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1977–78 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season

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Huddersfield Town
1977–78 season
ChairmanEngland Keith Longbottom
ManagerEngland John Haselden (until 29 September 1977)
Scotland Tom Johnston (from 29 September 1977)
Football League Fourth Division11th
FA CupFirst round
(knocked out by Barnsley)
Football League CupSecond round
(knocked out by Coventry City)
Top goalscorerLeague: Mick Butler (17)
All: Mick Butler (19)
Highest home attendance8,577 vs Coventry City (30 August 1977)
Lowest home attendance1,638 vs AFC Bournemouth (29 April 1978)
Biggest win4–1 vs Doncaster Rovers (1 October 1977)
3–0 vs Wimbledon (17 December 1977)
4–1 vs Scunthorpe United (31 December 1977)
3–0 vs Crewe Alexandra (25 March 1978)
Biggest defeat0–2 vs Newport County (27 August 1977)
0–2 vs Watford (10 September 1977)
1–3 vs Northampton Town (27 September 1977)
1–3 vs Grimsby Town (29 October 1977)
1–3 vs Brentford (1 April 1978)
0–2 vs Wimbledon (8 April 1978)
0–2 vs Reading (15 April 1978)

Huddersfield Town's 1977–78 campaign is statistically Huddersfield Town's worst season since entering the Football League in 1910. Town finished 11th in the 4th Division. Under John Haselden and then Tom Johnston Town would stay in the 4th Division for a fourth successive season.

Squad at the start of the season

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK England ENG Alan Starling
-- GK England ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF England ENG Steve Baines
-- DF England ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF England ENG Phil Sandercock
-- DF England ENG Arnie Sidebottom
-- DF Scotland SCO Alan Sweeney
-- MF England ENG Terry Armstrong
-- MF England ENG Martin Fowler
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF England ENG Peter Hart
-- MF Northern Ireland NIR Johnny Jameson
-- MF England ENG Kevin Johnson
-- MF England ENG Jim McCaffrey
-- FW England ENG Mick Butler
-- FW England ENG Terry Eccles
-- FW England ENG Wayne Goldthorpe
-- FW England ENG Terry Gray
-- FW England ENG Peter Howey

Review

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After two seasons in the basement division of the Football League, some Town fans were wondering if Town were ever going to get back into at least the Third Division. Town reverted to their blue and white striped kit, after two years in the all-blue kit. But, at the start of the season, it seemed to be a curse, with Town winning none of their first eight matches, which unsurprisingly saw John Haselden get demoted to coach, which saw Tom Johnston return to the hotseat at Leeds Road for a record third time. Town went on a six match unbeaten run, but then Town seemed to go for the rest on the season in a complete mix of mediocrity.

Town's top scorers for the season were Mick Butler on 19 goals, Terry Gray on 11 and then Kevin Johnson on 10. By the end of the season, both Butler and Johnson left Leeds Road for pastures new. Town finished 11th with just 45 points, finishing only four points above Halifax Town, who were in 20th place.

Squad at the end of the season

[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
-- GK England ENG Alan Starling
-- GK England ENG Dick Taylor
-- DF England ENG Jim Branagan
-- DF England ENG Malcolm Brown
-- DF England ENG Paul Gartland
-- DF England ENG Brett Mellor
-- DF England ENG Phil Sandercock
-- DF England ENG Arnie Sidebottom
-- DF England ENG Dave Sutton
-- DF Scotland SCO Alan Sweeney
-- MF England ENG Terry Armstrong
No. Pos. Nation Player
-- MF England ENG Martin Fowler
-- MF England ENG Peter Hart
-- MF England ENG Ian Holmes
-- MF Northern Ireland NIR Johnny Jameson
-- MF England ENG Kevin Johnson
-- FW England ENG Mick Butler
-- FW England ENG Terry Eccles
-- FW England ENG Wayne Goldthorpe
-- FW England ENG Terry Gray
-- FW England ENG Peter Howey

Results

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Date Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance Position
20 August 1977 Swansea City H 0–0 4,435 15th
27 August 1977 Newport County A 0–2 3,367 21st
3 September 1977 Aldershot H 1–1 Johnson 4,205 19th
10 September 1977 Watford A 0–2 7,852 20th
13 September 1977 Torquay United H 1–1 Goldthorpe (pen) 3,692 21st
17 September 1977 Stockport County H 0–0 3,740 22nd
24 September 1977 York City A 1–1 Gray 2,595 21st
27 September 1977 Northampton Town A 1–3 Gray 3,942 23rd
1 October 1977 Doncaster Rovers H 4–1 Gray, Butler, Baines, Armstrong 4,592 19th
4 October 1977 Hartlepool United H 3–1 Johnson (2, 1 pen), Butler 3,960 12th
8 October 1977 Halifax Town A 0–0 4,300 14th
15 October 1977 Darlington A 2–2 Baines, Johnson 2,825 16th
17 October 1977 Rochdale A 0–0 2,489 13th
22 October 1977 Barnsley H 2–0 Eccles (2) 7,583 12th
29 October 1977 Grimsby Town H 1–3 Holmes 5,871 14th
5 November 1977 Scunthorpe United A 1–1 Gray 3,211 15th
19 November 1977 Reading A 0–1 4,278 17th
2 December 1977 Southport H 3–1 Holmes, Eccles, Butler 3,079 16th
10 December 1977 Bournemouth A 0–1 3,249 17th
17 December 1977 Wimbledon H 3–0 Holmes, Baines, Butler 3,544 15th
26 December 1977 Southend United H 2–0 Gray, Mountford 5,707 13th
27 December 1977 Crewe Alexandra A 1–1 Johnson 3,177 11th
31 December 1977 Scunthorpe United H 4–1 Butler (3, 1 pen), Mountford 5,104 10th
2 January 1978 Brentford A 1–1 Baines 9,470 10th
7 January 1978 Rochdale H 3–1 Butler, Mountford (2) 5,486 9th
14 January 1978 Swansea City A 0–1 5,906 10th
21 January 1978 Newport County H 2–0 Butler, Gray 4,894 8th
28 January 1978 Aldershot A 3–3 Butler (3) 4,062 10th
25 February 1978 Doncaster Rovers A 3–4 Johnson (2), Sandercock 4,712 12th
27 February 1978 Stockport County A 1–0 Johnson 6,177 9th
4 March 1978 Halifax Town H 2–2 Johnson (2, 1 pen) 6,571 10th
8 March 1978 Torquay United A 1–2 Butler 2,663 11th
11 March 1978 Darlington H 2–1 Sidebottom, Butler 4,481 10th
14 March 1978 Watford H 1–0 Gray 6,603 7th
18 March 1978 Barnsley A 1–1 Gray 8,492 8th
24 March 1978 Grimsby Town A 0–1 7,718 10th
25 March 1978 Crewe Alexandra H 3–0 Gray, Butler, Holmes 4,500 7th
27 March 1978 Southend United A 3–1 Howey, Holmes, Butler 8,198 6th
1 April 1978 Brentford A 1–3 Butler 6,345 8th
4 April 1978 Northampton Town H 0–1 3,488 8th
8 April 1978 Wimbledon A 0–2 2,602 8th
11 April 1978 York City H 1–2 Gray 2,037 8th
15 April 1978 Reading H 0–2 2,130 9th
22 April 1978 Southport A 1–1 Goldthorpe 1,465 10th
25 April 1978 Hartlepool United A 2–3 Holmes (pen), Brown 1,926 12th
29 April 1978 Bournemouth H 2–0 Goldthorpe, Holmes (pen) 1,638 11th
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
26 November 1977 Round 1 Barnsley A 0–1 9,579
Date Round Opponents Home/
Away
Result
F–A
Scorers Attendance
13 August 1977 Round 1 1st Leg Carlisle United H 1–1 Eccles 3,774
16 August 1977 Round 1 2nd Leg Carlisle United A 2–2 Butler (2) 5,447
  • 3–3 on aggregate.
23 August 1977 Round 1 Replay Carlisle United H 2–1 Eccles, Gray 4,542
30 August 1977 Round 2 Coventry City H 0–2 8,577

Appearances and goals

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Name Nation Position League Apps League Goals FA Cup Apps FA Cup Goals League Cup Apps League Cup Goals Total Apps Total Goals
Terry Armstrong  England FW 17 (2) 1 0 0 0 0 17 (2) 1
Steve Baines  England DF 29 4 1 0 4 0 34 4
Jim Branagan  England DF 24 0 0 0 0 0 24 0
Malcolm Brown  England DF 30 1 1 0 4 0 35 1
Mick Butler  England MF 41 (2) 17 1 0 4 2 46 (2) 19
Terry Eccles  England FW 24 (5) 3 1 0 4 2 29 (5) 5
Martin Fowler  England MF 5 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 5 (3) 0
Paul Gartland  England DF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Wayne Goldthorpe  England FW 8 (3) 3 0 0 0 0 8 (3) 3
Terry Gray  England FW 45 10 1 0 4 1 50 11
Peter Hart  England MF 41 0 1 0 4 0 46 0
Ian Holmes  England MF 28 (1) 7 1 0 0 0 29 (1) 7
Peter Howey  England MF 7 (2) 1 0 0 4 0 11 (2) 1
Johnny Jameson  Northern Ireland MF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Kevin Johnson  England FW 42 (1) 10 1 0 4 0 47 (1) 10
Jim McCaffrey  England MF 9 (3) 0 0 (1) 0 4 0 14 (4) 0
Brett Mellor  England DF 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Bob Mountford  England FW 12 (2) 4 0 0 0 0 12 (2) 4
Phil Sandercock  England DF 45 1 1 0 4 0 50 1
Arnie Sidebottom  England DF 29 1 1 0 0 0 30 1
Alan Starling  England GK 32 0 1 0 4 0 37 0
Dave Sutton  England DF 14 0 0 0 0 0 14 0
Alan Sweeney  Scotland DF 7 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 7 (1) 0
Dick Taylor  England GK 14 0 0 0 0 0 14 0

References

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