NUFC Season Summaries

NUFC Season 1977/78

A year after qualifying for Europe, United were relegated after a season so disastrous that the BBC devoted an edition of it's national coverage "Tonight" programme to "the decline and fall of Newcastle United".

We were ditched into a relegation position by the third Saturday of the season and they would never again crawl out of it. Dinnis got the sack and was replaced by Bill McGarry but he could not halt the slide.

An incredible thirty five different players (the most ever at that point) "played" that season.

They eventually finished in 21st position after gathering a mere twenty two points from forty two games; eleven points short of safety. Along the way breaking a whole host of records for crapness.

The domestic cups provided no relief as they were defeated at home by Second Division Millwall in the League Cup Second Round and thrashed 4-1 by Third Division Wrexham in an FA Cup Fourth Round Replay.

The European dream turned into a nightmare as a riot marred the away match with Bohemians before their interest was ended by French side Bastia who went on to lift the UEFA Cup after outclassing the Magpies at SJP.

Newcastle failed to win a single League match after winning at Leeds on January 2nd and it is hardly surprising that the fans deserted them in their droves. In those pre mass season-ticket days supporters voted with their feet and only 7,986 bothered to turn up for the last home game

Very few clubs could have achieved such a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, but of course for United it is second nature. In a season in which we were shot from all sides the directors, managers and players all deserved a share of the blame.