1976–77 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1976–77 season
Chairman Albert Henshall
Manager Tony Waddington,
George Eastham
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 21st (34 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
League Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Garth Crooks (6)
All: Garth Crooks (6)
Highest home attendance 29,905 vs Liverpool (11 April 1977)
Lowest home attendance 12,225 vs Coventry City (16 February 1977)
Average home league attendance 19,027
Home colours

The 1976–77 season was Stoke City's 70th season in the Football League and the 46th in the First Division.

The roof of the Butler Street Stand was rebuilt at a massive cost of £250,000 and with the club unable to pay off the insurers they turned to the playing staff to generate the required funds and with the likes of Jimmy Greenhoff, Alan Hudson and Mike Pejic being sold off Tony Waddington had a threadbare squad and he left the club in March 1977. Former player George Eastham took over but was unable to prevent Stoke losing their First Division status, going down by a single point.[1]

Season review

League

The 1976–77 season opened with a new all steel Butler Street roof in place which would cost the sum of £250,000.[1] With the club struggling to pay the cost they had to begin a fire sale of their best players. Those who left the club included Sean Haslegrave to Norringham Forest for £35,000, Ian Moores to Tottenham Hotspur for £75,000, Jimmy Greenhoff to Manchester United for £100,000, Alan Hudson to Arsenal for £200,000 and Mike Pejic to Everton for £140,000.[1] These were indeed, body blows none more so than Jimmy Greenhoff leaving after he scored just over 100 goals for the club and was idolised by the supporters.[1]

The Stoke fans were totally confused at what was happening to their team and looked for someone to blame.[1] Goals were again in short supply, Stoke failed to find the back of the net for five successive league matches from late November to early January and in fact they managed just 28 goals all season, 21 at home a miserable 7 away.[1] Waddington's gambles on experienced player like John Tudor and Alan Suddick were not successful and after an awful defeat at home to Leicester City on 19 March 1977 Waddington's time at Stoke City was up.[1] He had spent 25 years at the Victoria Ground as manager, assistant and coach and is considered to be the club's greatest manager having helped them win their first major trophy in 1972.[1] He remained an avid supporter of the club until his death in 1994.[1]

Waddington's assistant George Eastham was put in temporary charge with coach Alan A'Court his assistant.[1] With the transfer deadline passed with no new players arrived, so Eastham turned towards the youth team to try to advert the drop, all to no avail and on a sad Monday evening at Villa Park in front of 29,000 fans, Stoke needing a win to stay up, lost 1–0 and were duly relegated to the second tier.[1]

FA Cup

Everton beat Stoke 2–0 in the third round on their way to the semi final.[1]

League Cup

Stoke beat Leeds United 2–1 and then lost badly 3–0 to Newcastle United.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
1Liverpool42231186233+2957
2Manchester City42211476034+2656
3Ipswich Town42228126639+2752
4Aston Villa42227137650+2651
5Newcastle United421813116449+1549
6Manchester United421811137162+947
7West Bromwich Albion421613136256+645
8Arsenal421611156459+543
9Everton421414146264–242
10Leeds United421512154851–342
11Leicester City421218124760–1342
12Middlesbrough421413154045–541
13Birmingham City421312176361+238
14Queens Park Rangers421312174752–538
15Derby County42919145055–537
16Norwich City42149194764–1737
17West Ham United421114174665–1936
18Bristol City421113183848–1035
19Coventry City421015174859–1135
20Sunderland421112194654–834
21Stoke City421014182851–2334
22Tottenham Hotspur42129214872–2433

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 21 August 1976 SunderlandH0–027,244
2 24 August 1976 Bristol CityA1–125,316Smith 86'
3 28 August 1976 Manchester CityA0–039,875
4 4 September 1976 West Ham UnitedH2–119,131Crooks 32', Conroy 52'
5 11 September 1976 EvertonA0–322,277
6 18 September 1976 Ipswich TownH2–120,171Tudor (2) 2', 19'
7 25 September 1976 Queens Park RangersA0–221,621
8 29 September 1976 Leicester CityA0–115,391
9 2 October 1976 Aston VillaH1–026,652Conroy 37'
10 16 October 1976 ArsenalA0–228,507
11 23 October 1976 Derby CountyH1–020,916Tudor 70'
12 30 October 1976 Newcastle UnitedA0–128,251
13 6 November 1976 MiddlesbroughH3–116,068Waddington 20', Greenhoff (2) 47', 54'
14 10 November 1976 Leeds UnitedA1–129,199Dodd 86'
15 20 November 1976 Birmingham CityH1–021,486Crooks 70'
16 27 November 1976 Tottenham HotspurA0–222,230
17 18 December 1976 West Bromwich AlbionH0–215,989
18 27 December 1976 LiverpoolA0–450,371
19 1 January 1977 MiddlesbroughA0–021,140
20 22 January 1977 SunderlandA0–022,901
21 29 January 1977 Norwich CityA1–118,408Salmons 48'
22 5 February 1977 Manchester CityH0–227,139
23 12 February 1977 West Ham UnitedA0–120,106
24 16 February 1977 Coventry CityH2–012,255Conroy (2) 1', 55' (pen)
25 19 February 1977 EvertonH0–119,586
26 26 February 1977 Ipswich TownA1–025,865Goodwin 37'
27 5 March 1977 Queens Park RangersH1–015,454Bowers 47'
28 15 March 1977 Newcastle UnitedH0–012,708
29 19 March 1977 Leicester CityH0–114,087
30 23 March 1977 ArsenalH1–113,951Conroy 7'
31 2 April 1977 Derby CountyA0–223,161
32 9 April 1977 Manchester UnitedA0–353,102
33 11 April 1977 LiverpoolH0–029,905
34 12 April 1977 Leeds UnitedH2–117,960Crooks (2) 67', 76'
35 16 April 1977 Birmingham CityA0–219,554
36 20 April 1977 Bristol CityH2–212,277Smith 56', Bloor 70'
37 23 April 1977 Tottenham HotspurH0–015,641
38 30 April 1977 Coventry CityA2–515,720Ruggiero (2) 40', 66' (pen)
39 7 May 1977 Norwich CityH0–013,202
40 11 May 1977 Manchester UnitedH3–324,632Crooks (2) 40', 65', Bloor 49'
41 14 May 1977 West Bromwich AlbionA1–322,772Suddick 22'
42 16 May 1977 Aston VillaA0–128,931

FA Cup

Main article: 1976–77 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R38 January 1977 EvertonA0–232,981

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R21 September 1976 Leeds UnitedH2–122,550Conroy 75', Greenhoff 89'
R322 September 1976 Newcastle UnitedA0–325,126

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Śląsk WrocławA1–0
2Indonesia XIA1–1
3Persebaya SurabayaA2–0
4AjaxA1–2
5AS CannesA2–0
6AS MonacoA0–1
7Olympique LyonnaisA1–2
8FC PortoA0–1
9GenoaA0–0
10Chirk AAAA6–0
11HibernianA1–0
12BlackpoolA4–2
13Hereford UnitedA0–1

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Roger Jones 20000020
GKEngland Peter Shilton 4001020430
DFEngland Alan Bloor 3721020402
DFEngland Danny Bowers 13(2)1101(1)015(3)1
DFEngland Alan Dodd 4211020451
DFEngland Paul Johnson 80000080
DFEngland John Lumsdon 12(1)0000012(1)0
DFEngland Jackie Marsh 16(1)0102019(1)0
DFEngland Mike Pejic 2100020230
DFEngland Denis Smith 3021000312
MFEngland Brian Bithell 16(1)0100017(1)0
MFRepublic of Ireland Terry Conroy 34(2)5002136(2)6
MFEngland Alan Hudson 1100020130
MFWales John Mahoney 2200020240
MFScotland Jimmy Robertson 1401000140
MFEngland Kevin Sheldon 7(2)000007(2)0
MFEngland Alan Suddick 91000091
MFEngland John Tudor 28(2)3100029(2)3
MFEngland Steve Waddington 11(1)1100012(1)1
FWEngland Geoff Salmons 33(2)1102036(2)1
FWEngland Garth Crooks 20(3)60(1)01(1)021(5)6
FWEngland Dave Goodwin 12(1)1000012(1)1
FWEngland Jimmy Greenhoff 1420021163
FWEngland John Ruggiero 92000092
FWEngland Dennis Thorley 10000010

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.

External links

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