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

Huddersfield Town
1977–78 season
Chairman England Keith Longbottom
Manager England John Haselden
(until 29 September 1977)
Scotland Tom Johnston
(from 29 September 1977)
Division Four 11th
FA Cup First Round
Football League Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League:
Mick Butler (17)
All:
Mick Butler (19)
Highest home attendance 8,577 vs Coventry City (30 August 1977)
Lowest home attendance 1,638 vs Bournemouth (29 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

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

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

Review

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

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

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

Results

Division Four

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

FA Cup

Date Round Opponents Home/

Away

Result

F–A

Scorers Attendance
26 November 1977 Round 1 Barnsley A 0–1 9,579

Football League Cup

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

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 EnglandFW17 (2)1000017 (2)1
Steve Baines EnglandDF2941040344
Jim Branagan EnglandDF2400000240
Malcolm Brown EnglandDF3011040351
Mick Butler EnglandMF41 (2)17104246 (2)19
Terry Eccles EnglandFW24 (5)3104229 (5)5
Martin Fowler EnglandMF5 (3)000005 (3)0
Paul Gartland EnglandDF10000010
Wayne Goldthorpe EnglandFW8 (3)300008 (3)3
Terry Gray EnglandFW451010415011
Peter Hart EnglandMF4101040460
Ian Holmes EnglandMF28 (1)7100029 (1)7
Peter Howey EnglandMF7 (2)1004011 (2)1
Johnny Jameson Northern IrelandMF10000010
Kevin Johnson EnglandFW42 (1)10104047 (1)10
Jim McCaffrey EnglandMF9 (3)00 (1)04014 (4)0
Brett Mellor EnglandDF10000010
Bob Mountford EnglandFW12 (2)4000012 (2)4
Phil Sandercock EnglandDF4511040501
Arnie Sidebottom EnglandDF2911000301
Alan Starling EnglandGK3201040370
Dave Sutton EnglandDF1400000140
Alan Sweeney ScotlandDF7 (1)000007 (1)0
Dick Taylor EnglandGK1400000140