1977–78 Birmingham City F.C. season

The 1977–78 Football League season was Birmingham City Football Club's 75th in the Football League and their 44th in the First Division. They finished in 11th position in the 22-team division. They entered the 1977–78 FA Cup at the third round proper and lost to Derby County in the fourth, and lost to Notts County in their opening second-round match in the League Cup. They entered the Anglo-Scottish Cup but failed to progress past the group stage.

Birmingham City F.C.
1977–78 season
ChairmanKeith Coombs
ManagerWillie Bell
(until September 1977)
Sir Alf Ramsey
(until March 1978)
Jim Smith thereafter
GroundSt Andrew's
Football League First Division11th
FA CupFourth round
(eliminated by Derby County)
League CupSecond round
(eliminated by Notts County)
Anglo-Scottish CupGroup stage
Top goalscorerLeague: Trevor Francis (25)
All: Trevor Francis (29)
Highest home attendance37,625 vs Nottingham Forest, 29 April 1978
Lowest home attendance9,512 vs Bristol City, Anglo-Scottish Cup, 12 August 1977
Average home league attendance23,910

Twenty-two players made at least one appearance in nationally organised first-team competition, and there were ten different goalscorers. Forward pairing Keith Bertschin and Trevor Francis played in all 48 first-team matches of the season – midfielder Terry Hibbitt missed only one – and Francis was the club's top scorer with 29 goals, of which 25 were scored in the league. Both Francis and Hibbitt had been ever-present in the previous season.

After defeats in the first four league matches of the season, Willie Bell was sacked in September and succeeded by former England national manager Sir Alf Ramsey, a member of the club's board of directors. Ramsey lasted only six months, leaving the club ostensibly for health reasons,[1] but his biography suggests he was "locked in an increasingly bitter three-way dispute with his star player, Trevor Francis, and the board". After initially accepting a transfer request from Francis, the board changed their minds, reluctant to "incur the wrath of already disgruntled fans", so Ramsey handed in his notice.[2] The Times reported that "Sir Alf said he told the board [in February] that he intended to quit and sever his links with the club. ... He said at a board meeting on February 20 he recommended both Francis and the defender, Joe Gallagher, should be transfer listed. The board agreed but three days later changed their minds about Francis. Sir Alf said he then decided to opt out because of the board's policy."[3] Blackburn Rovers manager Jim Smith took over, having decided, according to the Rovers' website, that "Birmingham City offered better career prospects".[4]

Football League First Division
Main article: 1977–78 Football League
DateLeague
position		Opponents VenueResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
20 August 1977 21stManchester UnitedH L1–4Hibbitt 28,005
24 August 1977 22ndChelseaA L0–2 18,108
27 August 1977 22ndLeeds UnitedA L0–1 24,551
3 September 1977 22ndLiverpoolH L0–1 28,239
10 September 1977 20thMiddlesbroughA W2–1Francis 2 19,240
17 September 1977 18thNewcastle UnitedH W3–0Connolly, Bertschin 2 19,259
24 September 1977 19thWest Bromwich AlbionA L1–3Connolly 29,115
1 October 1977 16thAston VillaA W1–0Bertschin 45,436
4 October 1977 13thQueens Park RangersH W2–1Francis 2 21,304
8 October 1977 16thCoventry CityH D1–1Francis pen 27,412
15 October 1977 16thIpswich TownA L2–5Francis 2 21,313
22 October 1977 15thDerby CountyH W3–1Hibbitt 2, Towers 23,108
29 October 1977 14thArsenalA D1–1Bertschin 31,355
5 November 1977 11thWolverhampton WanderersH W2–1Francis, Hibbitt 28,103
12 November 1977 14thEvertonA L1–2Bertschin 37,743
19 November 1977 14thLeicester CityH D1–1Francis 21,208
26 November 1977 16thNorwich CityA L0–1 16,800
3 December 1977 16thNottingham ForestH L0–2 29,925
10 December 1977 18thManchester CityA L0–3 36,671
17 December 1977 18thEvertonH D0–0 22,177
26 December 1977 18thWest Ham UnitedA L0–1 25,572
27 December 1977 18thBristol CityH W3–0Gallagher, Towers, Francis 24,110
31 December 1977 18thChelseaH L4–5Bertschin, Francis 2, Hibbitt 19,876
2 January 1978 16thManchester UnitedA W2–1Dillon, Francis 53,501
14 January 1978 18thLeeds UnitedH L2–3Bertschin, Connolly 23,703
21 January 1978 17thLiverpoolA W3–2Emmanuel, Bertschin, Francis 48,401
4 February 1978 18thMiddlesbroughH L1–2Gallagher 14,302
25 February 1978 17thAston VillaH W1–0Francis 33,679
28 February 1978 17thWest Bromwich AlbionH L1–2Francis 26,633
4 March 1978 18thCoventry CityA L0–4 22,925
15 March 1978 18thNewcastle UnitedA D1–1Francis 19,486
18 March 1978 18thDerby CountyA W3–1Connolly, Francis, Bertschin 19,843
21 March 1978 18thArsenalH D1–1Francis 22,087
25 March 1978 15thBristol CityA W1–0Francis 21,434
28 March 1978 13thWest Ham UnitedH W3–0Francis 2 (1 pen), Bertschin 23,554
1 April 1978 12thWolverhampton WanderersA W1–0Francis 19,926
8 April 1978 12thNorwich CityH W2–1Gallagher, Francis 20,858
11 April 1978 10thIpswich TownH D0–0 19,289
15 April 1978 9thLeicester CityA W4–1Hibbitt, Pendrey, Bertschin, Francis 15,431
22 April 1978 11thManchester CityH L1–4Sbragia 25,294
25 April 1978 11thQueens Park RangersA D0–0 16,049
29 April 1978 11thNottingham ForestA D0–0 37,625

League table (part)
Final First Division table (part)
Pos Club Pld W D L F A GD Pts
9th Leeds United4218101463531046
10th Manchester United421610166763442
11th Birmingham City42169175560−541
12th Derby County421413155459−541
13th Norwich City421118135266−1440
Key Pos = League position; Pld = Matches played;
W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost;
F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Source [5]

FA Cup
Main article: 1977–78 FA Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Third round 7 January 1978Wigan AthleticH W4–0Francis 2, Bertschin 2 29,202
Fourth round 1 February 1978Derby CountyA L1–2Bertschin 31,955

League Cup
Main article: 1977–78 Football League Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Second round 30 August 1977Notts CountyH L0–2 14,993

Anglo-Scottish Cup
Main article: 1977–78 Anglo-Scottish Cup
Round DateOpponentsVenue ResultScore
F–A		Scorers Attendance
Group stage 5 August 1977Plymouth ArgyleA D1–1Craven og 5,176
Group stage 9 August 1977Bristol RoversA D1–1Francis 2,317
Group stage 12 August 1977Bristol CityH W1–0Francis 9,512

Appearances and goals
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
Players with name struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.
Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Birmingham.
Players having played at least one first-team match
Pos. Nat. Name League FA Cup League Cup Anglo-Scottish Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
GK ENG Dave Latchford 1000000010
GK ENG Jimmy Montgomery 410101030460
GK ENG Steve Smith 0010000010
DF SCO Jimmy Calderwood 36020100 (1)039 (1)0
DF ENG Joe Gallagher 213200000233
DF ENG Pat Howard 350201000380
DF ENG Garry Pendrey 371101030421
DF ENG Mick Rathbone 2000002040
DF SCO Ricky Sbragia 5100002071
DF ENG Archie Styles 5 (1)01000006 (1)0
DF ENG Tony Want 180001030220
MF ENG Kevan Broadhurst 9 (1)00000009 (1)0
MF SCO John Connolly 12 (8)410003016 (8)4
MF ENG Kevin Dillon 16 (1)120000018 (1)2
MF WAL Gary Emmanuel 20 (2)110000021 (2)1
MF ENG Steve Fox 10 (1)000000010 (1)0
MF ENG Terry Hibbitt 416201030476
MF ENG Gary Jones 3 (2)00000306 (2)0
MF WAL Malcolm Page 29 (1)000103033 (1)0
MF ENG Tony Towers 37 (1)220102042 (1)2
FW ENG Keith Bertschin 42112310304814
FW ENG Trevor Francis 42252210324829
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See also
  • Birmingham City F.C. seasons

References
General
  • Matthews, Tony (1995). Birmingham City: A Complete Record. Derby: Breedon Books. ISBN 978-1-85983-010-9.
  • Matthews, Tony (2010). Birmingham City: The Complete Record. Derby: DB Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85983-853-2.
  • Source for match dates and results: "Birmingham City 1977–1978 : Results". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  • Source for lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 390–91, 478.
Specific
  1. "Birmingham City Managers". Birmingham City F.C. Archived from the original on 12 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  2. McKinstry, Leo (2006). Sir Alf. London: Harper Sport. pp. 485–87. ISBN 978-0-00-719378-3.
  3. "Francis issue caused Sir Alf to quit". The Times. 9 March 1978. p. 14.
  4. "1975–1984: The bald eagle has landed". Blackburn Rovers F.C. 2 July 2007. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  5. "Birmingham City 1977–1978 : English Division One (old) Table". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 5 October 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
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