1976–77 West Ham United F.C. season

West Ham United narrowly escaped relegation by finishing 17th in the First Division in the 1976–77 season.

West Ham United
1976–77 season
ChairmanReg Pratt
ManagerJohn Lyall & Ron Greenwood
StadiumBoleyn Ground
First Division17th
FA CupFourth round
League CupFourth round
Top goalscorerLeague: Pop Robson (14)
All: Pop Robson (14)
Highest home attendance32,079 (vs Derby County, 7 May 1977)
Lowest home attendance17,889 (vs Barnsley, 1 September 1976)
Average home league attendance26,015

Season summary

Although West Ham ended their run of seven months without a League victory in August 1976 by beating Queens Park Rangers, they dropped to the bottom of the table after failing to win any of their other first twelve League games. At the start of April 1977, they still occupied last place, but after a succession of draws they beat Manchester United 4–2 at Upton Park[1] in their last fixture to avoid relegation by two points, having lost just one of their last thirteen matches. Perversely, many of their better performances came against teams towards the top of the table: as well as doing a League double over Manchester United, they took three points off the champions Liverpool and also beat Arsenal at Highbury and Manchester City at home. Pop Robson, who had re-signed for the club from Sunderland, was their top scorer with 14 goals.[2]

West Ham also struggled in the cups, and they were convincingly beaten by Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

League table
Main article: 1976–77 Football League § First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
15 Derby County 42 9 19 14 50 55 −5 37
16 Norwich City 42 14 9 19 47 64 −17 37
17 West Ham United 42 11 14 17 46 65 −19 36
18 Bristol City 42 11 13 18 38 48 −10 35
19 Coventry City 42 10 15 17 48 59 −11 35
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored

Results

Football League First Division
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
21 August 1976Aston VillaA0–439,012
23 August 1976Queens Park RangersH1–031,668Paddon
28 August 1976Leicester CityH0–024,960
4 September 1976Stoke CityH1–219,131A Taylor
11 September 1976ArsenalH0–231,965
18 September 1976Bristol CityA1–128,932A Taylor
25 September 1976SunderlandH1–124,319Jennings
2 October 1976Manchester CityA2–437,795A Taylor, Doyle (o.g.)
6 October 1976Leeds UnitedH1–321,909Jennings
16 October 1976Ipswich TownH0–224,534
23 October 1976EvertonA2–323,163McNaught (o.g.), Bonds
30 October 1976West Bromwich AlbionA0–319,856
6 November 1976Tottenham HotspurH5–328,997P Robson, Bonds, Jennings, Brooking, Curbishley
10 November 1976Norwich CityA0–124,762
20 November 1976Newcastle UnitedA1–221,324P Robson
27 November 1976Manchester UnitedA2–055,366Brooking, Jennings
4 December 1976MiddlesbroughH0–120,184
18 December 1976LiverpoolH2–024,175Brooking, Jennings
27 December 1976Birmingham CityA0–039,978
1 January 1977Tottenham HotspurA1–244,972Brooking
3 January 1977West Bromwich AlbionH0–025,236
22 January 1977Aston VillaH0–127,577
5 February 1977Leicester CityA0–216,201
12 February 1977Stoke CityH1–020,160P Robson
19 February 1977ArsenalA3–238,221A Taylor (2), Jennings
26 February 1977Bristol CityH2–029,713Bonds (pen), Jennings
5 March 1977SunderlandA0–635,357
12 March 1977Manchester CityH1–024,974P Robson
22 March 1977Ipswich TownA1–427,315P Robson (pen)
2 April 1977EvertonH2–222,518P Robson (2)
4 April 1977Queens Park RangersA1–124,930P Robson
8 April 1977Birmingham CityH2–228,167Jennings, Pike
9 April 1977Coventry CityA1–115,816P Robson
11 April 1977Norwich CityH1–027,084Pike
16 April 1977Newcastle UnitedA0–330,967
20 April 1977Derby CountyA1–121,380Pike (pen)
26 April 1977Leeds UnitedA1–116,891P Robson
29 April 1977MiddlesbroughA1–116,500P Robson
4 May 1977Coventry CityH2–025,461P Robson, Pike (pen)
7 May 1977Derby CountyH2–232,079Pike, Jennings
14 May 1977LiverpoolA0–055,675
16 May 1977Manchester UnitedH4–229,311Lampard, Pike, P Robson (2)

FA Cup
Main article: 1976–77 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R38 January 1977Bolton WanderersH2–124,147Jennings, Pike
R429 January 1977Aston VillaA0–346,954

League Cup
Main article: 1976–77 Football League Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R21 September 1976BarnsleyH3–017,889Holland (2), Paddon
R321 September 1976Charlton AthleticA1–032,898A Taylor
R427 October 1976Queens Park RangersH0–224,565

Players
Player Pos Lge Apps Lge Gls FAC Apps FAC Gls LC Apps LC Gls Date Signed Previous Club
First Team
England Mervyn Day GK 42 2 3 1973 Academy
England Frank Lampard LB 36 1 2 1 1967 Academy
England Billy Bonds (Capt) CM 41 3 2 3 1967 Charlton Athletic
England Bill Green CH 22 2 2 1976 Carlisle United
England Tommy Taylor D 36 2 3 1970 Leyton Orient
England Kevin Lock CH 25 (1) 2 2 1971 Academy
England Alan Devonshire LM 27 (1) 3 1 1976 Southall
England Billy Jennings F 27 (4) 9 2 1 2 1974 Watford
England Trevor Brooking CM 42 4 2 3 1967 Academy
England Pop Robson CF 30 14 2 1976 Sunderland
England Alan Taylor CF 24 (1) 5 1 2 1 1974 Rochdale
Other Players
England Johnny Ayris RW 1 (2) 1970 Academy
England Keith Coleman RB 12 (1) 2 1973 Sunderland
England Alan Curbishley M 8 (2) 1 1 1 1974 Academy
England Pat Holland M 6 1 2 1969 Academy
England Mick McGiven CH 15 (1) 2 1973 Sunderland
Cyprus Yılmaz Orhan F 1 (2) 1 1975 Aveley
England Anton Otulakowski M 10 (2) 1976 Barnsley
England Graham Paddon M 12 1 3 1 1973 Norwich City
England Geoff Pike M 20 6 1 1 1975 Academy
England John Radford M 18 1 1976 Arsenal
England Keith Robson W 7 (2) 1 1974 Newcastle United

References
  1. "West Ham celebrate in 1977". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  2. Helliar, John (2009). West Ham United: The Elite Era (4th ed.). Bodmin & King's Lynn: MPG Books Group. ISBN 978-1-905328-68-0.
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