1976–77 Stoke City F.C. season


The 1976–77 season was Stoke City's 70th season in the Football League and the 46th in the First Division.
The roof of the Butler Street Stand was rebuilt at a massive cost of £250,000 and with the club unable to pay off the insurers they turned to the playing staff to generate the required funds and with the likes of Jimmy Greenhoff, Alan Hudson and Mike Pejic being sold off Tony Waddington had a threadbare squad and he left the club in March 1977. Former player George Eastham took over but was unable to prevent Stoke losing their First Division status, going down by a single point.

Season review

League

The 1976–77 season opened with a new all steel Butler Street roof in place which would cost the sum of £250,000. With the club struggling to pay the cost they had to begin a fire sale of their best players. Those who left the club included Sean Haslegrave to Nottingham Forest for £35,000, Ian Moores to Tottenham Hotspur for £75,000, Jimmy Greenhoff to Manchester United for £100,000, Alan Hudson to Arsenal for £200,000 and Mike Pejic to Everton for £140,000. These were indeed, body blows none more so than Jimmy Greenhoff leaving after he scored just over 100 goals for the club and was idolised by the supporters.
The Stoke fans were totally confused at what was happening to their team and looked for someone to blame. Goals were again in short supply, Stoke failed to find the back of the net for five successive league matches from late November to early January and in fact they managed just 28 goals all season, 21 at home a miserable 7 away. Waddington's gambles on experienced player like John Tudor and Alan Suddick were not successful and after an awful defeat at home to Leicester City on 19 March 1977 Waddington's time at Stoke City was up. He had spent 25 years at the Victoria Ground as manager, assistant and coach and is considered to be the club's greatest manager having helped them win their first major trophy in 1972. He remained an avid supporter of the club until his death in 1994.
Waddington's assistant George Eastham was put in temporary charge with coach Alan A'Court his assistant. With the transfer deadline passed with no new players arrived, so Eastham turned towards the youth team to try to advert the drop, all to no avail and on a sad Monday evening at Villa Park in front of 29,000 fans, Stoke needing a win to stay up, lost 1–0 and were duly relegated to the second tier.

FA Cup

beat Stoke 2–0 in the third round on their way to the semi final.

League Cup

Stoke beat Leeds United 2–1 and then lost badly 3–0 to Newcastle United.

Final league table

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
121 August 1976SunderlandH0–027,244
224 August 1976Bristol CityA1–125,316Smith 86'
328 August 1976Manchester CityA0–039,875
44 September 1976West Ham UnitedH2–119,131Crooks 32', Conroy 52'
511 September 1976EvertonA0–322,277
618 September 1976Ipswich TownH2–120,171Tudor 2', 19'
725 September 1976Queens Park RangersA0–221,621
829 September 1976Leicester CityA0–115,391
92 October 1976Aston VillaH1–026,652Conroy 37'
1016 October 1976ArsenalA0–228,507
1123 October 1976Derby CountyH1–020,916Tudor 70'
1230 October 1976Newcastle UnitedA0–128,251
136 November 1976MiddlesbroughH3–116,068Waddington 20', Greenhoff 47', 54'
1410 November 1976Leeds UnitedA1–129,199Dodd 86'
1520 November 1976Birmingham CityH1–021,486Crooks 70'
1627 November 1976Tottenham HotspurA0–222,230
1718 December 1976West Bromwich AlbionH0–215,989
1827 December 1976LiverpoolA0–450,371
191 January 1977MiddlesbroughA0–021,140
2022 January 1977SunderlandA0–022,901
2129 January 1977Norwich CityA1–118,408Salmons 48'
225 February 1977Manchester CityH0–227,139
2312 February 1977West Ham UnitedA0–120,106
2416 February 1977Coventry CityH2–012,255Conroy 1', 55'
2519 February 1977EvertonH0–119,586
2626 February 1977Ipswich TownA1–025,865Goodwin 37'
275 March 1977Queens Park RangersH1–015,454Bowers 47'
2815 March 1977Newcastle UnitedH0–012,708
2919 March 1977Leicester CityH0–114,087
3023 March 1977ArsenalH1–113,951Conroy 7'
312 April 1977Derby CountyA0–223,161
329 April 1977Manchester UnitedA0–353,102
3311 April 1977LiverpoolH0–029,905
3412 April 1977Leeds UnitedH2–117,960Crooks 67', 76'
3516 April 1977Birmingham CityA0–219,554
3620 April 1977Bristol CityH2–212,277Smith 56', Bloor 70'
3723 April 1977Tottenham HotspurH0–015,641
3830 April 1977Coventry CityA2–515,720Ruggiero 40', 66'
397 May 1977Norwich CityH0–013,202
4011 May 1977Manchester UnitedH3–324,632Crooks 40', 65', Bloor 49'
4114 May 1977West Bromwich AlbionA1–322,772Suddick 22'
4216 May 1977Aston VillaA0–128,931

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R38 January 1977EvertonA0–232,981

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R21 September 1976Leeds UnitedH2–122,550Conroy 75', Greenhoff 89'
R322 September 1976Newcastle UnitedA0–325,126

Friendlies

Squad statistics