1977–78 Manchester United F.C. season
96th season in existence of Manchester United
Manchester United 1977–78 football season
The 1977–78 season was Manchester United 's 76th season in the Football League , and their third consecutive season in the top division of English football .[1] It was their first season under the management of Dave Sexton , following the dismissal of Tommy Docherty in the close season after he made public his love affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist. As FA Cup holders they contested the Charity Shield and were joint holders with league champions Liverpool, but failed to make an impact in Europe or on either of the domestic cups and finished only 10th in the league – lower than in either of their previous two seasons since promotion.
They were in fact expelled from the Cup Winners' Cup after their fans ran riot in France after the first leg of their first round tie with Saint-Etienne; they were reinstated to the competition on appeal but had to play the return leg at a neutral venue.
Winger Gordon Hill, who was transferred to Derby County (then managed by Tommy Docherty) at the end of the season, bowed out of Old Trafford in style as the club's top scorer once again with 17 goals in the league and 19 in all competitions.
FA Charity Shield
Date
Opponents
H / A
Result F–A
Scorers
Attendance
13 August 1977
Liverpool
N
0–0
82,000
First Division
Date
Opponents
H / A
Result F–A
Scorers
Attendance
20 August 1977
Birmingham City
A
4–1
Macari (3), Hill
28,005
24 August 1977
Coventry City
H
2–1
Hill , McCreery
55,726
27 August 1977
Ipswich Town
H
0–0
57,904
3 September 1977
Derby County
A
1–0
Macari
21,279
10 September 1977
Manchester City
A
1–3
Nicholl
50,856
17 September 1977
Chelsea
H
0–1
54,951
24 September 1977
Leeds United
A
1–1
Hill
33,517
1 October 1977
Liverpool
H
2–0
Macari , McIlroy
55,089
8 October 1977
Middlesbrough
A
1–2
Coppell
26,882
15 October 1977
Newcastle United
H
3–2
Coppell , J. Greenhoff , Macari
55,056
22 October 1977
West Bromwich Albion
A
0–4
27,526
29 October 1977
Aston Villa
A
1–2
Nicholl
39,144
5 November 1977
Arsenal
H
1–2
Hill
53,055
12 November 1977
Nottingham Forest
A
1–2
Pearson
30,183
19 November 1977
Norwich City
H
1–0
Pearson
48,729
26 November 1977
Queens Park Rangers
A
2–2
Hill (2)
25,367
3 December 1977
Wolverhampton Wanderers
H
3–1
J. Greenhoff , McIlroy , Pearson
48,874
10 December 1977
West Ham United
A
1–2
McGrath
20,242
17 December 1977
Nottingham Forest
H
0–4
54,374
26 December 1977
Everton
A
6–2
J. Greenhoff (2), Coppell , Hill , Macari , McIlroy
48,335
27 December 1977
Leicester City
H
3–1
Coppell , J. Greenhoff , Hill
57,396
31 December 1977
Coventry City
A
0–3
24,706
2 January 1978
Birmingham City
H
1–2
J. Greenhoff
53,501
14 January 1978
Ipswich Town
A
2–1
McIlroy , Pearson
23,321
21 January 1978
Derby County
H
4–0
Hill (2), Buchan , Pearson
57,115
8 February 1978
Bristol City
H
1–1
Hill
43,457
11 February 1978
Chelsea
A
2–2
Hill , McIlroy
32,849
25 February 1978
Liverpool
A
1–3
McIlroy
49,095
1 March 1978
Leeds United
H
0–1
49,101
4 March 1978
Middlesbrough
H
0–0
46,322
11 March 1978
Newcastle United
A
2–2
Hill , Jordan
25,825
15 March 1978
Manchester City
H
2–2
Hill (2)
58,398
18 March 1978
West Bromwich Albion
H
1–1
McQueen
46,329
25 March 1978
Leicester City
A
3–2
J. Greenhoff , Hill , Pearson
20,299
27 March 1978
Everton
H
1–2
Hill
55,277
29 March 1978
Aston Villa
H
1–1
McIlroy
41,625
1 April 1978
Arsenal
A
1–3
Jordan
40,829
8 April 1978
Queens Park Rangers
H
3–1
Pearson (2), Grimes
42,677
15 April 1978
Norwich City
A
3–1
Coppell , Jordan , McIlroy
19,778
22 April 1978
West Ham United
H
3–0
Grimes , McIlroy , Pearson
54,089
25 April 1978
Bristol City
A
1–0
Pearson
26,035
29 April 1978
Wolverhampton Wanderers
A
1–2
B. Greenhoff
24,774
Source:
World Football Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
FA Cup
League Cup
Date
Round
Opponents
H / A
Result F–A
Scorers
Attendance
30 August 1977
Round 2
Arsenal
A
2–3
McCreery , Pearson
36,171
Cup Winners' Cup
Squad statistics
References
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