1977–78 Watford F.C. season
1977–78 season of Watford F.C.
Watford 1977–78 football season
Watford Football Club is an English football team, based in Watford , Hertfordshire . 1977–78 was the club's first season under the management of Graham Taylor , and its last in the fourth tier of English football . Watford ended the season as champions of the Football League Fourth Division with 71 points, the club's highest Football League total under the system of two points for a win, and three points short of the all-time Football League record set by Graham Taylor's Lincoln City side in 1975–76. The season also marked new club records for the most league wins in a season (30), most home wins (18), most away wins (12), and most away goals scored (42).[ 1]
Ross Jenkins finished at the club's top scorer for the third time in four campaigns, with 18 goals in all competitions. He was followed by Alan Mayes and Keith Mercer with 16 and 13 goals respectively; both men also scored hat-tricks for the team. Bobby Downes and Alan Garner made the most appearances, playing some part in all 54 competitive fixtures. Garner went on to receive the Watford F.C. Player of the Season award for his efforts. Other player milestones included the arrival of future club captain Ian Bolton , and the breakthrough into the first team of young striker Luther Blissett , who went on to become the club's all-time leading appearance maker and goalscorer.[ 2]
Results
Watford's score listed first
Legend
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Watford scorers
20 August 1977
Stockport County A
3–1
3,056
Jenkins (2), Ellis (pen)
27 August 1977
York City H
1–3
7,620
Mayes
3 September 1977
Doncaster Rovers A
1–0
2,963
Jenkins
6 September 1977
Grimsby Town H
1–0
6,850
Blissett
10 September 1977
Huddersfield Town H
2–0
7,852
Jenkins (2)
14 September 1977
Reading A
3–1
4,862
Mayes (2), Blissett
17 September 1977
Barnsley A
0–1
6,443
24 September 1977
Darlington H
2–1
7,632
Blissett , Ellis (pen)
27 September 1977
A.F.C. Bournemouth H
2–1
8,191
Bolton , Coffill
1 October 1977
Rochdale A
3–2
1,278
Joslyn , Mayes , Mercer
3 October 1977
Brentford A
3–0
14,500
Ellis , Jenkins , Mayes
8 October 1977
Swansea City H
2–1
10,232
Downes , Mercer
15 October 1977
Aldershot A
0–1
8,059
22 October 1977
Newport County H
2–0
10,749
Downes , Mercer
29 October 1977
Crewe Alexandra H
5–2
10,871
Mercer (3), Downes , Garner
5 November 1977
Hartlepool United A
2–1
3,121
Garner , Mercer
12 November 1977
Scunthorpe United H
4–1
10,565
Jenkins (2), Mercer (2)
19 November 1977
Southend United A
0–1
10,919
3 December 1977
Halifax Town H
1–1
9,329
Garner
10 December 1977
Southport A
2–2
1,727
Jenkins , Pollard
26 December 1977
Northampton Town H
3–0
15,056
Downes , Mayes , Pollard
27 December 1977
Torquay United A
3–2
6,228
Mayes (2), Bolton
31 December 1977
Wimbledon A
3–1
7,324
Downes , Jenkins , Mayes
2 January 1978
Hartlepool United H
1–0
16,866
Bolton
13 January 1978
Stockport County H
1–0
12,754
Garner
21 January 1978
York City A
4–0
3,831
Mayes (3), Blissett
28 January 1978
Doncaster Rovers H
6–0
11,816
Joslyn (2), Bolton , Downes , Garner , Jenkins
11 February 1978
Barnsley H
0–0
13,216
25 February 1978
Rochdale H
1–0
10,139
Jenkins
3 March 1978
Swansea City A
3–3
15,000
Bolton , Jenkins , Mayes
7 March 1978
Reading H
1–0
11,439
Garner
11 March 1978
Aldershot H
1–0
12,641
Downes
14 March 1978
Huddersfield Town A
0–1
6,603
17 March 1978
Newport County A
2–2
8,409
Downes , Jenkins
24 March 1978
Crewe Alexandra A
2–2
4,652
Ellis (pen), Jenkins
25 March 1978
Torquay United H
1–0
10,491
Garner
28 March 1978
Northampton Town A
2–0
8,041
Bolton , Mayes
1 April 1978
Wimbledon H
2–0
11,212
Mayes , Pritchett
4 April 1978
A.F.C. Bournemouth A
2–1
6,532
Downes , Pollard
8 April 1978
Scunthorpe United A
1–0
5,202
Joslyn
11 April 1978
Grimsby Town A
1–1
7,189
Pritchett
15 April 1978
Southend United H
1–1
18,947
Jenkins
18 April 1978
Darlington A
0–0
2,407
22 April 1978
Halifax Town A
1–1
3,542
How
25 April 1978
Brentford H
1–1
16,544
Blissett
29 April 1978
Southport H
3–2
10,089
Pritchett (2 pens), Blissett
FA Cup
League Cup
Round
Date
Opponent
Venue
Result
Attendance
Watford scorers
R1 1st Leg
13 August 1977
Reading H
2–1
5,722
Mercer (2)
R1 2nd Leg
17 August 1977
Reading A
0–1
4,533
R1 Replay
23 August 1977
Reading H
5–0
7,082
Downes , Ellis (pen), Joslyn , Mayes , Pritchett
R2
30 August 1977
Grimsby Town A
2–1
4,345
Bolton , Jenkins
R3
25 October 1977
West Bromwich Albion A
0–1
22,140
League table
Pos
Team
Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Promotion or relegation
1
Watford
46
30
11
5
85
38
+47
71
Division Champions, promoted
2
Southend United
46
25
10
11
66
39
+27
60
Promoted
3
Swansea City
46
23
10
13
87
47
+40
56
4
Brentford
46
21
14
11
86
54
+32
56
5
Aldershot
46
19
16
11
67
47
+20
54
References
General Specific
^ Jones, Watford Season by Season pp. 247–248
^ Jones, Watford Season by Season pp. 164–165
National teams
League competitions
Levels 1–4 Levels 5–6 Levels 7–9
Isthmian League (Two ) Athenian League (level 7 only )Cheshire County League (level 7 only )Eastern Counties League (level 7 only )Essex Senior League (level 7 only )Hellenic League (Premier , One Kent League (level 7 only )Lancashire Combination (level 7 only )London Spartan League (Premier , Senior Midland Football Combination (level 7 only )Midland League (Premier , One Northern League (level 7 only )South Midlands League (Premier , One Sussex County League (One , Two United Counties League (Premier , One Two West Midlands (Regional) League (level 7 only )Western League (Premier , One Yorkshire League (One , Two Three
Cup competitions
FA cups Football League cups
European competitions
