 3 0 ? 4
Ally Brown FW 41 18 6 5 3 0 ? 1
David Mills FW 18 03 4 0 0 0 0 0
Kevin Summerfield FW 02 01 0 0 0 0 ? 0

Sources:[4][6]
Key:

Results

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First Division

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Date Opponent[7] Result[8] Albion Scorers
19 August 1978 Ipswich Town 2–1 A. Brown, T. Brown (23,674)
22 August 1978 Queens Park Rangers 1–0 Howe (own goal) (15,481)
26 August 1978 Bolton Wanderers 4–0 A. Brown 2, Cunningham, Regis (24,095)
2 September 1978 Nottingham Forest 0–0 (28,239)
9 September 1978 Norwich City 2–2 Cunningham, Robson (23,893)
16 September 1978 Derby County 2–3 Regis, Cunningham (23,772)
23 September 1978 Liverpool 1–1 Cunningham (35,864)
30 September 1978 Chelsea 3–1 Regis, Wile, T. Brown (21,022)
7 October 1978 Tottenham Hotspur 0–1 (33,068)
14 October 1978 Leeds United 3–1 T. Brown, Regis 2 (25,931)
21 October 1978 Coventry City 7–1 Cantello, Cunningham 2, Regis 2, T. Brown, Statham (29,409)
28 October 1978 Manchester City 2–2 Regis, Robson (40,521)
4 November 1978 Birmingham City 1–0 Trewick (32,131)
11 November 1978 Ipswich Town 1–0 A. Brown (21,980)
18 November 1978 Bolton Wanderers 1–0 A. Brown (22,278)
25 November 1978 Aston Villa 1–1 T. Brown (36,166)
9 December 1978 Middlesbrough 2–0 Regis, Cantello (19,865)
16 December 1978 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 A. Brown 2, T. Brown (29,117)
26 December 1978 Arsenal 2–1 Robson, A. Brown (40,055)
30 December 1978 Manchester United 5–3 T. Brown 2, Cantello, Cunningham, Regis (45,091)
1 January 1979 Bristol City 3–1 A. Brown 2, Wile (35,768)
13 January 1979 Norwich City 1–1 Regis (20,081)
3 February 1979 Liverpool 1–2 A. Brown (52,311)
24 February 1979 Leeds United 1–2 T. Brown (29,846)
3 April 1979 Coventry City 3–1 Robson, A. Brown, Mills (25,676)
14 March 1979 Chelsea 1–0 A. Brown (20,472)
24 March 1979 Queens Park Rangers 2–1 A. Brown, Cunningham (21,063)
26 March 1979 Derby County 2–1 Cunningham, A. Brown (19,801)
4 April 1979 Manchester City 4–0 Trewick, Power (own goal), Mills, Summerfield (22,960)
7 April 1979 Everton 1–0 A. Brown (29,593)
13 April 1979 Southampton 1–1 Regis (22,063)
14 April 1979 Arsenal 1–1 T. Brown (28,539)
17 April 1979 Bristol City 0–1 (30,191)
21 April 1979 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–1 Robson (32,395)
24 April 1979 Birmingham City 1–1 Robson (19,897)
28 April 1979 Middlesbrough 1–1 A. Brown (18,083)
1 May 1979 Everton 2–0 Mills, Robson (30,083)
5 May 1979 Manchester United 1–0 Regis (29,960)
8 May 1979 Southampton 1–0 A. Brown (17,499)
11 May 1979 Aston Villa 1–0 Trewick (36,991)
14 May 1979 Tottenham Hotspur 0–1 (24,789)
18 May 1979 Nottingham Forest 0–1 (30,510)

source:[2]

FA Cup

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Date Round Opponent[7] Result[8] Albion Scorers
9 January 1979 Third Coventry City 2–2 Cunningham, A. Brown (38,046)
15 January 1979 Third (replay) Coventry City 4–0 Batson, T. Brown 2, A. Brown (36,175)
26 February 1979 Fourth Leeds United 3–3 Cunningham, A. Brown, Regis (35,434)
1 March 1979 Fourth (replay) Leeds United 2–0 (AET) Wile, A. Brown (32,143)
10 March 1979 Fifth Southampton 1–1 A. Brown (33,789)
12 March 1979 Fifth (replay) Southampton 1–2 (AET) Cunningham

(25,755)

Source:[2]

League Cup

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Date Round Opponent[7] Result[8] Albion Scorers
29 August 1978 Second Leeds United 0–0 (25,188)
6 September 1978 Second (replay) Leeds United 0–0 (AET) (29,316)
2 October 1978 Second (2nd replay) Leeds United 0–1 (8,164) (Played at Maine Road)

NB: The second replay was held at the neutral venue of Maine Road.[2]

UEFA Cup

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Date Round Opponent[7] Result[8] Albion Scorers
13 September 1978 First (1st leg) Galatasaray 3–1 Robson, Regis, Cunningham (38,443)
27 September 1978 First (2nd leg) Galatasaray 3–1 Robson, Cunningham, Trewick (26,380)
18 October 1978 Second (1st leg) Braga 2–0 Regis 2 (31,283)
1 November 1978 Second (2nd leg) Braga 1–0 A. Brown (30,086)
22 November 1978 Third (1st leg) Valencia 1–1 A. Brown (47,746)
6 December 1978 Third (2nd leg) Valencia 2–0 T Brown 2 (36,118)
7 March 1979 Quarter final (1st leg) Red Star Belgrade 0–1 (95,300)
21 March 1979 Quarter final (2nd leg) Red Star Belgrade 1–1 Regis (C. 35,987)

Source:[4]

Friendlies

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  • 21 February: West Bromwich Albion 0–0 Nottingham Forest [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Tony Matthews, West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record, Breedon Books, 2007, pp. 168–169
  2. ^ a b c d e f Matthews, West Bromwich Albion, p. 334
  3. ^ Glen Willmore, The Hawthorns Encyclopedia, Mainstream Publishing, 1996, p. 121
  4. ^ a b c Jack Rollin, The Guinness Football Fact Book, Guinness Publishing, 1993, p. 197
  5. ^ Lynch, Tony (1995). The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. Random House. p. 142. ISBN 0-09-179135-9.
  6. ^ Matthews, West Bromwich Albion, p. 335
  7. ^ a b c d Matches in bold indicate Albion home games
  8. ^ a b c d Albion goals first
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