1978–79 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

During the 1978–79 English football season, West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. The club enjoyed their highest league finish since 1953-54 when they were runners-up.[1]

West Bromwich Albion
1978–79 season
ManagerRon Atkinson
StadiumThe Hawthorns
Football League First Division3rd
FA CupFifth round
League CupSecond round
UEFA CupQuarter-finals
Tennent Caledonian CupSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
All: Brown (18)
Highest home attendance36,175 v Coventry City
Lowest home attendance17,499 v Southampton
Average home league attendance28,929 (27,456 league)

Season summary

West Bromwich Albion enjoyed one of their finest seasons to date during Ron Atkinson's first season in charge of the Midlanders, finishing in third place - nine points behind champions Liverpool - to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Integral to Albion's success were the "Three Degrees", Brendan Batson, Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis, but Cunningham left at the end of the season to join Spanish side Real Madrid. The season was also memorable for club legend Tony "The Bomber" Brown as the goal he scored in a 2-1 defeat against Leeds United in February was his 209th Football League goal for the club, overtaking Ronnie Allen's club record in the process.[2]

Albion made two big money signings during the course of the season, bringing in David Mills from Middlesbrough in January 1979 for a club record £516,000.[2] Mills however struggled to get into the team and when he left the club for Sheffield Wednesday in 1983 it was for half a million pounds less than Albion had paid for him.[3] Willie Johnston, who had been sent home from the 1978 FIFA World Cup after failing a drug test, left the club for Vancouver Whitecaps on a £100,000 deal.[2]

Albion's form the previous season had meant that they had qualified for the UEFA Cup and it proved a comparatively successful campaign in Europe for the club. Albion reached the quarter finals, having defeated Galatasaray, Braga and Valencia before losing to Red Star Belgrade. Albion had reached the quarter finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup but this season represented the first occasion on which they had successfully negotiated three rounds of a European competition in one season.[4]

Cunningham, Regis and Derek Statham were named in the First Division PFA Team of the Year.[5]

Kit

West Bromwich Albion's kit was manufactured by English company Umbro.

Squad
NamePosFL appsFL goalsFAC appsFAC goalsFLC appsFLC goalsUEFA appsUEFA goals
Tony GoddenGK42006030?0
Brendan BatsonDF41006130?0
Derek StathamDF39016030?0
John WileDF42026130?0
Ally RobertsonDF39006030?0
Martyn BennettDF01000000?0
Tony BrownMF31106010?2
Bryan RobsonMF41075030?2
Willie JohnstonMF07001020?0
Len CantelloMF32033020?0
John TrewickMF21033010?1
Mick MartinMF01000010?0
Laurie CunninghamFW40096330?3
Cyrille RegisFW39136130?4
Ally BrownFW41186530?1
David MillsFW1803400000
Kevin SummerfieldFW02010000?0

Sources:[4][6]
Key:

  • Pos = position in which player generally featured
  • GK = goalkeeper
  • DF = defender
  • MF = midfielder
  • FW = Forward
  • FL = Football League
  • FAC = FA Cup
  • FLC = Football League Cup
  • UEFA = UEFA Cup
  • apps = appearances in competition
  • goals = goals scored in competition

Results

First Division
DateOpponent[7]Result[8]Albion Scorers
19-08-1978Ipswich Town2-1A. Brown, T. Brown (23,674)
22-08-1978Queens Park Rangers1-0Howe (own goal) (15,481)
26-08-1978Bolton Wanderers4-0A. Brown 2, Cunningham, Regis (24,095)
02-09-1978Nottingham Forest0-0(28,239)
09-09-1978Norwich City2-2Cunningham, Robson (23,893)
16-09-1978Derby County2-3Regis, Cunningham (23,772)
23-09-1978Liverpool1-1Cunningham (35,864)
30-09-1978Chelsea3-1Regis, Wile, T. Brown (21,022)
07-10-1978Tottenham Hotspur0-1(33,068)
14-10-1978Leeds United3-1T. Brown, Regis 2 (25,931)
21-10-1978Coventry City7-1Cantello, Cunningham 2, Regis 2, T. Brown, Statham (29,409)
28-10-1978Manchester City2-2Regis, Robson (40,521)
04-11-1978Birmingham City1-0Trewick (32,131)
11-11-1978Ipswich Town1-0A. Brown (21,980)
18-11-1978Bolton Wanderers1-0A. Brown (22,278)
25-11-1978Aston Villa1-1T. Brown (36,166)
09-12-1978Middlesbrough2-0Regis, Cantello (19,865)
16-12-1978Wolverhampton Wanderers3-0A. Brown 2, T. Brown (29,117)
26-12-1978Arsenal2-1Robson, A. Brown (40,055)
30-12-1978Manchester United5-3T. Brown 2, Cantello, Cunningham, Regis (45,091)
01-01-1979Bristol City3-1A. Brown 2, Wile (35,768)
13-01-1979Norwich City1-1Regis (20,081)
03-02-1979Liverpool1-2A. Brown (52,311)
24-02-1979Leeds United1-2T. Brown (29,846)
03-04-1979Coventry City3-1Robson, A. Brown, Mills (25,676)
14-03-1979Chelsea1-0A. Brown (20,472)
24-03-1979Queens Park Rangers2-1A. Brown, Cunningham (21,063)
26-03-1979Derby County2-1Cunningham, A. Brown (19,801)
04-04-1979Manchester City4-0Trewick, Power (own goal), Mills, Summerfield (22,960)
07-04-1979Everton1-0A. Brown (29,593)
13-04-1979Southampton1-1Regis (22,063)
14-04-1979Arsenal1-1T. Brown (28,539)
17-04-1979Bristol City0-1(30,191)
21-04-1979Wolverhampton Wanderers1-1Robson (32,395)
24-04-1979Birmingham City1-1Robson (19,897)
28-04-1979Middlesbrough1-1A. Brown (18,083)
01-05-1979Everton2-0Mills, Robson (30,083)
05-05-1979Manchester United1-0Regis (29,960)
08-05-1979Southampton1-0A. Brown (17,499)
11-05-1979Aston Villa1-0Trewick (36,991)
14-05-1979Tottenham Hotspur0-1(24,789)
18-05-1979Nottingham Forest0-1(30,510)

source:[2]

FA Cup
DateRoundOpponent[7]Result[8]Albion Scorers
09-01-1979ThirdCoventry City2-2Cunningham, A. Brown (38,046)
15-01-1979Third (replay)Coventry City4-0Batson, T. Brown 2, A. Brown (36,175)
26-02-1979FourthLeeds United3-3Cunningham, A. Brown, Regis (35,434)
01-03-1979Fourth (replay)Leeds United2-0 (AET)Wile, A. Brown (32,143)
10-03-1979FifthSouthampton1-1A. Brown (33,789)
12-03-1979Fifth (replay)Southampton1-2 (AET)Cunningham

(25,755)

Source:[2]

League Cup
DateRoundOpponent[7]Result[8]Albion Scorers
29-08-1978SecondLeeds United0-0(25,188)
06-09-1978Second (replay)Leeds United0-0 (AET)(29,316)
02-10-1978Second (2nd replay)Leeds United0-1(8,164) (Played at Maine Road)

NB: The second replay was held at the neutral venue of Maine Road.[2]

UEFA Cup
DateRoundOpponent[7]Result[8]Albion Scorers
13-09-1978First (1st leg)Galatasaray3-1Robson, Regis, Cunningham (38,443)
27-09-1978First (2nd leg)Galatasaray3-1Robson, Cunningham, Trewick (26,380)
18-10-1978Second (1st leg)Braga2-0Regis 2 (31,283)
01-11-1978Second (2nd leg)Braga1-0A. Brown (30,086)
22-11-1978Third (1st leg)Valencia1-1A. Brown (47,746)
06-12-1978Third (2nd leg)Valencia2-0T Brown 2 (36,118)
07-03-1979Quarter final (1st leg)Red Star Belgrade0-1(95,300)
21-03-1979Quarter final (2nd leg)Red Star Belgrade1-1Regis (C. 35,987)

Source:[4]

Friendlies
  • 21 February: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Nottingham Forest

References
  1. Tony Matthews, West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record, Breedon Books, 2007, pp. 168-169
  2. Matthews, West Bromwich Albion, p. 334
  3. Glen Willmore, The Hawthorns Encyclopedia, Mainstream Publishing, 1996, p. 121
  4. Jack Rollin, The Guinness Football Fact Book, Guinness Publishing, 1993, p. 197
  5. Lynch, Tony (1995). The Official P.F.A. Footballers Heroes. Random House. p. 142. ISBN 0-09-179135-9.
  6. Matthews, West Bromwich Albion, p. 335
  7. Matches in bold indicate Albion home games
  8. Albion goals first

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