# 1978–79 Mansfield Town F.C. season

The 1978–79 season was Mansfield Town's 42nd season in the Football League and 14th in the Third Division they finished in 18th position with 43 points.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 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 |

## Results
### Football League Third Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 19 August 1978 | Exeter City | A | 0–0 | 3,704 | |
| 2 | 21 August 1978 | Gillingham | H | 1–1 | 5,802 | Bird |
| 3 | 26 August 1978 | Southend United | H | 1–1 | 5,276 | Goodwin |
| 4 | 2 September 1978 | Swindon Town | A | 0–1 | 6,407 | |
| 5 | 9 September 1978 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 4–1 | 6,052 | Syrett, Martin, Saxby, Miller |
| 6 | 16 September 1978 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | 1–1 | 11,365 | Goodwin |
| 7 | 23 September 1978 | Rotherham United | A | 0–2 | 5,350 | |
| 8 | 27 September 1978 | Oxford United | A | 2–3 | 4,266 | Bird, Allen |
| 9 | 30 September 1978 | Carlisle United | H | 1–0 | 4,716 | Miller |
| 10 | 7 October 1978 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 2–2 | 4,338 | Bird, Moss |
| 11 | 14 October 1978 | Walsall | H | 1–3 | 6,036 | Martin |
| 12 | 17 October 1978 | Swansea City | A | 2–3 | 10,975 | Allen, Goodwin |
| 13 | 21 October 1978 | Blackpool | A | 0–2 | 6,633 | |
| 14 | 28 October 1978 | Colchester United | H | 1–1 | 4,525 | Moss |
| 15 | 4 November 1978 | Lincoln City | A | 1–0 | 3,644 | Martin |
| 16 | 11 November 1978 | Swindon Town | H | 0–1 | 4,721 | |
| 17 | 13 November 1978 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–0 | 3,929 | |
| 18 | 17 November 1978 | Southend United | A | 1–1 | 7,416 | Syrett |
| 19 | 2 December 1978 | Watford | A | 1–1 | 10,568 | Goodwin |
| 20 | 9 December 1978 | Brentford | H | 2–1 | 4,003 | Curtis, McClelland |
| 21 | 23 December 1978 | Peterborough United | H | 1–1 | 3,671 | Green (o.g.) |
| 22 | 26 December 1978 | Hull City | A | 0–3 | 4,706 | |
| 23 | 30 December 1978 | Bury | A | 0–0 | 4,009 | |
| 24 | 10 February 1979 | Carlisle United | A | 0–1 | 4,896 | |
| 25 | 24 February 1979 | Walsall | A | 1–1 | 4,157 | Bird |
| 26 | 3 March 1979 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | 4,829 | Curtis |
| 27 | 9 March 1979 | Colchester United | A | 0–1 | 2,866 | |
| 28 | 12 March 1979 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 5–0 | 4,325 | Carter (2), Syrett (2), Hamilton |
| 29 | 24 March 1979 | Gillingham | A | 0–0 | 9,935 | |
| 30 | 26 March 1979 | Exeter City | H | 1–1 | 4,562 | Allen |
| 31 | 31 March 1979 | Chester | H | 1–1 | 2,358 | Austin |
| 32 | 3 April 1979 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 2–1 | 11,231 | Austin, Saxby |
| 33 | 7 April 1979 | Watford | H | 0–3 | 7,944 | |
| 34 | 14 April 1979 | Hull City | H | 0–2 | 5,138 | |
| 35 | 16 April 1979 | Chesterfield | A | 0–1 | 4,931 | |
| 36 | 17 April 1979 | Peterborough United | A | 2–1 | 4,178 | Austin, Miller |
| 37 | 21 April 1979 | Bury | H | 3–0 | 3,976 | Carter, Curtis, Forrest (o.g.) |
| 38 | 23 April 1979 | Swansea City | H | 2–2 | 6,426 | Allen, Curtis |
| 39 | 28 April 1979 | Brentford | A | 0–1 | 6,838 | |
| 40 | 30 April 1979 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–1 | 1,121 | Carter, Saxby |
| 41 | 5 May 1979 | Chester | H | 2–0 | 4,173 | Austin, Curtis |
| 42 | 7 May 1979 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–2 | 6,413 | Austin, Curtis |
| 43 | 11 May 1979 | Lincoln City | H | 2–0 | 4,386 | Austin, Saxby |
| 44 | 14 May 1979 | Oxford United | H | 1–1 | 4,138 | Miller |
| 45 | 19 May 1979 | Rotherham United | H | 0–1 | 3,971 | |
| 46 | 21 May 1979 | Chesterfield | H | 2–1 | 4,159 | Saxby, Tartt (o.g.) |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 25 November 1978 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 0–2 | 4,881 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st leg | 12 August 1978 | Darlington | H | 0–1 | 4,903 | |
| R1 2nd leg | 15 August 1978 | Darlington | A | 2–2 | 5,000 | Bird, Miller |

### Anglo-Scottish Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| PR | 31 July 1978 | Notts County | H | 1–0 | 5,107 | Syrett |
| PR | 5 August 1978 | Leyton Orient | A | 1–0 | 3,385 | Syrett |
| PR | 9 August 1978 | Norwich City | A | 1–1 | 3,771 | Syrett |
| QF 1st leg | 13 September 1978 | Partick Thistle | A | 0–1 | 2,000 | |
| QF 2nd leg | 3 October 1978 | Partick Thistle | H | 3–2 (4–2 pens) | 5,287 | G Saxby, Goodwin (2) |
| SF 1st leg | 31 October 1978 | Burnley | H | 1–2 | 5,517 | Goodwin |
| SF 2nd leg | 7 November 1978 | Burnley | A | 1–0 (3–4 pens) | 6,817 | Syrett |

## Squad statistics

* Squad list sourced from 1978–79 Mansfield Town F.C. season at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Anglo-Scottish Cup | Anglo-Scottish Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Rod Arnold | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| GK | Martin New | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| DF | Kevin Bird | 44 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 54 | 5 |
| DF | Bob Curtis | 33(1) | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36(1) | 6 |
| DF | Derek Dawkins | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| DF | Barry Foster | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 48 | 0 |
| DF | Colin Foster | 9(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3(1) | 0 | 14(5) | 0 |
| DF | John McClelland | 33(3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 43(3) | 1 |
| DF | Ian Phillips | 3(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 4(3) | 0 |
| DF | Mick Saxby | 46 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 56 | 4 |
| DF | Ian Wood | 6(11) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8(11) | 0 |
| MF | Mike Coffey | 2(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(3) | 0 | 3(5) | 0 |
| MF | Neville Hamilton | 16(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16(2) | 1 |
| MF | Gordon Hodgson | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| MF | Gary Saxby | 14(2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16(2) | 2 |
| FW | Russell Allen | 26(10) | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 30(10) | 5 |
| FW | Terry Austin | 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 5 |
| FW | Michael Carter | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 |
| FW | Dave Goodwin | 26(1) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 32(1) | 7 |
| FW | Jimmy Grattan | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Martin | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 42 | 3 |
| FW | Johnny Miller | 28(3) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 38(3) | 5 |
| FW | Ernie Moss | 12(1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14(1) | 2 |
| FW | Dave Syrett | 23 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 33 | 8 |
| – | Own goals | – | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 |