# 1978–79 Hereford United F.C. season

The 1978–79 season was the 49th season of competitive football played by Hereford United Football Club and their seventh in the Football League. Following a second successive relegation the previous season, the club competed in Division Four, as well as the League Cup and FA Cup.

## Summary

Former England international Mike Bailey took charge as Hereford's new manager and guided them to a modest mid-table finish in their first season back in Division Four.
Bailey brought his former Wolverhampton Wanderers teammate Bobby Gould to the club as player-coach. Gould top-scored with 13 goals, including two in a 6–1 thrashing of Crewe Alexandra which was Hereford's biggest win as a league club at the time, and one in the following match at Rochdale which contributed to Hereford's first away win in 32 matches.

## Squad

Players who made one appearance or more for Hereford United F.C. during the 1978-79 season
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | League Cup | League Cup | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | SCO | Tommy Hughes | 44 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| GK | ENG | Lyndon Knight | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Phil Burrows | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| DF | WAL | Stuart Cornes | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Steve Emery | 43(1) | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 48(1) | 6 |
| DF | ENG | Andy Feeley | 25(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25(1) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Henry Hill | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Paul Hunt | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | John Layton | 38 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 |
| DF | WAL | Julian Marshall | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Chris Price | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| DF | WAL | Phil Roberts | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Steve Strong | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Valmore Thomas | 11(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11(1) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Mike Bailey | 13(3) | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14(4) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Frank Barton | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| MF | SCO | Ian Hendry | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| MF | WAL | Kyle Holmes | 19(2) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24(2) | 3 |
| MF | ENG | Gerry O'Hara | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | ENG | Peter Spiring | 24(1) | 5 | 2(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27(2) | 5 |
| MF | ENG | Kenny Stephens | 25(3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26(3) | 1 |
| MF | ENG | Winston White | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| FW | WAL | Steve Crompton | 6(2) | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(3) | 1 |
| FW | ENG | Bobby Gould | 39(1) | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40(1) | 13 |
| FW | ENG | Billy Holmes | 12(4) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15(4) | 4 |
| FW | WAL | Dave Jones | 25(1) | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 30(1) | 9 |
| FW | SCO | Frank McGrellis | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 |
| FW | SCO | Colin O'Brien (on loan from Bristol City) | 1(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 |
| FW | ENG | Stewart Phillips | 5(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(3) | 0 |
| FW | WAL | Wayne Powell | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 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 |