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1977–78 Hereford United F.C. season

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Hereford United
1977–78 season
ChairmanFrank Miles (until December 1977)
Peter Hill
ManagerJohn Sillett (until February 1978)
Tony Ford (caretaker)
StadiumEdgar Street
Division Three23rd
League CupFirst round
FA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague: Steve Crompton and Steve Davey (5)
All: Steve Davey (7)
Highest home attendance10,183 v Wrexham, Division Three, 29 April 1978
Lowest home attendance3334 v Bournemouth, League Cup, 23 August 1977
Average home league attendance4813
Biggest win4–0 v Exeter City (H), Division Three, 25 March 1978
Biggest defeat0–4 v Gillingham (A), Division Three, 7 January 1978

The 1977–78 season was the 48th season of competitive football played by Hereford United Football Club and their sixth in the Football League. Following relegation from Division Two the previous season, the club competed in Division Three, as well as the League Cup and FA Cup.

Summary

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Hereford endured a torrid season which saw the resignations of chairman Frank Miles and manager John Sillett, the transfer of prolific striker Dixie McNeil to Wrexham and, ultimately, a second successive relegation. They never fully recovered from five defeats in their opening six matches, although a nine-match unbeaten run (including seven clean sheets) initially steered them towards mid-table. Following a run of only one win in 19 matches, four wins from six in March under caretaker manager Tony Ford briefly raised survival hopes, but Hereford then finished the season with three draws and seven defeats from the final 10 matches.

Goals were severely rationed, with McNeil's three in seven league matches prior to his departure keeping him as leading scorer until the end of January. Away form was particularly dismal with no wins and just six league goals scored on their travels all season.

In both domestic cup competitions, Hereford fell at the first hurdle, including the indignity of their first FA Cup defeat by a non-league club since election to the Football League when Wealdstone beat them 3–2 in a replay at Edgar Street.[1]

Squad

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Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1977-78 season

Pos. Nat. Name League League Cup FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK  ENG Kevin Charlton 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
GK  SCO Tommy Hughes 13 0 3 0 0 0 16 0
GK  ENG Peter Mellor 32 0 0 0 2 0 34 0
DF  ENG Bryan Bouston 4(2) 0 0 0 0 0 4(2) 0
DF  ENG Phil Burrows 26 0 3 0 2 0 31 0
DF  WAL Stuart Cornes 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
DF  ENG Steve Emery 39 2 3 0 2 0 44 2
DF  ENG Derek Jefferson 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
DF  ENG John Layton 42 1 3 0 2 0 47 1
DF  WAL Julian Marshall 40(1) 3 3 0 2 0 45(1) 3
DF  ENG Chris Price 13 0 0 0 0 0 13 0
DF  SCO Steve Ritchie 24 1 1(1) 0 0 0 25(1) 1
MF  ENG Frank Barton 18 2 0 0 0 0 18 2
MF  ENG Les Briley 27 1 3 0 0 0 30 1
MF  ENG Roy Carter 12(1) 1 3 1 2 0 17(1) 2
MF  WAL Kyle Holmes 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
MF  ENG Andy Proudlove 6(5) 0 0 0 0(1) 0 6(6) 0
MF  IRE Kevin Sheedy 33(1) 3 2(1) 0 2 1 37(2) 4
MF  ENG Peter Spiring 30(4) 2 3 2 2 0 35(4) 4
MF  ENG Kenny Stephens 26 1 0 0 1 0 27 1
FW  WAL Steve Crompton 23(2) 5 0 0 0 0 23(2) 5
FW  ENG Steve Davey 31 5 3 1 2 1 36 7
FW  ENG Keith Fear (on loan from Bristol City) 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
FW  ENG Billy Holmes 9(6) 2 0 0 2 0 11(6) 2
FW  ENG Dixie McNeil 7 3 3 1 0 0 10 4
FW  ENG Stewart Phillips 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
FW  ENG Eric Redrobe 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0
FW  SCO Colin Sinclair 13 2 0 0 0 0 13 2

[2][3]

League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
20 Rotherham United 46 13 13 20 51 68 −17 39
21 Port Vale 46 8 20 18 46 67 −21 36 Relegated
22 Bradford City 46 12 10 24 56 86 −30 34
23 Hereford United 46 9 14 23 34 60 −26 32
24 Portsmouth 46 7 17 22 41 75 −34 31
Source: rsssf.com

Results

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Third Division

[edit]
20 August 1977 1 Chester 4–1 Hereford United Chester
Kearney 13', 59' (pen.)
I. Edwards 18'
Mason 70'
McNeil 34' Stadium: Sealand Road
Attendance: 3276
27 August 1977 2 Hereford United 0–1 Tranmere Rovers Hereford
Allen 22' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4062
3 September 1977 3 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 Hereford United Plymouth
Trusson 57'
Rogers 84'
Stadium: Home Park
Attendance: 5732
7 September 1977 4 Hereford United 2–0 Gillingham Hereford
Sinclair 38'
Spiring 65'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3441
10 September 1977 5 Hereford United 2–3 Rotherham United Hereford
Briley 67'
McNeil 89'
Womble 36'
Rhodes 84'
Crawford 86'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4393
14 September 1977 6 Chesterfield 2–1 Hereford United Chesterfield
Cammack 4'
Parker 42'
McNeil 54' Stadium: Saltergate
Attendance: 4368
17 September 1977 7 Preston North End 0–0 Hereford United Preston
Stadium: Deepdale
Attendance: 5447
24 September 1977 8 Hereford United 1–0 Carlisle United Hereford
Sheedy 19' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3750
28 September 1977 9 Lincoln City 0–0 Hereford United Lincoln
Stadium: Sincil Bank
Attendance: 4973
1 October 1977 10 Hereford United 2–1 Oxford United Hereford
Sinclair 32'
Marshall 89'
Duncan 52' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 5218
5 October 1977 11 Hereford United 1–0 Bury Hereford
Ritchie 63' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4902
8 October 1977 12 Colchester United 0–0 Hereford United Colchester
Stadium: Layer Road
Attendance: 4584
15 October 1977 13 Hereford United 0–0 Cambridge United Hereford
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 5181
22 October 1977 14 Bradford City 0–0 Hereford United Bradford
Stadium: Valley Parade
Attendance: 4645
29 October 1977 15 Hereford United 1–1 Port Vale Hereford
Carter 7' Sutcliffe 33' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3502
5 November 1977 16 Shrewsbury Town 3–0 Hereford United Shrewsbury
Irvine 4', 20', 75' (pen.) Stadium: Gay Meadow
Attendance: 6116
12 November 1977 17 Hereford United 3–2 Walsall Hereford
Marshall 37'
Emery 41'
W. Holmes 52'
Birch 13'
Buckley 66' (pen.)
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 5655
19 November 1977 18 Portsmouth 2–0 Hereford United Portsmouth
Kemp 72'
Pollock 87'
Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 8077
3 December 1977 19 Hereford United 1–1 Swindon Town Hereford
W. Holmes 62' McHale 78' (pen.) Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4541
10 December 1977 20 Wrexham 2–1 Hereford United Wrexham
Whittle 7'
Cartwright 44'
Sheedy 76' Stadium: Racecourse Ground
Attendance: 8813
27 December 1977 22 Exeter City 1–0 Hereford United Exeter
Bowker 68' Stadium: St James Park
Attendance: 6722
31 December 1977 23 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Hereford United Sheffield
Wylde 73' Stadium: Hillsborough
Attendance: 11,029
2 January 1978 24 Hereford United 1–1 Shrewsbury Town Hereford
Davey 68' Biggins 44' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 6392
7 January 1978 25 Gillingham 4–0 Hereford United Gillingham
Price 1', 45'
Richardson 56'
Nicholl 90'
Stadium: Priestfield
Attendance: 6765
14 January 1978 26 Hereford United 2–2 Chester Hereford
Emery 32'
Davey 59'
I. Edwards 43'
Jones 69'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4216
20 January 1978 27 Tranmere Rovers 2–1 Hereford United Birkenhead
Palios 21'
Moore 86'
Davey 79' Stadium: Prenton Park
Attendance: 4481
28 January 1978 28 Hereford United 1–3 Plymouth Argyle Hereford
Davey 9' Austin 7'
Craven 40'
Megson 74'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4737
11 February 1978 29 Hereford United 0–0 Preston North End Hereford
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4791
25 February 1978 30 Oxford United 3–0 Hereford United Oxford
Seacole 7'
Foley 71'
Curran 77'
Stadium: Manor Ground
Attendance: 3793
4 March 1978 31 Hereford United 1–0 Colchester United Hereford
Barton 44' (pen.) Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3831
8 March 1978 32 Hereford United 2–1 Chesterfield Hereford
Crompton 52'
Spiring 57'
Fern 77' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4602
11 March 1978 33 Cambridge United 2–0 Hereford United Cambridge
Finney 31'
Watson 60'
Stadium: Abbey Stadium
Attendance: 6252
18 March 1978 34 Hereford United 2–1 Bradford City Hereford
Layton 6'
Crompton 52'
McNiven 74' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4024
22 March 1978 35 Port Vale 1–0 Hereford United Stoke-on-Trent
Froggatt 10' Stadium: Vale Park
Attendance: 3220
25 March 1978 36 Hereford United 4–0 Exeter City Hereford
Stephens 1'
Crompton 12', 51'
Davey 27'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4436
28 March 1978 37 Peterborough United 2–1 Hereford United Peterborough
Butlin 44', 73' Sheedy 35' Stadium: London Road
Attendance: 5036
5 April 1978 39 Hereford United 1–1 Lincoln City Hereford
Marshall 86' Wigginton 15' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3974
8 April 1978 40 Walsall 2–0 Hereford United Walsall
Austin 1'
Bates 80'
Stadium: Fellows Park
Attendance: 5152
11 April 1978 41 Carlisle United 2–0 Hereford United Carlisle
McVitie 5', 63' Stadium: Brunton Park
Attendance: 3848
15 April 1978 42 Hereford United 0–2 Portsmouth Hereford
Garwood 27'
Denyer 31'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3893
18 April 1978 43 Rotherham United 1–0 Hereford United Rotherham
Finney 73' (pen.) Stadium: Millmoor
Attendance: 3244
22 April 1978 44 Swindon Town 1–0 Hereford United Swindon
Cunningham 51' Stadium: County Ground
Attendance: 4270
25 April 1978 45 Bury 1–1 Hereford United Bury
McIlwraith 72' Crompton 59' Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 2536
29 April 1978 46 Hereford United 1–1 Wrexham Hereford
Barton 28' Thomas 54' Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 10,183

[4][5]

League Cup

[edit]
13 August 1977 First round first leg Hereford United 2–0 Bournemouth Hereford
Carter 30'
McNeil 37'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3582
16 August 1977 First round second leg Bournemouth 4–2 Hereford United Bournemouth
Showers 2'
Barton 30' (pen.)
Johnson 68'
Howarth 73'
Spiring 1', 80' Stadium: Dean Court
Attendance: 2189
23 August 1977 First round replay Hereford United 1–2 (a.e.t.) Bournemouth Hereford
Davey 57' Paterson 71'
Barton 119'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 3334

[6][7]

FA Cup

[edit]
26 November 1977 First round Wealdstone 0–0 Hereford United Harrow
Stadium: Lower Mead
Attendance: 2603
29 November 1977 First round replay Hereford United 2–3 Wealdstone Hereford
Sheedy 2'
Davey 66'
Ferry 37', 58'
Moss 50'
Stadium: Edgar Street
Attendance: 4144

[6][8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Parrott 1998, pp. 44–47
  2. ^ Parrott 1998, p. 203
  3. ^ Rothmans 1978-79, pp. 233–234
  4. ^ Parrott 1998, pp. 198–201
  5. ^ Rothmans 1978-79, p. 232
  6. ^ a b Parrott 1998, pp. 202
  7. ^ Rothmans 1978-79, pp. 489–492
  8. ^ Rothmans 1978-79, pp. 477
Bibliography
  • Parrott, Ron (1998). Hereford United: The League Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-18-X.
  • Rothmans Football Yearbook 1978-79 (Editor: Ronnie Kerr). Queen Anne Press. 1978. ISBN 0354-09043-7.