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.
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, 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. 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." Blackburn Rovers manager Jim Smith took over, having decided, according to the Rovers' website, that "Birmingham City offered better career prospects".
Football League First Division
DateLeaguepositionOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendance20 August 197721stManchester UnitedHL1–4Hibbitt28,00524 August 197722ndChelseaAL0–218,10827 August 197722ndLeeds UnitedAL0–124,5513 September 197722ndLiverpoolHL0–128,23910 September 197720thMiddlesbroughAW2–1Francis 219,24017 September 197718thNewcastle UnitedHW3–0Connolly, Bertschin 219,25924 September 197719thWest Bromwich AlbionAL1–3Connolly29,1151 October 197716thAston VillaAW1–0Bertschin45,4364 October 197713thQueens Park RangersHW2–1Francis 221,3048 October 197716thCoventry CityHD1–1Francis pen27,41215 October 197716thIpswich TownAL2–5Francis 221,31322 October 197715thDerby CountyHW3–1Hibbitt 2, Towers23,10829 October 197714thArsenalAD1–1Bertschin31,3555 November 197711thWolverhampton WanderersHW2–1Francis, Hibbitt28,10312 November 197714thEvertonAL1–2Bertschin37,74319 November 197714thLeicester CityHD1–1Francis21,20826 November 197716thNorwich CityAL0–116,8003 December 197716thNottingham ForestHL0–229,92510 December 197718thManchester CityAL0–336,67117 December 197718thEvertonHD0–022,17726 December 197718thWest Ham UnitedAL0–125,57227 December 197718thBristol CityHW3–0Gallagher, Towers, Francis24,11031 December 197718thChelseaHL4–5Bertschin, Francis 2, Hibbitt19,8762 January 197816thManchester UnitedAW2–1Dillon, Francis53,50114 January 197818thLeeds UnitedHL2–3Bertschin, Connolly23,70321 January 197817thLiverpoolAW3–2Emmanuel, Bertschin, Francis48,4014 February 197818thMiddlesbroughHL1–2Gallagher14,30225 February 197817thAston VillaHW1–0Francis33,67928 February 197817thWest Bromwich AlbionHL1–2Francis26,6334 March 197818thCoventry CityAL0–422,92515 March 197818thNewcastle UnitedAD1–1Francis19,48618 March 197818thDerby CountyAW3–1Connolly, Francis, Bertschin19,84321 March 197818thArsenalHD1–1Francis22,08725 March 197815thBristol CityAW1–0Francis21,43428 March 197813thWest Ham UnitedHW3–0Francis 2 (1 pen), Bertschin23,5541 April 197812thWolverhampton WanderersAW1–0Francis19,9268 April 197812thNorwich CityHW2–1Gallagher, Francis20,85811 April 197810thIpswich TownHD0–019,28915 April 19789thLeicester CityAW4–1Hibbitt, Pendrey, Bertschin, Francis15,43122 April 197811thManchester CityHL1–4Sbragia25,29425 April 197811thQueens Park RangersAD0–016,04929 April 197811thNottingham ForestAD0–037,625
League table (part)
+Final First Division table (part) Team9thLeeds United421810146353+104610thManchester United421610166763+44211thBirmingham City42169175560−54112thDerby County421413155459−54113thNorwich City421118135266−1440
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceThird round7 January 1978Wigan AthleticHW4–0Francis 2, Bertschin 229,202Fourth round1 February 1978Derby CountyAL1–2Bertschin31,955
League Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceSecond round30 August 1977Notts CountyHL0–214,993
Anglo-Scottish Cup
RoundDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceGroup stage5 August 1977Plymouth ArgyleAD1–1Craven og5,176Group stage9 August 1977Bristol RoversAD1–1Francis2,317Group stage12 August 1977Bristol CityHW1–0Francis9,512
Appearances and goals
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances made as a substitute. Players marked left the club during the playing season. Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
+ Players' appearances and goals by competitionNameLeagueFA CupLeague CupAnglo-Scottish CupTotalGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGoalsGK Dave Latchford1000000010GK Jimmy Montgomery410101030460GK Steve Smith 0010000010DF Jimmy Calderwood36020100 (1)039 (1)0DF Joe Gallagher213200000233DF Pat Howard350201000380DF Garry Pendrey371101030421DF Mick Rathbone2000002040DF Ricky Sbragia5100002071DF Archie Styles5 (1)01000006 (1)0DF Tony Want 180001030220MF Kevan Broadhurst9 (1)00000009 (1)0MF John Connolly12 (8)410003016 (8)4MF Kevin Dillon16 (1)120000018 (1)2MF Gary Emmanuel20 (2)110000021 (2)1MF Steve Fox10 (1)000000010 (1)0MF Terry Hibbitt416201030476MF Gary Jones 3 (2)00000306 (2)0MF Malcolm Page29 (1)000103033 (1)0MF Tony Towers37 (1)220102042 (1)2FW Keith Bertschin42112310304814FW Trevor Francis42252210324829
See also Birmingham City F.C. seasons
Sources
For match dates and results: For lineups, appearances, goalscorers and attendances: Matthews (2010), Complete Record, pp. 390–91, 478.
References