# 1977–78 West Ham United F.C. season

In the 1977–78 season West Ham United were relegated from the First Division after twenty years in the top flight since their promotion in 1958.

## Season summary

Despite winning six of their last nine League matches, they paid the price for a terrible start to the season that had seen them win just one of their first twelve games, and were relegated when they lost their last match to Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Aston Villa. They finished one point behind Queens Park Rangers and went down to the Second Division alongside Newcastle United and Leicester City. They also suffered a heavy 6–1 defeat to QPR in the FA Cup, equalling their record margin of defeat in the competition at that time.
A season of few highlights saw the introduction to the first team of Alvin Martin and David Cross, both of whom went on to play significant parts in the club's revival in subsequent seasons.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 18 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 47 | 61 | −14 | 35 | Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 19 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 9 | 15 | 18 | 47 | 64 | −17 | 33 | |
| 20 | West Ham United (R) | 42 | 12 | 8 | 22 | 52 | 69 | −17 | 32 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 21 | Newcastle United (R) | 42 | 6 | 10 | 26 | 42 | 78 | −36 | 22 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Leicester City (R) | 42 | 5 | 12 | 25 | 26 | 70 | −44 | 22 | Relegation to the Second Division |
* ↑ Ipswich Town qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup as the 1977–78 FA Cup winners.

## Results
### Football League First Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 20 August 1977 | Norwich City | H | 1–3 | 28,178 | Robson (pen) |
| 24 August 1977 | Leicester City | A | 0–1 | 18,310 | |
| 27 August 1977 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 25,278 | |
| 3 September 1977 | Newcastle United | A | 3–2 | 26,983 | Jennings, A Taylor, Robson |
| 10 September 1977 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–2 | 26,922 | Holland, Lock |
| 17 September 1977 | Bristol City | A | 2–3 | 21,180 | Robson, Pike |
| 24 September 1977 | Everton | H | 1–1 | 25,296 | Dobson (o.g.) |
| 1 October 1977 | Arsenal | A | 0–3 | 41,245 | |
| 3 October 1977 | Middlesbrough | H | 0–2 | 26,508 | Jennings |
| 8 October 1977 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–0 | 26,126 | |
| 15 October 1977 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–2 | 19,366 | Pike, Robson |
| 22 October 1977 | Aston Villa | H | 2–2 | 26,599 | T Taylor, Hales |
| 29 October 1977 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–0 | 27,308 | Hales (2) |
| 5 November 1977 | Coventry City | A | 0–1 | 23,276 | |
| 12 November 1977 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 3–3 | 23,601 | Robson (pen), Devonshire (2) |
| 19 November 1977 | Derby County | A | 1–2 | 23,273 | Bonds |
| 26 November 1977 | Leeds United | H | 0–1 | 26,883 | |
| 3 December 1977 | Liverpool | A | 0–2 | 39,659 | |
| 10 December 1977 | Manchester United | H | 2–1 | 20,759 | Hales, Brooking |
| 17 December 1977 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–1 | 18,868 | |
| 26 December 1977 | Birmingham City | H | 1–0 | 25,572 | Curbishley |
| 27 December 1977 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | 44,083 | Robson |
| 31 December 1977 | Leicester City | H | 3–2 | 16,201 | McDowell, Hales, Cross |
| 2 January 1978 | Norwich City | A | 2–2 | 29,480 | Devonshire, Hales |
| 14 January 1978 | Manchester City | A | 2–3 | 43,627 | Brooking, Cross |
| 21 January 1978 | Newcastle United | H | 1–0 | 25,461 | Hales |
| 11 February 1978 | Bristol City | H | 1–2 | 19,934 | Robson |
| 18 February 1978 | Everton | A | 1–2 | 33,862 | Hales |
| 25 February 1978 | Arsenal | H | 2–2 | 31,675 | A Taylor, Cross |
| 4 March 1978 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | 33,924 | |
| 11 March 1978 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–2 | 23,525 | Hales |
| 14 March 1978 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–1 | 20,394 | |
| 18 March 1978 | Aston Villa | A | 1–4 | 28,275 | Brooking |
| 24 March 1978 | Ipswich Town | H | 3–0 | 23,867 | Cross (3) |
| 25 March 1978 | Chelsea | H | 3–1 | 24,987 | Brooking, Green, Holland |
| 28 March 1978 | Birmingham City | A | 0–3 | 23,554 | |
| 1 April 1978 | Coventry City | H | 2–1 | 19,260 | T Taylor, Holland |
| 8 April 1978 | Leeds United | A | 2–1 | 22,953 | Martin, Hales |
| 15 April 1978 | Derby County | H | 3–0 | 25,424 | Robson (2), Cross |
| 22 April 1978 | Manchester United | A | 0–3 | 54,089 | |
| 25 April 1978 | Middlesbrough | A | 2–1 | 13,247 | Cross (2) |
| 29 April 1978 | Liverpool | H | 0–2 | 37,448 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R3 | 7 January 1978 | Watford | H | 1–0 | 36,745 | Robson |
| R4 | 28 January 1978 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–1 | 35,566 | Bonds |
| R4 replay | 31 January 1978 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–6 | 24,057 | Robson |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 30 August 1977 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–5 | 18,224 | |

## Players

| | Player | Pos | Lge Apps | Lge Gls | FAC Apps | FAC Gls | LC Apps | Date Signed | Previous Club |
| First Team |||||||||||
| | Mervyn Day | GK | 23 | | | | 1 | 1973 | Academy |
| | Frank Lampard | LB | 40 | | 3 | | 1 | 1967 | Academy |
| | Paul Brush | RB | 23 (1) | | | | 1 | 1977 | Academy |
| | Billy Bonds (Capt) | CM | 29 | 1 | 3 | 1 | | 1967 | Charlton Athletic |
| | Tommy Taylor | D | 42 | 2 | 3 | | | 1970 | Leyton Orient |
| | Alan Curbishley | M | 31 (1) | 1 | 3 | | 1 | 1974 | Academy |
| | Alan Devonshire | LM | 32 (2) | 3 | 3 | | 1 | 1976 | Southall |
| | Geoff Pike | M | 25 (3) | 2 | 0 (1) | | 1 | 1975 | Academy |
| | Trevor Brooking | CM | 37 | 4 | 2 | | | 1967 | Academy |
| | Derek Hales | CF | 23 (1) | 10 | 3 | | | 1977 | Derby County |
| | Pop Robson | CF | 37 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1976 | Sunderland |
| Other Players |||||||||||
| | David Cross | RW | 21 | 9 | 3 | | | 1977 | West Bromwich Albion |
| | Bobby Ferguson | GK | 19 | | 3 | | | 1967 | Kilmarnock |
| | Bill Green | CH | 13 | 1 | | | 1 | 1976 | Carlisle United |
| | Pat Holland | M | 18 (3) | 3 | 1 | | | 1969 | Academy |
| | Billy Jennings | F | 2 | 1 | | | | 1974 | Watford |
| | Kevin Lock | CH | 6 | 1 | | | 1 | 1971 | Academy |
| | Alvin Martin | CH | 5 (2) | 1 | | | | 1976 | Academy |
| | John McDowell | D | 12 (2) | 1 | 3 | | | 1969 | Academy |
| | Mick McGiven | CH | 4 | | | | | 1973 | Sunderland |
| | Anton Otulakowski | M | 0 (5) | | | | | 1976 | Barnsley |
| | John Radford | M | 10 | | | | 1 | 1976 | Arsenal |
| | Alan Taylor | CF | 10 (1) | 2 | 0 (1) | | 1 | 1974 | Rochdale |