The1978–79 season was the 99th season of competitivefootball in England.
12 August 1978: League championsNottingham Forest beatFA Cup holdersIpswich Town 5–0 in theCharity Shield atWembley.[1]
19 August 1978: The First Division season begins with newly promotedTottenham Hotspur holding Nottingham Forest to a 1–1 draw at theCity Ground – the visitors' goal scored by new Argentine signingRicardo Villa.[2]
31 August 1978:Liverpool,West Bromwich Albion andEverton are level on points at the top of the League at the end of August with three wins from three matches.Wolverhampton Wanderers are bottom after three consecutive defeats.[2]
2 September 1978: Liverpool thrash Tottenham Hotspur 7–0 atAnfield to take their goal tally to sixteen in four League matches at the start of the season.[2]
20 September 1978:England start their qualifying campaign for the1980 European Championships with a narrow 4–3 victory overDenmark inCopenhagen.[3]
27 September 1978: Nottingham Forest knock holders Liverpool out of theEuropean Cup in the first round after completing a 2–0 aggregate success with a goalless draw atAnfield.[4]
30 September 1978: Liverpool hold a two-point advantage at the top of the First Division from Merseyside rivals Everton, having dropped just one point from their first eight League games. Nottingham Forest are still unbeaten, but are five points off the pace having drawn six matches already.Birmingham City are bottom, still looking for their first win of the season.[2]
21 October 1978: Liverpool continue their tremendous start to the season by beatingChelsea 2–0. The result puts them four points clear at the top of the table – they have taken 21 points from a possible 22, scoring 35 goals and conceding just four in eleven matches so far. West Bromwich Albion continue their good start to the season by thrashingCoventry City 7–1.[2]
28 October 1978: Everton beat Liverpool for the first time for nearly seven years whenAndy King scores the winning goal in a 1–0 victory atGoodison Park.[5] The result cuts Liverpool's lead over the Toffeemen to two points. Like Everton, Nottingham Forest are still unbeaten, and are a further two points behind. At the bottom, Birmingham City remain without a win, and have just three points from twelve matches.[2]
4 November 1978: Nottingham Forest and Everton draw 0–0 at the City Ground, leaving both teams still unbeaten in the League.[2]
11 November 1978: Birmingham City record their first League win of the season at the fourteenth attempt, 5–1 at home toManchester United.[2]
29 November 1978:Viv Anderson, the 22-year-old Nottingham Forest defender, becomes England's first black full international when he appears in the 1–0 friendly win overCzechoslovakia at Wembley.[6]
30 November 1978: At the end of November, Liverpool still hold a two-point lead over Everton, with West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest a further four points adrift.[2]
7 December 1978: Birmingham City sign1978 World Cup-winning Argentinian playerAlberto Tarantini for £295,000.[7]
9 December 1978: Nottingham Forest lose in the League for the first time for 13 months, a run covering 42 matches,[8] when they are beaten 2–0 by Liverpool at Anfield.[2]
23 December 1978: Everton lose their first League match of the season, 3–2 to Coventry City, after a sequence of 19 unbeaten games.Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur 5–0 atWhite Hart Lane in theNorth London derby.[2]
31 December 1978: At the end of the year, Liverpool lead Everton on goal difference at the top of the First Division, with a game in hand. West Bromwich Albion remain in contention, just two points off the top. Birmingham City are bottom with just eight points so far, and Chelsea and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also in the relegation zone.[2]
7 January 1979: West Bromwich Albion pay a national record £516,000 forMiddlesbrough forwardDavid Mills.
10 January 1979: High-fliers Everton are beaten 2–1 by Second DivisionSunderland in theFA Cup third round. Tottenham Hotspur are held to a 1–1 draw by non-leagueAltrincham.[9]
22 January 1979: After four draws, the FA Cup third round tie between Arsenal and Third DivisionSheffield Wednesday is finally resolved when the Gunners win the fourth replay 2–0.[10]
31 January 1979: At the end of a month in which only twelve First Division matches were played, West Bromwich Albion and Everton have moved above Liverpool at the top of the table, although the Reds have played fewer games.[2]
3 February 1979: Liverpool beat West Bromwich Albion 2–1 at Anfield to reclaim top spot in the First Division table as Everton suffer just their second League defeat of the season, 1–0 at relegation-threatened Wolverhampton Wanderers.[2]
7 February 1979: England move to the top of their European Championship qualifying group with an emphatic 4–0 win overNorthern Ireland at Wembley.[3]
9 February 1979:Trevor Francis becomes Britain's first £1million footballer when he is transferred from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest, doubling the British record fee set when West Bromwich Albion signed David Mills last month.[11]
26 February 1979: Arsenal beat Nottingham Forest 1–0 at the City Ground in the FA Cup fifth round. Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Manchester United and Ipswich Town are amongst the other First Division sides to progress.[10]
28 February 1979: Liverpool at now five points clear of Arsenal and Everton at the top of the First Division, with two games in hand. Birmingham City are eight points from safety at the bottom, and are joined in the relegation zone by Chelsea andQueens Park Rangers.[2]
3 March 1979: Chelsea débutant goalkeeperPetar Borota picks up aclean sheet against Liverpool, whileOsvaldo Ardiles andDavid Mills score their first goals for their clubs: theArgentine internationalist bags a brace in Tottenham's 2–0 win over Derby County while Mills contributes to West Bromwich Albion's 3–1 win over Coventry City.[12]
10 March 1979: Liverpool win 1–0 away to Ipswich Town to reach the FA Cup semi-finals. The two other ties played today end in 1–1 draws.[10]
17 March 1979: Nottingham Forest retain theLeague Cup with a 3–2 win overSouthampton in thefinal.[13]
21 March 1979: Arsenal beat Southampton 2–0 in their FA Cup sixth round replay to join Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United in the semi-finals.[10]
31 March 1979: Arsenal beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 atVilla Park to reach the FA Cup final. In the other semi-final, Manchester United and Liverpool draw 2–2 atMaine Road.[10] In the league, Liverpool hold a comfortable four-point lead over Everton at the top at the end of the month. Chelsea have slipped behind Birmingham City on goal difference at the bottom, and Queens Park Rangers remain in the relegation zone.[2]
4 April 1979: Manchester United beat Liverpool 1–0 at Goodison Park in the FA Cup semi-final replay to reach the Final.[10]
16 April 1979: Chelsea lose 5–2 away to Arsenal and are relegated to the Second Division.[2]
21 April 1979: Birmingham City become the second team to be relegated from the First Division when they lose 2–0 at home to Nottingham Forest.[2]
25 April 1979: Nottingham Forest reach the European Cup final at the first attempt when a 1–0 win away to West German sideCologne gives them a 4–3 aggregate victory.[14]
28 April 1979: Liverpool move to the brink of regaining the First Division title after they draw 0–0 away to Nottingham Forest. They are seven points ahead of Forest and West Bromwich Albion.[2]
4 May 1979: Queens Park Rangers take the last First Division relegation place when they are beaten 4–3 byLeeds United.[2]
8 May 1979: Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3–0 at Anfield to clinch the First Division title. They finish unbeaten at home this season, and have scored 51 and conceded just four goals in 19 wins and two draws.[2]
12 May 1979: Arsenal win the FA Cup to end an eight-year trophy drought, defeating Manchester United 3–2 in thefinal with a last-gasp goal byAlan Sunderland after United had scored two goals in the last five minutes.[15]
18 May 1979: Nottingham Forest pip West Bromwich Albion to second place in the League by beating them 1–0 atThe Hawthorns. Forest finish eight points behind champions Liverpool and one ahead of Albion, who are themselves eight points ahead of fourth-placed Everton.[2]
26 May 1979: England beatScotland 3–1 at Wembley to clinch theHome Championship.[3]
30 May 1979: Nottingham Forest's remarkable run of glory continues when they beatMalmö ofSweden 1–0 in theEuropean Cup final. Trevor Francis scores the only goal of the game.[16]
1 June 1979: West Bromwich Albion sell wingerLaurie Cunningham toReal Madrid of Spain for £995,000.
6 June 1979: England win 3–0 away toBulgaria to move closer to next season's European Championship Finals.[3]
| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 England(C) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 5 |
 Wales | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 |
 Scotland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 2 |
 Northern Ireland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | −3 | 1 |
Brian Clough'sNottingham Forest added theEuropean Cup to their League Cup victory with a 1–0 win overMalmö of Sweden in thefinal.In UEFA Cup,West Bromwich Albion andManchester City reached the quarter-finals.Arsenal were eliminated in the third round, andEverton in the second round.
Arsenal won the FA Cup after surviving a late fight-back fromManchester United in thefinal atWembley. Manchester United scored twice in the last five minutes to make the score 2–2, but a last-minute goal fromAlan Sunderland saw Arsenal claim the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline. It was their first trophy success sinceTerry Neill replacedBertie Mee as manager.
Nottingham Forest added theLeague Cup to their honours list, with a 3–2 victory overSouthampton in thefinal.
Bob Paisley won his third league title as hisLiverpool side fought off competition fromNottingham Forest andWest Bromwich Albion to finish eight points clear at the top of the table. Their final points tally of 68 was a record under the two points for a win system, andRay Clemence kept 28 clean sheets in a season that saw Liverpool concede only four goals at home. Also, Liverpool became one of the first English clubs to have a shirt sponsor when they agreed a sponsorship deal with the Japanese hi-fi manufacturersHitachi.
Defending champions Nottingham Forest finished second, but their amazing success story underBrian Clough continued as they won theEuropean Cup and also retained theLeague Cup. In February 1979, they made history by signingTrevor Francis from Birmingham City in British football's first million-pound transfer. West Bromwich Albion finished third in their first full season under the management ofRon Atkinson. Everton and Leeds United completed the top five.
Arsenal, who finished seventh, compensated for a failure to challenge for the league title by winning the FA Cup, where they beat Manchester United 3–2 in a dramatic final where they had surrendered a 2–0 lead in the final few minutes beforeAlan Sunderland scored a last-gasp winner. It marked the end of a disappointing second season in charge forDave Sexton, whose United team could only manage a ninth-place finish in the league.
New managerDanny Blanchflower was unable to save Chelsea from relegation to the Second Division, and with financial problems still affecting theWest London club, midfielderRay Wilkins was sold to Manchester United for £750,000. Birmingham City fared little better, finishing only two points ahead of Chelsea. QPR, who had declined since the departure ofDave Sexton in 1977, were the final relegated side, just three years after finishing second in the league; they had been comfortably mid-table at the turn of the year, but a disastrous second half of the season sent them down.
With 23 draws from 42 matches,Norwich City set a record that stands to this day for highest percentage of draws in an English Football League season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 42 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 85 | 16 | +69 | 68 | Qualified for theEuropean Cup |
| 2 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 21 | 18 | 3 | 61 | 26 | +35 | 60 | |
| 3 | West Bromwich Albion | 42 | 24 | 11 | 7 | 72 | 35 | +37 | 59 | Qualified for theUEFA Cup |
| 4 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 17 | 8 | 52 | 40 | +12 | 51 | |
| 5 | Leeds United | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 70 | 52 | +18 | 50 | |
| 6 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 20 | 9 | 13 | 63 | 49 | +14 | 49 | |
| 7 | Arsenal | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 61 | 48 | +13 | 48 | Qualified for theCup Winners' Cup |
| 8 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 59 | 49 | +10 | 46 | |
| 9 | Manchester United | 42 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 45 | |
| 10 | Coventry City | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 58 | 68 | −10 | 44 | |
| 11 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 48 | 61 | −13 | 41 | |
| 12 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 40 | |
| 13 | Bristol City | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 40 | |
| 14 | Southampton | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 47 | 53 | −6 | 40 | |
| 15 | Manchester City | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 58 | 56 | +2 | 39 | |
| 16 | Norwich City | 42 | 7 | 23 | 12 | 51 | 57 | −6 | 37 | |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 54 | 75 | −21 | 35 | |
| 18 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 13 | 8 | 21 | 44 | 68 | −24 | 34 | |
| 19 | Derby County | 42 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 44 | 71 | −27 | 31 | |
| 20 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 45 | 73 | −28 | 25 | Relegated to theSecond Division |
| 21 | Birmingham City | 42 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 37 | 64 | −27 | 22 | |
| 22 | Chelsea | 42 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 44 | 92 | −48 | 20 |
Crystal Palace continued to excel underTerry Venables and finished the season as Second Division champions, with their promising young side being dubbed "the team of the eighties" by the sporting press, who expected them to challenge for honours at the highest level in the coming decade. Brighton and Stoke City were also promoted, while Sunderland missed out by a single point.
Blackburn Rovers, Millwall and Sheffield United went down to the Third Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 19 | 19 | 4 | 51 | 24 | +27 | 57 | Promoted to theFirst Division |
| 2 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 42 | 23 | 10 | 9 | 72 | 39 | +33 | 56 | |
| 3 | Stoke City | 42 | 20 | 16 | 6 | 58 | 31 | +27 | 56 | |
| 4 | Sunderland | 42 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 70 | 44 | +26 | 55 | |
| 5 | West Ham United | 42 | 18 | 14 | 10 | 70 | 39 | +31 | 50 | |
| 6 | Notts County | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 48 | 60 | −12 | 44 | |
| 7 | Preston North End | 42 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 59 | 57 | +2 | 42 | |
| 8 | Newcastle United | 42 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 51 | 55 | −4 | 42 | |
| 9 | Cardiff City | 42 | 16 | 10 | 16 | 56 | 70 | −14 | 42 | |
| 10 | Fulham | 42 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 50 | 47 | +3 | 41 | |
| 11 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 40 | |
| 12 | Cambridge United | 42 | 12 | 16 | 14 | 44 | 52 | −8 | 40 | |
| 13 | Burnley | 42 | 14 | 12 | 16 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 40 | |
| 14 | Oldham Athletic | 42 | 13 | 13 | 16 | 52 | 61 | −9 | 39 | |
| 15 | Wrexham | 42 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 38 | |
| 16 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 48 | 60 | −12 | 38 | |
| 17 | Leicester City | 42 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 37 | |
| 18 | Luton Town | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 60 | 57 | +3 | 36 | |
| 19 | Charlton Athletic | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 60 | 69 | −9 | 35 | |
| 20 | Sheffield United | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 34 | Relegated to theThird Division |
| 21 | Millwall | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 42 | 61 | −19 | 32 | |
| 22 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 10 | 10 | 22 | 41 | 72 | −31 | 30 |
Graham Turner kicked off his managerial career by delivering the Third Division title to Shrewsbury Town, who reached the Second Division for the first time in their history. The other two promotion spots were occupied by newly promotedWatford andSwansea City, who within a few seasons would make their mark on the First Division.
Lincoln City, Tranmere Rovers, Walsall and Peterborough United all went down to the Fourth Division.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 21 | 19 | 6 | 61 | 41 | +20 | 61 | Promoted to theSecond Division |
| 2 | Watford | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 83 | 52 | +31 | 60 | |
| 3 | Swansea City | 46 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 83 | 61 | +22 | 60 | |
| 4 | Gillingham | 46 | 21 | 17 | 8 | 65 | 42 | +23 | 59 | |
| 5 | Swindon Town | 46 | 25 | 7 | 14 | 74 | 52 | +22 | 57 | |
| 6 | Carlisle United | 46 | 15 | 22 | 9 | 53 | 42 | +11 | 52 | |
| 7 | Colchester United | 46 | 17 | 17 | 12 | 60 | 55 | +5 | 51 | |
| 8 | Hull City | 46 | 19 | 11 | 16 | 66 | 61 | +5 | 49 | |
| 9 | Exeter City | 46 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 61 | 56 | +5 | 49 | |
| 10 | Brentford | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 53 | 49 | +4 | 47 | |
| 11 | Oxford United | 46 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 44 | 50 | −6 | 46 | |
| 12 | Blackpool | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 61 | 59 | +2 | 45 | |
| 13 | Southend United | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 51 | 49 | +2 | 45 | |
| 14 | Sheffield Wednesday | 46 | 13 | 19 | 14 | 53 | 53 | 0 | 45 | |
| 15 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 67 | 68 | −1 | 44 | |
| 16 | Chester | 46 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 57 | 61 | −4 | 44 | |
| 17 | Rotherham United | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 49 | 55 | −6 | 44 | |
| 18 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 51 | 52 | −1 | 43 | |
| 19 | Bury | 46 | 11 | 20 | 15 | 59 | 65 | −6 | 42 | |
| 20 | Chesterfield | 46 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 51 | 65 | −14 | 40 | |
| 21 | Peterborough United | 46 | 11 | 14 | 21 | 44 | 63 | −19 | 36 | Relegated to theFourth Division |
| 22 | Walsall | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 56 | 71 | −15 | 32 | |
| 23 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 6 | 16 | 24 | 45 | 78 | −33 | 28 | |
| 24 | Lincoln City | 46 | 7 | 11 | 28 | 41 | 88 | −47 | 25 |
Reading,Grimsby Town,Wimbledon, andBarnsley occupied the Fourth Division promotion places. The success came for Wimbledon in only their second season as a league club and within a decade they would be an established First Division club. Wigan Athletic enjoyed a strong debut in the Football League by finishing sixth.
The re-election system voted in favour of the league's bottom four clubs and there was no relegation from the Fourth Division this season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reading | 46 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 76 | 35 | +41 | 65 | Promoted to theThird Division |
| 2 | Grimsby Town | 46 | 26 | 9 | 11 | 82 | 49 | +33 | 61 | |
| 3 | Wimbledon | 46 | 25 | 11 | 10 | 78 | 46 | +32 | 61 | |
| 4 | Barnsley | 46 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 73 | 42 | +31 | 61 | |
| 5 | Aldershot | 46 | 20 | 17 | 9 | 63 | 47 | +16 | 57 | |
| 6 | Wigan Athletic | 46 | 21 | 13 | 12 | 63 | 48 | +15 | 55 | |
| 7 | Portsmouth | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 62 | 48 | +14 | 52 | |
| 8 | Newport County | 46 | 21 | 10 | 15 | 66 | 55 | +11 | 52 | |
| 9 | Huddersfield Town | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 57 | 53 | +4 | 47 | |
| 10 | York City | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 51 | 55 | −4 | 47 | |
| 11 | Torquay United | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 58 | 65 | −7 | 46 | |
| 12 | Scunthorpe United | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 45 | |
| 13 | Hartlepool United | 46 | 13 | 18 | 15 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 44 | |
| 14 | Hereford United | 46 | 15 | 13 | 18 | 53 | 53 | 0 | 43 | |
| 15 | Bradford City | 46 | 17 | 9 | 20 | 62 | 68 | −6 | 43 | |
| 16 | Port Vale | 46 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 57 | 70 | −13 | 42 | |
| 17 | Stockport County | 46 | 14 | 12 | 20 | 58 | 60 | −2 | 40 | |
| 18 | AFC Bournemouth | 46 | 14 | 11 | 21 | 47 | 48 | −1 | 39 | |
| 19 | Northampton Town | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 64 | 76 | −12 | 39 | |
| 20 | Rochdale | 46 | 15 | 9 | 22 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 39 | |
| 21 | Darlington | 46 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 49 | 66 | −17 | 37 | Re-elected |
| 22 | Doncaster Rovers | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 50 | 73 | −23 | 37 | |
| 23 | Halifax Town | 46 | 9 | 8 | 29 | 39 | 72 | −33 | 26 | |
| 24 | Crewe Alexandra | 46 | 6 | 14 | 26 | 43 | 90 | −47 | 26 |
First Division
Second Division
Third Division
Fourth Division
The divisional champions of the major non-League competitions were:
| Competition | Winners |
|---|---|
| Isthmian League | Barking |
| Northern Premier League | Mossley |
| Southern League | Worcester City |
| FA Trophy | Stafford Rangers |
| FA Vase | Billericay Town |
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(April 2010) |
1 January 1979 –Gary Lineker,English striker, makes his English league debut forLeicester City aged 18 in a 2–0 win overOldham Athletic in a Second Division game atFilbert Street
28 April 1979 –Ian Rush, 17-year-oldWelsh striker, makes his debut playing out of position (in midfield) forChester in their 2–2 Third Division draw withSheffield Wednesday atSealand Road.[18] On the same day,Clive Allen, 17-year-old striker, scores a hat-trick on his debut forQueens Park Rangers in the 5–1 First Division win overCoventry City.[19]
30 April 1979 –Kevin Moran,Irish defender, makes his English league debut for Manchester United the day after his 23rd birthday in a 1–1 draw withSouthampton in a First Division game atThe Dell.[20]
5 May 1979 –Mark Hateley,English striker, makes his English league debut forCoventry City aged 17 in a 3–0 win overWolves in a First Division game atHighfield Road.