1976–77 Northampton Town F.C. season

April 2022 Northampton Town F.C. 1976–77 Paddy Crerand Neville Ronson County Ground Division Three 22nd FA Cup First round League Cup First round Paul Stratford (12) Paul Stratford (13) 7,782 vs Brighton & Hove Albion 3,911 vs Chesterfield 5,750 1975–76 1977–78 The 1976–77 season was Northampton Town's 80th season in their history and the first season back in the Third Division following promotion the previous season. Alongside competing in Division Three, the club also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup. Players match played 7 May 1977.Rothmans Football Yearbook 1977/78, p.270. Name Position Nat. Place of birth Date of birth (age) Apps Goals Previous club Date signed Fee GoalkeepersJeff PartonGKWALSwansea1977 5 7 1953 2 24 y180BurnleySummer 1975 DefendersSteve BryantLBENGLondon1977 5 7 1953 9 5 y280Birmingham CityDecember 1976John GregoryUENGScunthorpe1977 5 7 1954 5 11 y20310ApprenticeSummer 1972N/AAlex MalcolmLBSCOHamilton1977 5 7 1956 2 13 y20Luton TownAugust 1976Stuart RobertsonCBENGNottingham1977 5 7 1946 12 16 y19420Doncaster RoversSummer 1972Barry TuckerFBWALSwansea1977 5 7 1952 8 28 y2022ApprenticeAugust 1970N/A MidfieldersBilly Best (c)USCOGlasgow1977 5 7 1942 9 7 y23353Southend UnitedSummer 1973Derrick ChristieWENGBletchley1977 5 7 1957 3 15 y897ApprenticeJanuary 1974N/AJohn FarringtonWENGLynemouth1977 5 7 1947 6 19 y12111Cardiff CitySummer 1974Don MartinUENGCorby1977 5 7 1944 2 15 y22372Blackburn RoversNovember 1975Andy McGowanCMENGCorby1977 5 7 1956 7 17 y778ApprenticeJune 1975N/AKeith WilliamsCMENGDudley1977 5 7 1957 4 12 y171Aston VillaFebruary 1977 ForwardsKeith BowenFWWALNorthampton1977 5 7 1958 2 26 y10ApprenticeSummer 1976N/AJim HallFWENGNorthampton1977 5 7 1945 3 21 y12534Peterborough UnitedSummer 1975Ray HaywoodFWENGDudley1977 5 7 1949 1 12 y132Shrewsbury TownMarch 1977George ReillyFWSCOBellshill1977 5 7 1957 9 14 y232Corby TownJune 1976Paul StratfordFWENGNorthampton1977 5 7 1955 9 4 y18661ApprenticeSummer 1972N/A Competitions Division Three 1976–77 Football League#Third Division League table y Third Division NOR Results summary 9 4 10 33 29 4 4 15 27 46 9 April 2020 April 2020 League position by match table b Round Ground A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/A/A Result D/L/W/D/L/L/L/L/L/W/L/W/L/D/L/W/L/D/L/L/L/L/L/W/W/L/L/D/W/W/W/L/L/W/W/L/D/W/L/L/W/D/L/D/L/L Position 14/16/8/9/14/19/22/23/24/20/22/20/21/22/23/22/23/23/23/23/23/23/23/23/23/24/24/24/24/21/22/22/22/20/17/20/20/20/21/21/20/19/19/19/20/22 Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss 1st 2nd 3rd blue1 red1 complete 11v11.com April 2020 Matches #CCFFCC Win 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFFFCC Draw 1px solid #AAAAAA #FFCCCC Loss 1px solid #AAAAAA 1976 8 21 y 15:00 BST 1 0–0 Chesterfield Northampton Town Saltergate Chesterfield 4,052 D 1976 8 25 y 19:30 BST 2 2–1 Sheffield Wednesday Northampton Town D.Christie Hillsborough Stadium Sheffield 11,684 G P Owen L 1976 8 28 y 15:00 BST 3 1–0 Northampton Town D.Christie Lincoln City County Ground Northampton 6,350 W 1976 9 4 y 15:00 BST 4 1–1 Gillingham Northampton Town J.Hall Priestfield Stadium Gillingham 5,375 D 1976 9 11 y 15:00 BST 5 1–2 Northampton Town S.Robertson Reading County Ground Northampton 6,176 L 1976 9 18 y 15:00 BST 6 3–0 Shrewsbury Town Northampton Town Gay Meadow Shrewsbury 4,191 L 1976 9 25 y 15:00 BST 7 0–1 Northampton Town Walsall County Ground Northampton 5,656 Colin Gardner L 1976 10 1 y 19:30 BST 8 0–2 Northampton Town Wrexham County Ground Northampton 5,114 Jim Bent L 1976 10 8 y 15:00 BST 9 2–1 Port Vale D.Brownbill J.Rogers Northampton Town S.Phillips Vale Park Burslem 3,962 L 1976 10 15 y 19:30 BST 10 3–1 Northampton Town J.Hall S.Robertson G.Reilly Portsmouth County Ground Northampton 4,805 W 1976 10 23 y 15:00 BST 11 5–1 http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19770112 Swindon Town T.Anderson 21 pen. 87 pen.D.Moss 43J.McLaughlin 79D.Syrett 89 Northampton Town A.McGowan 70 County Ground Swindon 7,483 Clive Thomas L 1976 10 26 y 19:30 GMT 12 1–4 York City Northampton Town D.Christie J.Farrington P.Stratford Bootham Crescent York 2,634 W 1976 10 30 y 15:00 GMT 13 0–2 Northampton Town Brighton & Hove Albion County Ground Northampton 7,782 Ken Salmon L 1976 11 2 y 19:30 GMT 14 2–2 Northampton Town P.Stratford o.g. Peterborough United County Ground Northampton 7,483 D 1976 11 6 y 15:00 GMT 15 3–0 Preston North End Northampton Town [ Deepdale Preston 7,306 L 1976 11 13 y 15:00 GMT 16 1–0 Northampton Town S.Robertson Oxford United County Ground Northampton 7,021 W 1976 11 27 y 15:00 GMT 17 2–1 Chester City A.Oakes I.Edwards Northampton Town S.Phillips Sealand Road Chester 3,721 L 1976 12 18 y 15:00 GMT 18 1–1 Crystal Palace Northampton Town A.McGowan Selhurst Park Selhurst, London 11,032 D 1976 12 27 y 15:00 GMT 19 1–4 Northampton Town J.Gregory Rotherham United County Ground Northampton 6,963 L 1977 1 1 y 15:00 GMT 20 0–1 Northampton Town Preston North End County Ground Northampton 5,024 L 1977 1 3 y 15:00 GMT 21 2–0 Brighton and Hove Albion Northampton Town Goldstone Ground Hove 22,517 L 1977 1 7 y 19:30 GMT 22 3–4 Northampton Town B.Best D.Martin P.Stratford Tranmere Rovers County Ground Northampton 4,267 L 1977 1 15 y 15:00 GMT 23 0–2 Northampton Town Sheffield Wednesday County Ground Northampton 5,828 L 1977 1 22 y 15:00 GMT 24 2–1 Northampton Town B.Best J.Gilligan Chesterfield County Ground Northampton 3,911 W 1977 1 29 y 15:00 GMT 25 0–1 Grimsby Town Northampton Town J.Farrington Blundell Park Cleethorpes 3,909 W 1977 2 5 y 15:00 GMT 26 5–4 Lincoln City Northampton Town B.Best S.Robertson Sincil Bank Lincoln 5,869 L 1977 2 12 y 15:00 GMT 27 1–2 Northampton Town J.Farrington Gillingham County Ground Northampton 4,391 L 1977 2 15 y 19:30 GMT 28 1–1 Bury Northampton Town J.Farrington Gigg Lane Bury 3,809 D 1977 2 19 y 15:00 GMT 29 2–4 Reading Northampton Town D.Christie A.McGowan P.Stratford Elm Park Reading 5,051 W 1977 2 26 y 15:00 GMT 30 5–3 Northampton Town B.Best J.Gregory D.Martin P.Stratford Shrewsbury Town County Ground Northampton 5,112 W 1977 3 5 y 15:00 GMT 31 0–3 Walsall Northampton Town D.Martin P.Stratford Fellows Park Walsall 4,806 W 1977 3 8 y 19:30 GMT 32 0–1 Northampton Town Mansfield Town County Ground Northampton 7,283 L 1977 3 12 y 15:00 GMT 33 3–1 Wrexham Northampton Town B.Best Racecourse Ground Wrexham, Wales 6,775 L 1977 3 15 y 19:30 GMT 34 3–0 Northampton Town J.Gregory R.Haywood P.Stratford Crystal Palace County Ground Northampton 6,253 W 1977 3 19 y 15:00 GMT 35 3–0 Northampton Town B.Best P.Stratford Port Vale County Ground Northampton 5,808 W 1977 3 26 y 15:00 BST 36 2–1 Portsmouth Northampton Town P.Stratford Fratton Park Portsmouth 9,195 L 1977 4 1 y 19:30 BST 37 1–1 http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19770134 Northampton Town B.Best 77 Swindon Town C.Prophett 83 County Ground Northampton 5,609 D 1977 4 9 y 15:00 BST 38 3–0 Northampton Town B.Best P.Stratford o.g. Bury County Ground Northampton 5,262 W 1977 4 11 y 15:00 BST 39 2–0 Rotherham United Northampton Town Millmoor Rotherham 7,286 L 1977 4 12 y 19:30 BST 40 3–1 Peterborough United Northampton Town J.Gregory London Road Peterborough 7,286 L 1977 4 16 y 15:00 BST 41 3–0 Northampton Town B.Best G.Reilly K.Williams York City County Ground Northampton 5,427 W 1977 4 19 y 19:30 BST 42 0–0 Northampton Town Grimsby Town County Ground Northampton 5,699 D 1977 4 23 y 15:00 BST 43 1–0 Oxford United Northampton Town Manor Ground Oxford 5,075 L 1977 4 29 y 19:30 BST 44 0–0 Northampton Town Chester City County Ground Northampton 5,015 D 1977 5 2 y 15:00 BST 45 2–1 Tranmere Rovers Northampton Town R.Haywood Prenton Park Birkenhead 2,030 L 1977 5 7 y 15:00 BST 46 3–0 Mansfield Town Northampton Town Field Mill Mansfield 11,314 L FA Cup 1976–77 FA Cup 1976 11 20 y 15:00 GMT First round 2–0 Leatherhead Northampton Town Fetcham Grove Leatherhead 3,550 L League Cup 1976–77 Football League Cup 1976 8 14 y 19:30 BST First round 1st leg 3–2 http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19770701 Swindon Town K.Stroud 24H.Goddard 75D.Syrett 85 Northampton Town D.Christie J.Gregory County Ground Swindon 6,353 L 1976 8 18 y 19:30 BST First round 2nd leg 2–0 http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/MatchCentre.asp?MatchID=19770702 Northampton Town D.Martin P.Stratford Swindon Town County Ground Northampton 7,037 W 1976 8 31 y 19:30 BST Second round 0–1 Northampton Town Huddersfield Town County Ground Northampton 6,641 L Appearances and goals Pos Position Player Division Three FA Cup League Cup Total Starts Sub Goals Starts Sub Goals Starts Sub Goals Starts Sub Goals GK Jeff Parton 12 – – 1 – – – – – 13 – – DF Steve Bryant 28 – – – – – – – – 28 – – DF John Gregory 46 – 4 1 – – 3 – 1 50 – 5 DF Alex Malcolm 2 – – – – – – – – 2 – – DF Stuart Robertson 41 – 4 1 – – 3 – – 45 – 4 DF Barry Tucker 37 – – 1 – – 3 – – 41 – – MF Billy Best 40 – 11 1 – – 3 – – 44 – 11 MF Derrick Christie 37 7 5 1 – – 3 – 1 41 7 6 MF John Farrington 35 6 4 – 1 – – 2 – 35 9 4 MF Andy McGowan 25 6 4 – – – 3 – – 28 6 4 MF Don Martin 32 5 3 1 – – 3 – 1 36 5 4 MF Keith Williams 17 – 1 – – – – – – 17 – 1 FW Keith Bowen – 1 – – – – – – – – 1 – FW Ray Haywood 11 2 2 – – – – – – 11 2 2 FW George Reilly 19 3 2 1 – – – – – 20 3 2 FW Paul Stratford 40 2 12 1 – – 3 – 1 44 2 13 Players who left before end of season: GK Alan Starling 26 – – – – – 3 – – 29 – – GK Bob Ward 8 – – – – – – – – 8 – – DF Dave Carlton 6 – – – – – – – – 6 – – DF Ian Ross 2 – – – – – – – – 2 – – MF John Gilligan 5 – 1 – – – – – – 5 – 1 FW Keith Bowker 4 – – – – – – – – 4 – – FW Jim Hall 11 – 2 1 – – 3 – – 15 – 2 FW Bobby Owen 5 – – – – – – – – 5 – – FW Steve Phillips 16 1 2 1 – – 3 – – 20 1 2 References Books Grande, Frank Northampton Town F.C.: The Official Centenary History 1997 Yore Publications London 978-1874427674 1976-77 Northampton Town