1977–78 Hereford United F.C. season

August 2024 August 2024 Hereford United 1977–78 John Sillett (until February 1978)Tony Ford (caretaker) Frank Miles (until December 1977)Peter Hill Edgar Street Division Three 23rd League Cup First round FA Cup First round Steve Crompton and Steve Davey (5) Steve Davey (7) 10,183 v Wrexham, Division Three, 29 April 1978 3,334 v Bournemouth, League Cup, 23 August 1977 4,813 4–0 v Exeter City (H), Division Three, 25 March 1978 0–4 v Gillingham (A), Division Three, 7 January 1978 1976–77 1978–79 The 1977–78 season was the 49th 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 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 went down with a whimper after three draws and seven defeats in their 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.Parrott 1998 44–47 Squad Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1977-78 season Pos.Nat.NameLeagueLeague CupFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKENGKevin Charlton10000010GKSCOTommy Hughes1303000160GKENGPeter Mellor3200020340DFENGBryan Bouston4(2)000004(2)0DFENGPhil Burrows2603020310DFWALStuart Cornes1300000130DFENGSteve Emery3923020442DFENGDerek Jefferson1300000130DFENGJohn Layton4213020471DFWALJulian Marshall40(1)3302045(1)3DFENGChris Price1300000130DFSCOSteve Ritchie2411(1)00025(1)1MFENGFrank Barton1820000182MFENGLes Briley2713000301MFENGRoy Carter12(1)1312017(1)2MFWALKyle Holmes40000040MFENGAndy Proudlove6(5)0000(1)06(6)0MFIREKevin Sheedy33(1)32(1)02137(2)4MFENGPeter Spiring30(4)2322035(4)4MFENGKenny Stephens2610010271FWWALSteve Crompton23(2)5000023(2)5FWENGSteve Davey3153121367FWENGKeith Fear (on loan from Bristol City)60000060FWENGBilly Holmes9(6)2002011(6)2FWENGDixie McNeil733100104FWENGStewart Phillips10000010FWENGEric Redrobe0(1)000000(1)0FWSCOColin Sinclair1320000132 Parrott 1998 203Rothmans 1978-79 233–234 League table Third Division y HER Results Third Division 1977–78 Football League 1 20 August 1977 Chester 4–1 L Hereford United Kearney 13 59 pen.I. Edwards 18Mason 70 McNeil 34 Sealand Road Chester 3,276 2 27 August 1977 Hereford United 0–1 L Tranmere Rovers Allen 22 Edgar Street Hereford 4,062 3 3 September 1977 Plymouth Argyle 2–0 L Hereford United Trusson 57Rogers 84 Home Park Plymouth 5,732 4 7 September 1977 Hereford United 2–0 W Gillingham Sinclair 38Spiring 65 Edgar Street Hereford 3,441 5 10 September 1977 Hereford United 2–3 L Rotherham United Briley 67McNeil 89 Womble 36Rhodes 84Crawford 86 Edgar Street Hereford 4,393 6 14 September 1977 Chesterfield 2–1 L Hereford United Cammack 4Parker 42 McNeil 54 Saltergate Chesterfield 4,368 7 17 September 1977 Preston North End 0–0 D Hereford United Deepdale Preston 5,447 8 24 September 1977 Hereford United 1–0 W Carlisle United Sheedy 19 Edgar Street Hereford 3,750 9 28 September 1977 Lincoln City 0–0 D Hereford United Sincil Bank Lincoln 4,973 10 1 October 1977 Hereford United 2–1 W Oxford United Sinclair 32Marshall 89 Duncan 52 Edgar Street Hereford 5,218 11 5 October 1977 Hereford United 1–0 W Bury Ritchie 63 Edgar Street Hereford 4,902 12 8 October 1977 Colchester United 0–0 D Hereford United Layer Road Colchester 4,584 13 15 October 1977 Hereford United 0–0 D Cambridge United Edgar Street Hereford 5,181 14 22 October 1977 Bradford City 0–0 D Hereford United Valley Parade Bradford 4,645 15 29 October 1977 Hereford United 1–1 D Port Vale Carter 7 Sutcliffe 33 Edgar Street Hereford 3,502 16 5 November 1977 Shrewsbury Town 3–0 L Hereford United Irvine 4 20 75 pen. Gay Meadow Shrewsbury 6,116 17 12 November 1977 Hereford United 3–2 W Walsall Marshall 37Emery 41W. Holmes 52 Birch 13Buckley 66 pen. Edgar Street Hereford 5,655 18 19 November 1977 Portsmouth 2–0 L Hereford United Kemp 72Pollock 87 Fratton Park Portsmouth 8,077 19 3 December 1977 Hereford United 1–1 D Swindon Town W. Holmes 62 McHale 78 pen. Edgar Street Hereford 4,541 20 10 December 1977 Wrexham 2–1 L Hereford United Whittle 7Cartwright 44 Sheedy 76 Racecourse Ground Wrexham 8,813 21 26 December 1977 Hereford United 0–0 D Peterborough United Edgar Street Hereford 5,625 22 27 December 1977 Exeter City 1–0 L Hereford United Bowker 68 St James Park Exeter 6,722 23 31 December 1977 Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 L Hereford United Wylde 73 Hillsborough Sheffield 11,029 24 2 January 1978 Hereford United 1–1 D Shrewsbury Town Davey 68 Biggins 44 Edgar Street Hereford 6,392 25 7 January 1978 Gillingham 4–0 L Hereford United Price 1 45Richardson 56Nicholl 90 Priestfield Gillingham 6,765 26 14 January 1978 Hereford United 2–2 D Chester Emery 32Davey 59 I. Edwards 43Jones 69 Edgar Street Hereford 4,216 27 20 January 1978 Tranmere Rovers 2–1 L Hereford United Palios 21Moore 86 Davey 79 Prenton Park Birkenhead 4,481 28 28 January 1978 Hereford United 1–3 L Plymouth Argyle Davey 9 Austin 7Craven 40Megson 74 Edgar Street Hereford 4,737 29 11 February 1978 Hereford United 0–0 D Preston North End Edgar Street Hereford 4,791 30 25 February 1978 Oxford United 3–0 L Hereford United Seacole 7Foley 71Curran 77 Manor Ground Oxford 3,793 31 4 March 1978 Hereford United 1–0 W Colchester United Barton 44 pen. Edgar Street Hereford 3,831 32 8 March 1978 Hereford United 2–1 W Chesterfield Crompton 52Spiring 57 Fern 77 Edgar Street Hereford 4,602 33 11 March 1978 Cambridge United 2–0 L Hereford United Finney 31Watson 60 Abbey Stadium Cambridge 6,252 34 18 March 1978 Hereford United 2–1 W Bradford City Layton 6Crompton 52 McNiven 74 Edgar Street Hereford 4,024 35 22 March 1978 Port Vale 1–0 L Hereford United Froggatt 10 Vale Park Stoke-on-Trent 3,220 36 25 March 1978 Hereford United 4–0 W Exeter City Stephens 1Crompton 12 51Davey 27 Edgar Street Hereford 4,436 37 28 March 1978 Peterborough United 2–1 L Hereford United Butlin 44 73 Sheedy 35 London Road Peterborough 5,036 38 1 April 1978 Hereford United 0–1 L Sheffield Wednesday Wylde 78 Edgar Street Hereford 5,358 39 5 April 1978 Hereford United 1–1 D Lincoln City Marshall 86 Wigginton 15 Edgar Street Hereford 3,974 40 8 April 1978 Walsall 2–0 L Hereford United Austin 1Bates 80 Fellows Park Walsall 5,152 41 11 April 1978 Carlisle United 2–0 L Hereford United McVitie 5 63 Brunton Park Carlisle 3,848 42 15 April 1978 Hereford United 0–2 L Portsmouth Garwood 27Denyer 31 Edgar Street Hereford 3,893 43 18 April 1978 Rotherham United 1–0 L Hereford United Finney 73 pen. Millmoor Rotherham 3,244 44 22 April 1978 Swindon Town 1–0 L Hereford United Cunningham 51 County Ground Swindon 4,270 45 25 April 1978 Bury 1–1 D Hereford United McIlwraith 72 Crompton 59 Gigg Lane Bury 2,536 46 29 April 1978 Hereford United 1–1 D Wrexham Barton 28 Thomas 54 Edgar Street Hereford 10,183 Parrott 1998 198–201Rothmans 1978-79 232 League Cup 1977–78 Football League Cup First round first leg 13 August 1977 Hereford United 2–0 W Bournemouth Carter 30McNeil 37 Edgar Street Hereford 3,582 First round second leg 16 August 1977 Bournemouth 4–2 L Hereford United Showers 2Barton 30 pen.Johnson 68Howarth 73 Spiring 1 80 Dean Court Bournemouth 2,189 First round replay 23 August 1977 Hereford United 1–2 L yes Bournemouth Davey 57 Paterson 71Barton 119 Edgar Street Hereford 3,334 Parrott 1998 202Rothmans 1978-79 489–492 FA Cup 1977–78 FA Cup First round 26 November 1977 Wealdstone 0–0 D Hereford United Lower Mead Harrow 2,603 First round replay 29 November 1977 Hereford United 2–3 L Wealdstone Sheedy 2Davey 66 Ferry 37 58Moss 50 Edgar Street Hereford 4,144 Rothmans 1978-79 477 References Bibliography Parrott Ron Hereford United: The League Era - A Complete Record Desert Island Books 1998 1-874287-18-X Rothmans 1978-79 Rothmans Football Yearbook 1978-79 (Editor: Ronnie Kerr) 1978 Queen Anne Press 0354-09043-7 Category:Hereford United F.C. seasons Hereford United F.C.