1977–78 Leeds United A.F.C. season

The 1977–78 season was Leeds United's fourteenth consecutive season in the Football League First Division.

Background Following the 1973–74 season, Don Revie left his position as Leeds manager to manage the England national team, and his successor Brian Clough, who was an outspoken critic of Revie and the team's tactics, lasted just 44 days as manager. Clough was replaced by former England captain Jimmy Armfield. Armfield took Revie's ageing team to the final of the 1974–75 European Cup, in which they were defeated by Bayern Munich under controversial circumstances."Welcome To Elland Road", Les Rowley & James Brown (1999), IFG Publishing, Assisted by coach Don Howe, Armfield rebuilt Revie's team, and though it no longer dominated English football, Leeds finished 5th in the 1975–76 season and 10th in 1976–77.

Season summary 1977-78 proved to be another decent, but unexceptional season, with the highlight being a run to the semi-finals of the Football League Cup, albeit it ended in a 7-3 aggregate loss to eventual Division One champions Nottingham Forest. Leeds's league form was for the most part better than in the previous season, keeping them in the hunt for a UEFA Cup space until the latter stages of the campaign, but a poor end saw them finish in ninth place after winning just one of their last seven games. This caused the club's board to run out of patience with manager Jimmy Armfield, who was dismissed weeks after the season ended and replaced, after an unsuccessful attempt to recruit Southampton manager Lawrie McMenemy, by former Celtic manager Jock Stein.

Competitions Football League First Division

League table

Matches WinDrawLoss + First Division match resultsDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceNewcastle UnitedAway2–3Hankin, Lorimer36,491West Bromwich AlbionHome2–2Jordan, McQueen21,000Birmingham CityHome1–0Hankin24,551Coventry CityAway2–2Hankin, McQueen21,479Ipswich TownHome2–1Hankin (2)24,280Derby CountyAway2–2Lorimer, Graham24,274Manchester UnitedHome1–1Hankin33,514ChelseaAway2–1Lorimer, Hankin35,427Aston VillaHome1–1McQueen27,797Bristol CityAway2–3Hankin (2)26,215LiverpoolHome1–2Thomas45,500MiddlesbroughAway1–2Harris27,516Leicester CityAway0–0—20,128Norwich CityHome2–2Lorimer (2)24,345Manchester CityAway3–2Jordan, Graham, Hankin42,651Nottingham ForestHome1–0Hankin42,925West Ham UnitedAway1–0Hankin26,883Queens Park RangersHome3–0Needham (og), Flynn, Currie26,597ArsenalAway1–1McQueen40,162Manchester CityHome2–0McQueen, Cherry37,380Wolverhampton WanderersAway1–3Jordan27,704EvertonHome3–1Hankin (2), Lorimer45,560West Bromwich AlbionAway0–2—24,249Newcastle UnitedHome0–2—36,643Birmingham CityAway3–2Graham (3)23,703Coventry CityHome2–0Hankin, Harris27,062Ipswich TownAway1–0E. Gray24,023ChelseaHome2–0F. Gray, Currie25,263Manchester UnitedAway1–0Clarke49,101Bristol CityHome0–2—24,830LiverpoolAway0–1—48,233MiddlesbroughHome5–0Hankin, Graham (2), Clarke (2)25,158EvertonAway0–2—45,020Wolverhampton WanderersHome2–1Graham, Hankin24,440Leicester CityHome5–1Hankin, F. Gray, E. Gray (3)21,145Norwich CityAway0–3—19,615West Ham UnitedHome1–2Graham22,953Derby CountyHome2–0E. Gray, Hankin16,531Nottingham ForestAway1–1F. Gray38,662ArsenalHome1–3Currie33,263Aston VillaAway1–3Hankin30,524Queens Park RangersAway0–0—23,993

FA Cup

WinDrawLoss + FA Cup match resultsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceThird roundManchester CityHome1–2F. Gray38,517

Football League Cup

WinDrawLoss +Football League Cup match resultsRoundDateOpponentVenueResultF–AScorersAttendanceRochdaleAway3–0Jordan, Cherry, Harris8,644Colchester UnitedHome4–0Jordan, Graham, Lorimer, Hankin17,713Bolton WanderersAway3–1Graham, Jordan, F. Gray33,766EvertonHome4–1Currie, Lorimer (2), E. Gray35,020Nottingham ForestHome1–3E. Gray43,222Nottingham ForestAway2–4F. Gray, Graham38,131

Statistics

Appearances and goals + Players having played at least one first-team matchNameFirst DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotalGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK1700020190DF1501050210DF4111061482FW2860043329DF2151010235DF3801060450MF2750042317FW20000020FW332010614021MF3531051414MF40910634712DF4131162486FW2030033236MF1921041243MF50000050MF31000031DF800040120GK2501040300MF2911000301DF1100020130FW931010113DF10000010DF120000020

Notes

References