1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Manchester United
1977–78 season
ChairmanLouis Edwards
ManagerDave Sexton
First Division10th
FA CupFourth Round
League CupSecond Round
Cup Winners' CupSecond Round
Charity ShieldShared
Top goalscorerLeague:
Gordon Hill (17)
All:
Gordon Hill (19)
Highest home attendance58,398 vs Manchester City (15 March 1978)
Lowest home attendance31,634 vs Saint-Étienne (5 October 1977)
Average home league attendance51,349

The 1977–78 season was Manchester United's 76th season in the Football League, and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football.[1] It was their first season under the management of Dave Sexton, following the dismissal of Tommy Docherty in the close season after he made public his love affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist. As FA Cup holders they contested the Charity Shield and were joint holders with league champions Liverpool, but failed to make an impact in Europe or on either of the domestic cups and finished only 10th in the league – lower than in either of their previous two seasons since promotion.

They were in fact expelled from the Cup Winners' Cup after their fans ran riot in France after the first leg of their first round tie with Saint-Etienne; they were reinstated to the competition on appeal but had to play the return leg at a neutral venue.

Winger Gordon Hill, who was transferred to Derby County (then managed by Tommy Docherty) at the end of the season, bowed out of Old Trafford in style as the club's top scorer once again with 17 goals in the league and 19 in all competitions.

FA Charity Shield

Main article: 1977 FA Charity Shield
Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
13 August 1977 Liverpool N 0–0 82,000

First Division

Date Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
20 August 1977 Birmingham City A 4–1 Macari (3), Hill 28,005
24 August 1977 Coventry City H 2–1 Hill, McCreery 55,726
27 August 1977 Ipswich Town H 0–0 57,904
3 September 1977 Derby County A 1–0 Macari 21,279
10 September 1977 Manchester City A 1–3 Nicholl 50,856
17 September 1977 Chelsea H 0–1 54,951
24 September 1977 Leeds United A 1–1 Hill 33,517
1 October 1977 Liverpool H 2–0 Macari, McIlroy 55,089
8 October 1977 Middlesbrough A 1–2 Coppell 26,882
15 October 1977 Newcastle United H 3–2 Coppell, J. Greenhoff, Macari 55,056
22 October 1977 West Bromwich Albion A 0–4 27,526
29 October 1977 Aston Villa A 1–2 Nicholl 39,144
5 November 1977 Arsenal H 1–2 Hill 53,055
12 November 1977 Nottingham Forest A 1–2 Pearson 30,183
19 November 1977 Norwich City H 1–0 Pearson 48,729
26 November 1977 Queens Park Rangers A 2–2 Hill (2) 25,367
3 December 1977 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 3–1 J. Greenhoff, McIlroy, Pearson 48,874
10 December 1977 West Ham United A 1–2 McGrath 20,242
17 December 1977 Nottingham Forest H 0–4 54,374
26 December 1977 Everton A 6–2 J. Greenhoff (2), Coppell, Hill, Macari, McIlroy 48,335
27 December 1977 Leicester City H 3–1 Coppell, J. Greenhoff, Hill 57,396
31 December 1977 Coventry City A 0–3 24,706
2 January 1978 Birmingham City H 1–2 J. Greenhoff 53,501
14 January 1978 Ipswich Town A 2–1 McIlroy, Pearson 23,321
21 January 1978 Derby County H 4–0 Hill (2), Buchan, Pearson 57,115
8 February 1978 Bristol City H 1–1 Hill 43,457
11 February 1978 Chelsea A 2–2 Hill, McIlroy 32,849
25 February 1978 Liverpool A 1–3 McIlroy 49,095
1 March 1978 Leeds United H 0–1 49,101
4 March 1978 Middlesbrough H 0–0 46,322
11 March 1978 Newcastle United A 2–2 Hill, Jordan 25,825
15 March 1978 Manchester City H 2–2 Hill (2) 58,398
18 March 1978 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 McQueen 46,329
25 March 1978 Leicester City A 3–2 J. Greenhoff, Hill, Pearson 20,299
27 March 1978 Everton H 1–2 Hill 55,277
29 March 1978 Aston Villa H 1–1 McIlroy 41,625
1 April 1978 Arsenal A 1–3 Jordan 40,829
8 April 1978 Queens Park Rangers H 3–1 Pearson (2), Grimes 42,677
15 April 1978 Norwich City A 3–1 Coppell, Jordan, McIlroy 19,778
22 April 1978 West Ham United H 3–0 Grimes, McIlroy, Pearson 54,089
25 April 1978 Bristol City A 1–0 Pearson 26,035
29 April 1978 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–2 B. Greenhoff 24,774

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
8 Aston Villa 42 18 10 14 57 42 +15 46
9 Leeds United 42 18 10 14 63 53 +10 46
10 Manchester United 42 16 10 16 67 63 +4 42
11 Birmingham City 42 16 9 17 55 60 −5 41
12 Derby County 42 14 13 15 54 59 −5 41
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
7 January 1978 Round 3 Carlisle United A 1–1 Macari 21,710
11 January 1978 Round 3
Replay 		Carlisle United H 4–2 Macari (2), Pearson (2) 54,156
28 January 1978 Round 4 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 Coppell 57,056
1 February 1978 Round 4
Replay 		West Bromwich Albion A 2–3 Hill, Pearson 37,086

League Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
30 August 1977 Round 2 Arsenal A 2–3 McCreery, Pearson 36,171

Cup Winners' Cup

Date Round Opponents H / A Result
F–A 		Scorers Attendance
14 September 1977 Round 1
First leg 		Saint-Étienne A 1–1 Hill 33,678
5 October 1977 Round 1
Second leg 		Saint-Étienne H 2–0 Coppell, Pearson 31,634
19 October 1977 Round 2
First leg 		Porto A 0–4 70,000
2 November 1977 Round 2
Second leg 		Porto H 5–2 Coppell (2), Nicholl, Murça (2 o.g.) 51,831

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Cup Winners' Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Republic of Ireland Paddy Roche 19 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 23 0
GK England Alex Stepney 23 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 29 0
DF Scotland Arthur Albiston 27(1) 0 4 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 37(1) 0
DF Scotland Martin Buchan 28 1 4 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 38 1
DF Scotland Alex Forsyth 3 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0 0 0 3(1) 0
DF England Brian Greenhoff 31 1 1 0 1 0 2 0 1 0 36 1
DF Scotland Stewart Houston 31 0 3 0 0 0 2(1) 0 0 0 36(1) 0
DF Scotland Gordon McQueen 14 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 1
DF Northern Ireland Jimmy Nicholl 37 2 4 0 1 0 4 1 1 0 47 3
DF England Martyn Rogers 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF England Steve Coppell 42 5 4 1 1 0 4 3 1 0 52 9
MF Republic of Ireland Ashley Grimes 7(6) 2 1 0 1 0 0(2) 0 0 0 9(8) 2
MF England Gordon Hill 36 17 3 1 1 0 4 1 1 0 45 19
MF Scotland Lou Macari 32 8 4 3 1 0 2 0 1 0 40 11
MF Northern Ireland David McCreery 13(4) 1 0(1) 0 1 1 3 0 0(1) 0 17(6) 2
MF Northern Ireland Chris McGrath 9(9) 1 0 0 0(1) 0 3(1) 0 0 0 12(11) 1
MF Northern Ireland Sammy McIlroy 39 9 4 0 0 0 4 0 1 0 48 9
FW England Jimmy Greenhoff 22(1) 6 2(1) 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 26(2) 6
FW Scotland Joe Jordan 14 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 3
FW England Stuart Pearson 30 10 4 3 1 1 3 1 1 0 39 15
FW England Andy Ritchie 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
– Own goals – 0 – 0 – 0 – 2 – 0 – 2

References

  1. ^ "Manchester United Season 1977/78". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2011.
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