1977–78 Hereford United F.C. season

Hereford United

1977–78 season
Chairman	Frank Miles (until December 1977) Peter Hill
Manager	John Sillett (until February 1978) Tony Ford (caretaker)
Stadium	Edgar Street
Division Three	23rd
League Cup	First round
FA Cup	First round
Top goalscorer	League: Steve Crompton and Steve Davey (5) All: Steve Davey (7)
Highest home attendance	10,183 v Wrexham, Division Three, 29 April 1978
Lowest home attendance	3334 v Bournemouth, League Cup first round replay, 23 August 1977
Average home league attendance	4813
Biggest win	4–0 v Exeter City (H), Division Three, 25 March 1978
Biggest defeat	0–4 v Gillingham (A), Division Three, 7 January 1978
← 1976–77 1978–79 →

The 1977–78 season was the 48th 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.

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 then finished the season with three draws and seven defeats from the 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.^[1]

Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1977-78 season

Pos.	Nat.	Name	League		League Cup		FA Cup		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	ENG	Kevin Charlton	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
GK	SCO	Tommy Hughes	13	0	3	0	0	0	16	0
GK	ENG	Peter Mellor	32	0	0	0	2	0	34	0
DF	ENG	Bryan Bouston	4(2)	0	0	0	0	0	4(2)	0
DF	ENG	Phil Burrows	26	0	3	0	2	0	31	0
DF	WAL	Stuart Cornes	13	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
DF	ENG	Steve Emery	39	2	3	0	2	0	44	2
DF	ENG	Derek Jefferson	13	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
DF	ENG	John Layton	42	1	3	0	2	0	47	1
DF	WAL	Julian Marshall	40(1)	3	3	0	2	0	45(1)	3
DF	ENG	Chris Price	13	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
DF	SCO	Steve Ritchie	24	1	1(1)	0	0	0	25(1)	1
MF	ENG	Frank Barton	18	2	0	0	0	0	18	2
MF	ENG	Les Briley	27	1	3	0	0	0	30	1
MF	ENG	Roy Carter	12(1)	1	3	1	2	0	17(1)	2
MF	WAL	Kyle Holmes	4	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
MF	ENG	Andy Proudlove	6(5)	0	0	0	0(1)	0	6(6)	0
MF	IRE	Kevin Sheedy	33(1)	3	2(1)	0	2	1	37(2)	4
MF	ENG	Peter Spiring	30(4)	2	3	2	2	0	35(4)	4
MF	ENG	Kenny Stephens	26	1	0	0	1	0	27	1
FW	WAL	Steve Crompton	23(2)	5	0	0	0	0	23(2)	5
FW	ENG	Steve Davey	31	5	3	1	2	1	36	7
FW	ENG	Keith Fear (on loan from Bristol City)	6	0	0	0	0	0	6	0
FW	ENG	Billy Holmes	9(6)	2	0	0	2	0	11(6)	2
FW	ENG	Dixie McNeil	7	3	3	1	0	0	10	4
FW	ENG	Stewart Phillips	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
FW	ENG	Eric Redrobe	0(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0(1)	0
FW	SCO	Colin Sinclair	13	2	0	0	0	0	13	2

^[2][3]

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion or relegation
20	Rotherham United	46	13	13	20	51	68	−17	39
21	Port Vale	46	8	20	18	46	67	−21	36	Relegated
22	Bradford City	46	12	10	24	56	86	−30	34
23	Hereford United	46	9	14	23	34	60	−26	32
24	Portsmouth	46	7	17	22	41	75	−34	31

^[4][5]

^[6][7]

^[6][8]

Bibliography

• Parrott, Ron (1998). Hereford United: The League Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-18-X.
• Rothmans Football Yearbook 1978-79 (Editor: Ronnie Kerr). Queen Anne Press. 1978. ISBN 0354-09043-7.