1978–79 West Bromwich Albion F.C. season

During the 1978–79 English football season, West Bromwich Albion F.C. competed in the Football League First Division. The club enjoyed their highest league finish since 1953-54 when they were runners-up.^[1]

Season summary

West Bromwich Albion enjoyed one of their finest seasons to date during Ron Atkinson's first season in charge of the Midlanders, finishing in third place - nine points behind champions Liverpool - to qualify for the UEFA Cup. Integral to Albion's success were the "Three Degrees", Brendan Batson, Laurie Cunningham and Cyrille Regis, but Cunningham left at the end of the season to join Spanish side Real Madrid. The season was also memorable for club legend Tony "The Bomber" Brown as the goal he scored in a 2-1 defeat against Leeds United in February was his 209th Football League goal for the club, overtaking Ronnie Allen's club record in the process.^[2]

Albion made two big money signings during the course of the season, bringing in David Mills from Middlesbrough in January 1979 for a club record £516,000.^[2] Mills however struggled to get into the team and when he left the club for Sheffield Wednesday in 1983 it was for half a million pounds less than Albion had paid for him.^[3] Willie Johnston, who had been sent home from the 1978 FIFA World Cup after failing a drug test, left the club for Vancouver Whitecaps on a £100,000 deal.^[2]

Albion's form the previous season had meant that they had qualified for the UEFA Cup and it proved a comparatively successful campaign in Europe for the club. Albion reached the quarter finals, having defeated Galatasaray, Braga and Valencia before losing to Red Star Belgrade. Albion had reached the quarter finals of the 1968–69 European Cup Winners' Cup but this season represented the first occasion on which they had successfully negotiated three rounds of a European competition in one season.^[4]

Kit

West Bromwich Albion's kit was manufactured by English company Umbro.

Squad

Name	Pos	FL apps	FL goals	FAC apps	FAC goals	FLC apps	UEFA apps	UEFA goals
Tony Godden	GK	42	00	6	0	3	?	0
Brendan Batson	DF	41	00	6	1	3	?	0
Derek Statham	DF	39	01	6	0	3	?	0
John Wile	DF	42	02	6	1	3	?	0
Ally Robertson	DF	39	00	6	0	3	?	0
Martyn Bennett	DF	01	00	0	0	0	?	0
Tony Brown	MF	31	10	6	0	1	?	2
Bryan Robson	MF	41	07	5	0	3	?	2
Willie Johnston	MF	07	00	1	0	2	?	0
Len Cantello	MF	32	03	3	0	2	?	0
John Trewick	MF	21	03	3	0	1	?	1
Mick Martin	MF	01	00	0	0	1	?	0
Laurie Cunningham	FW	40	09	6	3	3	?	3
Cyrille Regis	FW	39	13	6	1	3	?	4
Ally Brown	FW	41	18	6	5	3	?	1
David Mills	FW	18	03	4	0	0	0	0
Kevin Summerfield	FW	02	01	0	0	0	?	0

Sources:^[4]^[5]
Key:

Pos = position in which player generally featured
GK = goalkeeper
DF = defender
MF = midfielder
FW = Forward
FL = Football League
FAC = FA Cup
FLC = Football League Cup
UEFA = UEFA Cup
apps = appearances in competition
goals = goals scored in competition

Results

First Division

Date	Opponent^[6]	Result^[7]	Albion Scorers
19-08-1978	Ipswich Town	2-1	A. Brown, T. Brown (23,674)
22-08-1978	Queens Park Rangers	1-0	Howe (own goal) (15,481)
26-08-1978	Bolton Wanderers	4-0	A. Brown 2, Cunningham, Regis (24,095)
02-09-1978	Nottingham Forest	0-0	(28,239)
09-09-1978	Norwich City	2-2	Cunningham, Robson (23,893)
16-09-1978	Derby County	2-3	Regis, Cunningham (23,772)
23-09-1978	Liverpool	1-1	Cunningham (35,772)
30-09-1978	Chelsea	3-1	Regis, Wile, T. Brown (21,022)
07-10-1978	Tottenham Hotspur	0-1	(33,068)
14-10-1978	Leeds United	3-1	T. Brown, Regis 2 (25,931)
21-10-1978	Coventry City	7-1	Cantello, Cunningham 2, Regis 2, T. Brown, Statham (29,409)
28-10-1978	Manchester City	2-2	Regis, Robson (40,521)
04-11-1978	Birmingham City	1-0	Trewick (32,131)
11-11-1978	Ipswich Town	1-0	A. Brown (21,980)
18-11-1978	Bolton Wanderers	1-0	A. Brown (22,278)
25-11-1978	Aston Villa	1-1	T. Brown (36,166)
09-12-1978	Middlesbrough	2-0	Regis, Cantello (19,865)
16-12-1978	Wolverhampton Wanderers	3-0	A. Brown 2, T. Brown (29,117)
26-12-1978	Arsenal	2-1	Robson, A. Brown (40,055)
30-12-1978	Manchester United	5-3	T. Brown 2, Cantello, Cunningham, Regis (45,091)
01-01-1979	Bristol City	3-1	A. Brown 2, Wile (35,738)
13-01-1979	Norwich City	1-1	Regis (20,081)
03-02-1979	Liverpool	1-2	A. Brown (52,211)
24-02-1979	Leeds United	1-2	T. Brown (27,846)
03-04-1979	Coventry City	3-1	Robson, A. Brown, Mills (25,676)
14-03-1979	Chelsea	1-0	A. Brown (20,472)
24-03-1979	Queens Park Rangers	2-1	A. Brown, Cunningham (21,063)
26-03-1979	Derby County	2-1	Cunningham, A. Brown (19,801)
04-04-1979	Manchester City	4-0	Trewick, Power (own goal), Mills, Summerfield (21,940)
07-04-1979	Everton	1-0	A. Brown (29,593)
13-04-1979	Southampton	1-1	Regis (22,063)
14-04-1979	Arsenal	1-1	T. Brown (28,539)
17-04-1979	Bristol City	0-1	(30,191)
21-04-1979	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1-1	Robson (32,395)
24-04-1979	Birmingham City	1-1	Robson (19,897)
28-04-1979	Middlesbrough	1-1	A. Brown (18,083)
01-05-1979	Everton	2-0	Mills, Robson (30,083)
05-05-1979	Manchester United	1-0	Regis (29,960)
08-05-1979	Southampton	1-0	A. Brown (17,499)
11-05-1979	Aston Villa	1-0	Trewick (35,991)
14-05-1979	Tottenham Hotspur	0-1	(24,789)
18-05-1979	Nottingham Forest	0-1	(28,510)

source:^[2]

FA Cup

Date	Round	Opponent^[6]	Result^[7]	Albion Scorers
09-01-1979	Third	Coventry City	2-2	Cunningham, A. Brown (38,046)
15-01-1979	Third (replay)	Coventry City	4-0	Batson, T. Brown 2, A. Brown (36,175)
26-02-1979	Fourth	Leeds United	3-3	Cunningham, A. Brown, Regis (32,434)
01-03-1979	Fourth (replay)	Leeds United	2-0 (AET)	Wile, A. Brown (32,143)
10-03-1979	Fifth	Southampton	1-1	A. Brown (32,789)
12-03-1979	Fifth (replay)	Southampton	1-2 (AET)	Cunningham

(25,755)

Source:^[2]

League Cup

Date	Round	Opponent^[6]	Result^[7]	Albion Scorers
29-08-1978	Second	Leeds United	0-0	(25,188)
06-09-1978	Second (replay)	Leeds United	0-0 (AET)	(29,316)
02-10-1978	Second (2nd replay)	Leeds United	0-1	(8,164) (Played at Maine Road)

NB: The second replay was held at the neutral venue of Maine Road.^[2]

UEFA Cup

Date	Round	Opponent^[6]	Result^[7]	Albion Scorers
13-09-1978	First (1st leg)	Galatasaray	3-1	Robson, Regis, Cunningham (38,000)
27-09-1978	First (2nd leg)	Galatasaray	3-1	Robson, Cunningham, Trewick (28,390)
18-10-1978	Second (1st leg)	Braga	2-0	Regis 2 (32,000)
01-11-1978	Second (2nd leg)	Braga	1-0	A. Brown (30,036)
22-11-1978	Third (1st leg)	Valencia	1-1	A. Brown (47,751)
06-12-1978	Third (2nd leg)	Valencia	2-0	T Brown 2 (37,112)
07-03-1979	Quarter final (1st leg)	Red Star Belgrade	0-1	(95,300)
21-03-1979	Quarter final (2nd leg)	Red Star Belgrade	1-1	Regis (C. 37,697)

Source:^[4]

Friendlies

21 February: West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Nottingham Forest

References

↑ Tony Matthews, West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record, Breedon Books, 2007, pp. 168-169
1 2 3 4 5 6 Matthews, West Bromwich Albion, p. 334
↑ Glen Willmore, The Hawthorns Encyclopedia, Mainstream Publishing, 1996, p. 121
1 2 3 Jack Rollin, The Guinness Football Fact Book, Guinness Publishing, 1993, p. 197
↑ Matthews, West Bromwcih Albion, p. 335
1 2 3 4 Matches in bold indicate Albion home games
1 2 3 4 Albion goals first

West Bromwich Albion F.C. seasons

1878–79
1879–80
1880–81
1881–82
1882–83
1883–84
1884–85
1885–86
1886–87
1887–88
1888–89
1889–90
1890–91
1891–92
1892–93
1893–94
1894–95
1895–96
1896–97
1897–98
1898–99
1899–00
1900–01
1901–02
1902–03
1903–04
1904–05
1905–06
1906–07
1907–08
1908–09
1909–10
1910–11
1911–12
1912–13
1913–14
1914–15
1915–16
1916–17
1917–18
1918–19
1919–20
1920–21
1921–22
1922–23
1923–24
1924–25
1925–26
1926–27
1927–28
1928–29
1929–30
1930–31
1931–32
1932–33
1933–34
1934–35
1935–36
1936–37
1937–38
1938–39
1939–40
1940–41
1941–42
1942–43
1943–44
1944–45
1945–46
1946–47
1947–48
1948–49
1949–50
1950–51
1951–52
1952–53
1953–54
1954–55
1955–56
1956–57
1957–58
1958–59
1959–60
1960–61
1961–62
1962–63
1963–64
1964–65
1965–66
1966–67
1967–68
1968–69
1969–70
1970–71
1971–72
1972–73
1973–74
1974–75
1975–76
1976–77
1977–78
1978–79
1979–80
1980–81
1981–82
1982–83
1983–84
1984–85
1985–86
1986–87
1987–88
1988–89
1989–90
1990–91
1991–92
1992–93
1993–94
1994–95
1995–96
1996–97
1997–98
1998–99
1999–00
2000–01
2001–02
2002–03
2003–04
2004–05
2005–06
2006–07
2007–08
2008–09
2009–10
2010–11
2011–12
2012–13
2013–14
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17

West Bromwich Albion Football Club

Overview	The Club History Seasons Records and statistics Players Managers Europe Women's team All articles

Grounds	Cooper's Hill Dartmouth Park Bunn's Field Four Acres Stoney Lane The Hawthorns

Rivalries	Black Country derby Aston Villa F.C.–West Bromwich Albion F.C. rivalry

1978–79 in English football

« 1977–78

1979–80 »

FA competitions

Football League

Lower leagues

European competitions

Related to national team

Club seasons

First Division	Arsenal Aston Villa Birmingham City Bolton Wanderers Bristol City Chelsea Coventry City Derby County Everton Ipswich Town Leeds United Liverpool Manchester City Manchester United Middlesbrough Norwich City Nottingham Forest Queens Park Rangers Southampton Tottenham Hotspur West Bromwich Albion Wolverhampton Wanderers

Second Division	Blackburn Rovers Brighton & Hove Albion Bristol Rovers Burnley Cambridge United Cardiff City Charlton Athletic Crystal Palace Fulham Leicester City Leyton Orient Luton Town Millwall Newcastle United Notts County Oldham Athletic Preston North End Sheffield United Stoke City Sunderland West Ham United Wrexham

Third Division	Blackpool Brentford Bury Carlisle United Chester Chesterfield Colchester United Exeter City Gillingham Hull City Lincoln City Mansfield Town Oxford United Peterborough United Plymouth Argyle Rotherham United Sheffield Wednesday Shrewsbury Town Southend United Swansea City Swindon Town Tranmere Rovers Walsall Watford

Fourth Division	Aldershot Barnsley Bournemouth Bradford City Crewe Alexandra Darlington Doncaster Rovers Grimsby Town Halifax Town Hartlepool United Hereford United Huddersfield Town Newport County Northampton Town Port Vale Portsmouth Reading Rochdale Scunthorpe United Stockport County Torquay United Wigan Athletic Wimbledon York City

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