The 1975–76 season was the 46th season of competitive football played by Hereford United Football Club and their fourth in the Football League. The club competed in Division Three, as well as the League Cup, FA Cup and Welsh Cup.
| 1975–76 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Frank Miles |
| Manager | John Sillett |
| Stadium | Edgar Street |
| Division Three | 1st |
| League Cup | Second round |
| FA Cup | Third round |
| Welsh Cup | Runners-up |
| Top goalscorer | League: Dixie McNeil (35) All: Dixie McNeil (38) |
| Highest home attendance | 12,970 v Crystal Palace, Division Three, 31 January 1976 |
| Lowest home attendance | 1994 v Porthmadog, Welsh Cup, 18 February 1976 |
| Average home league attendance | 8273 |
| Biggest win | 5–0 v Chester (H), Division Three, 10 March 1976 |
| Biggest defeat | 1–4 v Burnley (H), League Cup, 10 September 1975 |
Summary
Hereford clinched a second promotion in four years following election to the Football League by finishing as champions of Division Three, six points clear of second-placed Cardiff City. They won only one of their opening five league matches, failing to score in three of them, but gathered momentum as results improved through the autumn and winter, and went top for the first time with a 4–1 over Cardiff at the start of February. A crowd of 35,549 saw the Welsh club claim a 2–0 win in the return fixture at Ninian Park on 14 April, but Hereford's promotion was confirmed the following Saturday by a goalless draw at Walsall, with the championship following two days later courtesy of a 3–1 win over Shrewsbury Town.
The squad was bolstered by the arrival of goalkeeper Kevin Charlton, full-back Steve Ritchie, midfielder Jimmy Lindsay and forward Steve Davey. Charlton displaced Tommy Hughes as first-choice keeper, while Ritchie and Lindsay were both ever-present, and Davey's 18 league goals took some of the scoring burden off Dixie McNeil. Nevertheless, McNeil finished as leading scorer in the Football League for the second successive year with a haul of 35 goals, thanks to a hat-trick against Preston North End in the final match of the season which enabled him to overtake Walsall's Alan Buckley by one goal. He also became the first Hereford player to score four goals in a league match, doing so in a 5–0 win over Chester.
Veteran midfielder Terry Paine achieved a notable feat when he made his 765th league appearance in Hereford's home match against Peterborough United on 25 October. This established a new Football league record, overtaking the previous record of 764 held by Portsmouth's Jimmy Dickinson.[1]
Squad
Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1975-76 season
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League Cup | FA Cup | Welsh Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| GK |  ENG | Kevin Charlton | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| GK |  SCO | Tommy Hughes | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| DF |  IRE | Tony Byrne | 1(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(1) | 2 | 6(2) | 2 |
| DF | ENG | Steve Emery | 45 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 58 | 2 |
| DF |  WAL | Mark Evans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | John Galley | 35 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | John Layton | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 49 | 9 |
| DF | WAL | Julian Marshall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | SCO | Steve Ritchie | 46 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 57 | 2 |
| DF | ENG | David Rylands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Billy Tucker | 17(2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 27(2) | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Les Briley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Roy Carter | 33 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1(1) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 42(1) | 8 |
| MF | ENG | Paul Courtney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | SCO | Jimmy Lindsay | 46 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 59 | 6 |
| MF | SCO | Jim McCafferty | 0(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3(3) | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Terry Paine | 40(4) | 1 | 2(2) | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 48(6) | 3 |
| MF | ENG | Brian Preece | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3(1) | 1 | 3(1) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | David Rudge | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 |
| MF | IRE | Kevin Sheedy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Barry Silkman | 12(10) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | 3(1) | 1 | 16(13) | 2 |
| MF | ENG | Peter Spiring | 5(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(1) | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Dudley Tyler | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3(1) | 0 | 41(1) | 6 |
| MF | WAL | Shane Walker | 7(2) | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4(1) | 1 | 16(3) | 3 |
| FW | ENG | Steve Davey | 42(3) | 18 | 3(1) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5(1) | 3 | 54(5) | 21 |
| FW | ENG | Dixie McNeil | 40(1) | 35 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 51 | 38 |
| FW | ENG | Eric Redrobe | 15(5) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 22(5) | 2 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hereford United (C, P) | 46 | 26 | 11 | 9 | 86 | 55 | 1.564 | 63 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 2 | Cardiff City (P) | 46 | 22 | 13 | 11 | 69 | 48 | 1.438 | 57 | Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round and promotion to the Second Division |
| 3 | Millwall (P) | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 54 | 43 | 1.256 | 56 | Promotion to the Second Division |
| 4 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 46 | 22 | 9 | 15 | 78 | 53 | 1.472 | 53 | |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 61 | 46 | 1.326 | 53 |
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted
Results
Third Division
| 16 August 1975 1 | Hereford United | 0–0 | Port Vale | Hereford |
| Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6219 |
| 24 August 1975 2 | Rotherham United | 1–1 | Hereford United | Rotherham |
Breckin  31' | Carter 29' | Stadium: Millmoor Attendance: 3825 |
| 30 August 1975 3 | Hereford United | 3–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | Hereford |
| Tucker 39' McNeil 66', 84' (pen.) | Henson 79' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7017 |
| 6 September 1975 4 | Millwall | 1–0 | Hereford United | London |
| Hill 87' | Stadium: The Den Attendance: 6066 |
| 13 September 1975 5 | Hereford United | 0–0 | Colchester United | Hereford |
| Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 5577 |
| 20 September 1975 6 | Chesterfield | 2–3 | Hereford United | Chesterfield |
| Darling 58' (pen.) Burton 69' | McNeil 50' Silkman 77'Redrobe 86' | Stadium: Saltergate Attendance: 3000 |
| 24 September 1975 7 | Hereford United | 1–0 | Swindon Town | Hereford |
| Emery 8' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6423 |
| 27 September 1975 8 | Hereford United | 1–1 | Gillingham | Hereford |
| Davey 78' | Shipperley 80' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 5512 |
| 4 October 1975 9 | Chester | 0–1 | Hereford United | Chester |
| Davey 78' | Stadium: Sealand Road Attendance: 4144 |
| 11 October 1975 10 | Hereford United | 2–0 | Wrexham | Hereford |
| Layton 23' Davey 78' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6228 |
| 18 October 1975 11 | Halifax Town | 0–1 | Hereford United | Halifax |
| Tyler 40' | Stadium: The Shay Attendance: 2667 |
| 21 October 1975 12 | Crystal Palace | 2–2 | Hereford United | London |
| Swindlehurst 41' Taylor 56' (pen.) | Layton 58' Tyler 79' | Stadium: Selhurst Park Attendance: 20,232 |
| 25 October 1975 13 | Hereford United | 2–4 | Peterborough United | Hereford |
| Lindsay 38' (pen.) Davey 86' | Gregory 15' Turner 59', 75'Nixon 81' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 8471 |
| 1 November 1975 14 | Preston North End | 3–4 | Hereford United | Preston |
| Baxter 4' Morley 60' (pen.)Treacy 63' | Davey 2' Tucker 31'McNeil 57'Lindsay 61' | Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 9682 |
| 8 November 1975 15 | Hereford United | 3–2 | Grimsby Town | Hereford |
| McNeil 9', 74' Davey 70' | Wigg 52' Barton 72' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6391 |
| 29 November 1975 16 | Hereford United | 2–0 | Bury | Hereford |
| McNeil 18' (pen.) Davey 83' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6867 |
| 6 December 1975 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 4–2 | Hereford United | Hove |
| Binney 7' Mellor 43'Martin 67', 73' | Tyler 41' Carter 76' | Stadium: Goldstone Ground Attendance: 17,811 |
| 20 December 1975 18 | Aldershot | 0–2 | Hereford United | Aldershot |
| McNeil 64' Walker 83' | Stadium: Recreation Ground Attendance: 4113 |
| 26 December 1975 19 | Hereford United | 1–3 | Walsall | Hereford |
| Davey 22' | Evans 37' Buckley 46', 84' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 10,891 |
| 27 December 1975 20 | Shrewsbury Town | 2–1 | Hereford United | Shrewsbury |
| Durban 38', 45' | Walker 83' | Stadium: Gay Meadow Attendance: 9488 |
| 10 January 1976 21 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–2 | Hereford United | Sheffield |
| Shaw 8' | Davey 22' McNeil 47' | Stadium: Hillsborough Attendance: 8155 |
| 17 January 1976 22 | Hereford United | 4–2 | Chesterfield | Hereford |
| Hunter 12' (o.g.) Layton 35'McNeil 43', 72' | Bailey 55' Shanahan 73' (pen.) | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 5999 |
| 24 January 1976 23 | Colchester United | 1–4 | Hereford United | Colchester |
| Telford 3' | McNeil 2', 38' Dominey 28' (o.g.)Davey 67' | Stadium: Layer Road Attendance: 8155 |
| 26 January 1976 24 | Southend United | 1–3 | Hereford United | Southend-on-Sea |
| Silvester 63' | McNeil 15', 35' Layton 83' | Stadium: Roots Hall Attendance: 3722 |
| 31 January 1976 25 | Hereford United | 1–1 | Crystal Palace | Hereford |
| McNeil 55' | Swindlehurst 73' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 12,970 |
| 4 February 1976 26 | Hereford United | 4–1 | Cardiff City | Hereford |
| McNeil 8', 15' Emery 25'Layton 80' | Buchanan 76' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 12,962 |
| 7 February 1976 27 | Mansfield Town | 2–2 | Hereford United | Mansfield |
| Bird 48' Clarke 54' | McNeil 73', 87' | Stadium: Field Mill Attendance: 5997 |
| 11 February 1976 28 | Hereford United | 1–0 | Mansfield Town | Hereford |
| Ritchie 28' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 8302 |
| 14 February 1976 29 | Grimsby Town | 1–0 | Hereford United | Cleethorpes |
| Lewis 21' | Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 5944 |
| 21 February 1976 30 | Hereford United | 2–1 | Southend United | Hereford |
| McNeil 8' Galley 90' | Silvester 30' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7264 |
| 24 February 1976 31 | Swindon Town | 0–1 | Hereford United | Swindon |
| Davey 27' | Stadium: County Ground Attendance: 10,691 |
| 27 February 1976 32 | Peterborough United | 0–3 | Hereford United | Peterborough |
| McNeil 18' Carter 32'Davey 70' | Stadium: London Road Attendance: 14,106 |
| 10 March 1976 33 | Hereford United | 5–0 | Chester City | Hereford |
| McNeil 13', 23' (pen.), 55', 68' Davey 19' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7103 |
| 13 March 1976 34 | Wrexham | 2–1 | Hereford United | Wrexham |
| Sutton 39' Griffiths 45' (pen.) | McNeil 19' | Stadium: Racecourse Ground Attendance: 7621 |
| 17 March 1976 35 | Hereford United | 1–2 | Halifax Town | Hereford |
| Galley 82' | G. Jones 63' Overton 90' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7395 |
| 20 March 1976 36 | Bury | 2–3 | Hereford United | Bury |
| Williams 67' Buchan 69' | Davey 30' Carter 54'McNeil 87' | Stadium: Gigg Lane Attendance: 6384 |
| 27 March 1976 37 | Hereford United | 1–1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Hereford |
| McNeil 53' | Ward 1' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 12,160 |
| 31 March 1976 38 | Hereford United | 2–1 | Aldershot | Hereford |
| Richardson 38' (o.g.) Paine 44' | Warnock 50' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7497 |
| 3 April 1976 39 | Port Vale | 1–1 | Hereford United | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Griffiths 66' | Davey 54' | Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 4424 |
| 6 April 1976 40 | Gillingham | 3–4 | Hereford United | Gillingham |
| Durrell 12', 44' Ritchie 50' (o.g.) | Davey 2', 66' McNeil 76'Layton 82' | Stadium: Priestfield Attendance: 7914 |
| 10 April 1976 41 | Hereford United | 0–0 | Millwall | Hereford |
| Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 10,176 |
| 14 April 1976 42 | Cardiff City | 2–0 | Hereford United | Cardiff |
| Livermore 54' Campbell 88' | Stadium: Ninian Park Attendance: 35,549 |
| 17 April 1976 43 | Walsall | 0–0 | Hereford United | Walsall |
| Stadium: Fellows Park Attendance: 9225 |
| 19 April 1976 44 | Hereford United | 3–1 | Shrewsbury Town | Hereford |
| Carter 46' Davey 62'McNeil 69' | Kearney 90' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 12,314 |
| 24 April 1976 45 | Hereford United | 3–2 | Rotherham United | Hereford |
| McNeil 2' Tyler 6', 38' | Finney 53' Crawford 67' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 8950 |
| 28 April 1976 46 | Hereford United | 3–1 | Preston North End | Hereford |
| McNeil 52', 64', 76' | Elwiss 16' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 7592 |
League Cup
| 18 August 1975 First round first leg | Port Vale | 4–2 | Hereford United | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Cullerton 23', 28', 43' (pen.) Bailey 26' | Lindsay 52', 64' | Stadium: Vale Park Attendance: 3787 |
| 27 August 1975 First round second leg | Hereford United | 2–0 | Port Vale | Hereford |
| Ritchie 61' Carter 88' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 4107 |
| 1 September 1975 First round replay | Hereford United | 1–0 | Port Vale | Shrewsbury |
| Paine 88' | Stadium: Gay Meadow Attendance: 3637 |
| 10 September 1975 Second round | Hereford United | 1–4 | Burnley | Hereford |
| Carter 50' | Flynn 35', 65' Noble 48', 78' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 11,360 |
FA Cup
| 22 November 1975 First round | Hereford United | 2–0 | Torquay United | Hereford |
| Carter 7' Tucker 82' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6542 |
| 13 December 1975 Second round | Bournemouth | 2–2 | Hereford United | Bournemouth |
| Ashworth 38' Goddard 86' | Tyler 60' McNeil 71' | Stadium: Dean Court Attendance: 6181 |
| 17 December 1975 Second round replay | Hereford United | 2–0 | Bournemouth | Hereford |
| Layton 55' McNeil 58' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 6351 |
| 3 January 1976 Third round | York City | 2–1 | Hereford United | York |
| Seal 33' Hosker 38' | Layton 90' | Stadium: Bootham Crescent Attendance: 5154 |
Welsh Cup
| 12 November 1975 Third round | Stourbridge | 1–2 | Hereford United | Stourbridge |
| Smith 18' | Walker 45' Redrobe 50' | Stadium: War Memorial Ground Attendance: 669 |
| 19 January 1976 Fourth round | Newport County | 1–2 | Hereford United | Newport |
| Aizlewood 5' | Aizlewood 18' (o.g.) Layton 41' | Stadium: Somerton Park Attendance: 2400 |
| 18 February 1976 Fifth round | Hereford United | 4–0 | Porthmadog | Hereford |
| Preece 10' Silkman 37'Davey 47', 64' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 1994 |
| 23 March 1976 Semi-final | Hereford United | 1–1 | Shrewsbury Town | Hereford |
| Lindsay 31' | Bates 63' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 4748 |
| 8 April 1976 Semi-final replay | Shrewsbury Town | 1–1* | Hereford United | Shrewsbury |
| Irvine 63' | Byrne 90' | Stadium: Gay Meadow Attendance: 2714 |
| 18 May 1976 Final first leg** | Hereford United | 3–3 | Cardiff City | Hereford |
| Davey 67' Paine 69'McNeil 75' | Evans 25' Dwyer 62', 87' | Stadium: Edgar Street Attendance: 3709 |
| 19 May 1976 Final second leg | Cardiff City | 3–2 | Hereford United | Cardiff |
| Pethard 11' Clark 32'Evans 66' | Lindsay 50' Byrne 86' | Stadium: Ninian Park Attendance: 2648 |
* Hereford won 5–4 on penalties.
** The first leg was originally played at Ninian Park on 29 April and ended in a 2–2 draw. This was declared null and void by the Welsh FA after Peter Spiring, scorer of both Hereford goals, was deemed to have been ineligible to play.
References
- Bibliography
- Parrott, Ron (1998). Hereford United: The League Era - A Complete Record. Desert Island Books. ISBN 1-874287-18-X.
- Rothmans Football Yearbook 1976-77 (Editor: Peter Dunk). Queen Anne Press. 4 June 1976. ISBN 0362-00259-2.
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