1977–78 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season
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.
| 1977–78 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman |  |
| Manager | (until 29 September 1977)  (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) |
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.
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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.
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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
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| 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 | | FW | 17 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 (2) | 1 |
| Steve Baines | | DF | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 4 |
| Jim Branagan | | DF | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Malcolm Brown | | DF | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| Mick Butler | | MF | 41 (2) | 17 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 46 (2) | 19 |
| Terry Eccles | | FW | 24 (5) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 29 (5) | 5 |
| Martin Fowler | | MF | 5 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (3) | 0 |
| Paul Gartland | | DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Wayne Goldthorpe | | FW | 8 (3) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 (3) | 3 |
| Terry Gray | | FW | 45 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 50 | 11 |
| Peter Hart | | MF | 41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
| Ian Holmes | | MF | 28 (1) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 (1) | 7 |
| Peter Howey | | MF | 7 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 (2) | 1 |
| Johnny Jameson |  | MF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kevin Johnson | | FW | 42 (1) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 47 (1) | 10 |
| Jim McCaffrey | | MF | 9 (3) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 14 (4) | 0 |
| Brett Mellor | | DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bob Mountford | | FW | 12 (2) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 (2) | 4 |
| Phil Sandercock | | DF | 45 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
| Arnie Sidebottom | | DF | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| Alan Starling | | GK | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Dave Sutton | | DF | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Alan Sweeney | | DF | 7 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 (1) | 0 |
| Dick Taylor | | GK | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |