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1976–77 Stoke City F.C. season

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}

{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}

{{Infobox Football club season

| club = Stoke City

| season = 1976–77

| manager = Tony Waddington,
George Eastham

| chairman = Albert Henshall

| stadium = Victoria Ground

| league = Football League First Division

| league result = 21st (34 Points)

| cup1 = FA Cup

| cup1 result = Third Round

| cup2 = League Cup

| cup2 result = Third Round

| league topscorer = Garth Crooks
(6)

| season topscorer = Garth Crooks
(6)

| highest attendance = 29,905 vs Liverpool
(11 April 1977)

| lowest attendance = 12,225 vs Coventry City
(16 February 1977)

| average attendance = 19,027

| prevseason = 1975–76

| nextseason = 1977–78

| kit_alt1 =

| pattern_la1 = _red_stripes

| pattern_b1 = _red_stripes

| pattern_ra1 = _red_stripes

| pattern_sh1 = _red_stripes

| pattern_so1 =

| leftarm1 =

| body1 =

| rightarm1 =

| shorts1 = FFFFFF

| socks1 = FFFFFF

}}

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.{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}

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 and seven 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=

Everton 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

{{:1976–77 Football League First Division|only_totals=y|showteam=STK}}

Results

Stoke's score comes first

=Legend=

class="wikitable"

|style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"|Win

|style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"|Draw

|style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"|Loss

=Football League First Division=

{{Main|1976–77 Football League}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"

!Match!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers

style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|1

21 August 1976SunderlandH0–027,244
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|2

24 August 1976Bristol CityA1–125,316Smith 86'
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|3

28 August 1976Manchester CityA0–039,875
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|4

4 September 1976West Ham UnitedH2–119,131Crooks 32', Conroy 52'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|5

11 September 1976EvertonA0–322,277
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|6

18 September 1976Ipswich TownH2–120,171Tudor (2) 2', 19'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|7

25 September 1976Queens Park RangersA0–221,621
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|8

29 September 1976Leicester CityA0–115,391
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|9

2 October 1976Aston VillaH1–026,652Conroy 37'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|10

16 October 1976ArsenalA0–228,507
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|11

23 October 1976Derby CountyH1–020,916Tudor 70'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|12

30 October 1976Newcastle UnitedA0–128,251
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|13

6 November 1976MiddlesbroughH3–116,068Waddington 20', Greenhoff (2) 47', 54'
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|14

10 November 1976Leeds UnitedA1–129,199Dodd 86'
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|15

20 November 1976Birmingham CityH1–021,486Crooks 70'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|16

27 November 1976Tottenham HotspurA0–222,230
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|17

18 December 1976West Bromwich AlbionH0–215,989
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|18

27 December 1976LiverpoolA0–450,371
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|19

1 January 1977MiddlesbroughA0–021,140
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|20

22 January 1977SunderlandA0–022,901
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|21

29 January 1977Norwich CityA1–118,408Salmons 48'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|22

5 February 1977Manchester CityH0–227,139
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|23

12 February 1977West Ham UnitedA0–120,106
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|24

16 February 1977Coventry CityH2–012,255Conroy (2) 1', 55' (pen)
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|25

19 February 1977EvertonH0–119,586
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|26

26 February 1977Ipswich TownA1–025,865Goodwin 37'
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|27

5 March 1977Queens Park RangersH1–015,454Bowers 47'
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|28

15 March 1977Newcastle UnitedH0–012,708
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|29

19 March 1977Leicester CityH0–114,087
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|30

23 March 1977ArsenalH1–113,951Conroy 7'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|31

2 April 1977Derby CountyA0–223,161
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|32

9 April 1977Manchester UnitedA0–353,102
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|33

11 April 1977LiverpoolH0–029,905
style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"

|34

12 April 1977Leeds UnitedH2–117,960Crooks (2) 67', 76'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|35

16 April 1977Birmingham CityA0–219,554
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|36

20 April 1977Bristol CityH2–212,277Smith 56', Bloor 70'
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|37

23 April 1977Tottenham HotspurH0–015,641
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|38

30 April 1977Coventry CityA2–515,720Ruggiero (2) 40', 66' (pen)
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|39

7 May 1977Norwich CityH0–013,202
style="background-color: #FFFFCC;"

|40

11 May 1977Manchester UnitedH3–324,632Crooks (2) 40', 65', Bloor 49'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|41

14 May 1977West Bromwich AlbionA1–322,772Suddick 22'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"

|42

16 May 1977Aston VillaA0–128,931

=FA Cup=

{{Main|1976–77 FA Cup}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers

style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"R38 January 1977EvertonA0–232,981

=League Cup=

{{Main|1976–77 Football League Cup}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Scorers

style="background-color: #CCFFCC;"R21 September 1976Leeds UnitedH2–122,550Conroy 75', Greenhoff 89'
style="background-color: #FFCCCC;"R322 September 1976Newcastle UnitedA0–325,126

=Friendlies=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:100%; text-align:center"

!Match!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result

style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|1

Śląsk WrocławA1–0
style="background: #FFFFCC;"

|align="center"|2

Indonesia XIA1–1
style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|3

Persebaya SurabayaA2–0
style="background: #FFCCCC;"

|align="center"|4

AjaxA1–2
style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|5

AS CannesA2–0
style="background: #FFCCCC;"

|align="center"|6

AS MonacoA0–1
style="background: #FFCCCC;"

|align="center"|7

Olympique LyonnaisA1–2
style="background: #FFCCCC;"

|align="center"|8

FC PortoA0–1
style="background: #FFFFCC;"

|align="center"|9

GenoaA0–0
style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|10

Chirk AAAA6–0
style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|11

HibernianA1–0
style="background: #CCFFCC;"

|align="center"|12

BlackpoolA4–2
style="background: #FFCCCC;"

|align="center"|13

Hereford UnitedA0–1

Squad statistics

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
rowspan="2" valign="bottom"|Pos.

!rowspan="2"|Name

!colspan="2" width="85"|League

!colspan="2" width="85"|FA Cup

!colspan="2" width="85"|League Cup

!colspan="2" width="85"|Total

AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
align="left"|GKalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Roger Jones

|2

0000020
align="left"|GKalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Peter Shilton

|40

01020430
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Alan Bloor

|37

21020402
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Danny Bowers

|13(2)

1101(1)015(3)1
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Alan Dodd

|42

11020451
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Paul Johnson

|8

0000080
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} John Lumsdon

|12(1)

0000012(1)0
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Jackie Marsh

|16(1)

0102019(1)0
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Mike Pejic

|21

00020230
align="left"|DFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Denis Smith

|30

21000312
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Brian Bithell

|16(1)

0100017(1)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|IRE}} Terry Conroy

|34(2)

5002136(2)6
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Alan Hudson

|11

00020130
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|WAL}} John Mahoney

|22

00020240
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|SCO}} Jimmy Robertson

|14

01000150
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Kevin Sheldon

|7(2)

000007(2)0
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Alan Suddick

|9

1000091
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} John Tudor

|28(2)

3100029(2)3
align="left"|MFalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Steve Waddington

|11(1)

1100012(1)1
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Geoff Salmons

|33(2)

1102036(2)1
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Garth Crooks

|20(3)

60(1)01(1)021(5)6
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Dave Goodwin

|12(1)

1000012(1)1
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Jimmy Greenhoff

|14

20021163
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} John Ruggiero

|9

2000092
align="left"|FWalign="left"|{{flagicon|ENG}} Dennis Thorley

|1

0000010

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Youtube|-epdnkI_tcs|Stoke City 2–1 West Ham United}}

{{Stoke City F.C. seasons}}

{{1976–77 in English football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1976-77 Stoke City F.C. season}}

Category:Stoke City F.C. seasons

Stoke