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1977–78 Birmingham City F.C. season

FieldValue
clubBirmingham City F.C.
season1977–78
manager
chairmanKeith Coombs
stdtitleGround
stadiumSt Andrew's
leagueFootball League First Division
league result11th
cup1FA Cup
cup1 resultFourth round
(eliminated by Derby County)
cup2League Cup
cup2 resultSecond round
(eliminated by Notts County)
cup3Anglo-Scottish Cup
cup3 resultGroup stage
league topscorerTrevor Francis (25)
season topscorerTrevor Francis (29)
highest attendance33,679 vs Aston Villa, 25 February 1978
lowest attendance9,512 vs Bristol City, Anglo-Scottish Cup, 12 August 1977
average attendance23,910
pattern_la1_whitelines
pattern_b1_shoulder_stripes_white_stripes
pattern_ra1_whitelines
pattern_sh1_blue_stripes_adidas
pattern_so1_color_3_stripes_blue
leftarm10000ff
body10000ff
rightarm10000ff
prevseason1976–77
nextseason1978–79

(eliminated by Derby County) (eliminated by Notts County) The 1977–78 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 75th in the Football League and their 44th in the First Division. They finished in 11th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1977–78 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Derby County in the fourth, and lost to Notts County in their opening second-round match in the League Cup. They entered the Anglo-Scottish Cup but failed to progress past the group stage.

Twenty-two players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were ten different goalscorers. Forward pairing Keith Bertschin and Trevor Francis played in all 48 first-team matches of the season – midfielder Terry Hibbitt missed only one – and Francis was the club's top scorer with 29 goals, of which 25 were scored in the league. Both Francis and Hibbitt had been ever-present in the previous season.

After defeats in the first four league matches of the season, Willie Bell was sacked in September and succeeded by former England national manager Sir Alf Ramsey, a member of the club's board of directors. Ramsey lasted only six months, leaving the club ostensibly for health reasons, but his biography suggests he was "locked in an increasingly bitter three-way dispute with his star player, Trevor Francis, and the board". After initially accepting a transfer request from Francis, the board changed their minds, reluctant to "incur the wrath of already disgruntled fans", so Ramsey handed in his notice. The Times reported that "Sir Alf said he told the board [in February] that he intended to quit and sever his links with the club. ... He said at a board meeting on February 20 he recommended both Francis and the defender, Joe Gallagher, should be transfer listed. The board agreed but three days later changed their minds about Francis. Sir Alf said he then decided to opt out because of the board's policy." Blackburn Rovers manager Jim Smith took over, having decided, according to the Rovers' website, that "Birmingham City offered better career prospects".

Football League First Division

Main article: 1977–78 Football League

DateLeague
positionOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–AScorersAttendance20 August 197724 August 197727 August 19773 September 197710 September 197717 September 197724 September 19771 October 19774 October 19778 October 197715 October 197722 October 197729 October 19775 November 197712 November 197719 November 197726 November 19773 December 197710 December 197717 December 197726 December 197727 December 197731 December 19772 January 197814 January 197821 January 19784 February 197825 February 197828 February 19784 March 197815 March 197818 March 197821 March 197825 March 197828 March 19781 April 19788 April 197811 April 197815 April 197822 April 197825 April 197829 April 1978
21stManchester UnitedHL1–4Hibbitt28,005
22ndChelseaAL0–218,108
22ndLeeds UnitedAL0–124,551
22ndLiverpoolHL0–128,239
20thMiddlesbroughAW2–1Francis 219,240
18thNewcastle UnitedHW3–0Connolly, Bertschin 219,259
19thWest Bromwich AlbionAL1–3Connolly29,115
16thAston VillaAW1–0Bertschin45,436
13thQueens Park RangersHW2–1Francis 221,304
16thCoventry CityHD1–1Francis pen27,412
16thIpswich TownAL2–5Francis 221,313
15thDerby CountyHW3–1Hibbitt 2, Towers23,108
14thArsenalAD1–1Bertschin31,355
11thWolverhampton WanderersHW2–1Francis, Hibbitt28,103
14thEvertonAL1–2Bertschin37,743
14thLeicester CityHD1–1Francis21,208
16thNorwich CityAL0–116,800
16thNottingham ForestHL0–229,925
18thManchester CityAL0–336,671
18thEvertonHD0–022,177
18thWest Ham UnitedAL0–125,572
18thBristol CityHW3–0Gallagher, Towers, Francis24,110
18thChelseaHL4–5Bertschin, Francis 2, Hibbitt19,876
16thManchester UnitedAW2–1Dillon, Francis53,501
18thLeeds UnitedHL2–3Bertschin, Connolly23,703
17thLiverpoolAW3–2Emmanuel, Bertschin, Francis48,401
18thMiddlesbroughHL1–2Gallagher14,302
17thAston VillaHW1–0Francis33,679
17thWest Bromwich AlbionHL1–2Francis26,633
18thCoventry CityAL0–422,925
18thNewcastle UnitedAD1–1Francis19,486
18thDerby CountyAW3–1Connolly, Francis, Bertschin19,843
18thArsenalHD1–1Francis22,087
15thBristol CityAW1–0Francis21,434
13thWest Ham UnitedHW3–0Francis 2 (1 pen), Bertschin23,554
12thWolverhampton WanderersAW1–0Francis19,926
12thNorwich CityHW2–1Gallagher, Francis20,858
10thIpswich TownHD0–019,289
9thLeicester CityAW4–1Hibbitt, Pendrey, Bertschin, Francis15,431
11thManchester CityHL1–4Sbragia25,294
11thQueens Park RangersAD0–016,049
11thNottingham ForestAD0–037,625

League table (part)

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts9th10th11th12th13th
Leeds United421810146353+1046
Manchester United421610166763+442
Birmingham City42169175560−541
Derby County421413155459−541
Norwich City421118135266−1440

FA Cup

Main article: 1977–78 FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–AScorersAttendanceThird roundFourth round
7 January 1978Wigan AthleticHW4–0Francis 2, Bertschin 229,202
1 February 1978Derby CountyAL1–2Bertschin31,955

League Cup

Main article: 1977–78 Football League Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–AScorersAttendanceSecond round
30 August 1977Notts CountyHL0–214,993

Anglo-Scottish Cup

Main article: 1977–78 Anglo-Scottish Cup

RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScore
F–AScorersAttendanceGroup stageGroup stageGroup stage
5 August 1977Plymouth ArgyleAD1–1Craven og5,176
9 August 1977Bristol RoversAD1–1Francis2,317
12 August 1977Bristol CityHW1–0Francis9,512

Appearances and goals

:Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute. :Players marked left the club during the playing season. :Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

Pos.Nat.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupAnglo-Scottish CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsDave LatchfordJimmy MontgomerySteve SmithJimmy CalderwoodJoe GallagherPat HowardGarry PendreyMick RathboneRicky SbragiaArchie StylesTony WantKevan BroadhurstJohn ConnollyKevin DillonGary EmmanuelSteve FoxTerry HibbittGary JonesMalcolm PageTony TowersKeith BertschinTrevor Francis
GKENG1000000010
GKENG410101030460
GKENG0010000010
DFSCO36020100 (1)039 (1)0
DFENG213200000233
DFENG350201000380
DFENG371101030421
DFENG2000002040
DFSCO5100002071
DFENG5 (1)01000006 (1)0
DFENG180001030220
MFENG9 (1)00000009 (1)0
MFSCO12 (8)410003016 (8)4
MFENG16 (1)120000018 (1)2
MFWAL20 (2)110000021 (2)1
MFENG10 (1)000000010 (1)0
MFENG416201030476
MFENG3 (2)00000306 (2)0
MFWAL29 (1)000103033 (1)0
MFENG37 (1)220102042 (1)2
FWENG42112310304814
FWENG42252210324829

Sources

  • For match dates and results:
  • For lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 390–91, 478.

References

References

  1. "Birmingham City Managers". Birmingham City F.C.
  2. McKinstry, Leo. (2006). "Sir Alf". Harper Sport.
  3. (9 March 1978). "Francis issue caused Sir Alf to quit". The Times.
  4. (2 July 2007). "1975–1984: The bald eagle has landed". Blackburn Rovers F.C.
  5. "Birmingham City 1977–1978 : English Division One (old) Table". Statto Organisation.
Info: Wikipedia Source

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