# 1977–78 Chester F.C. season

The 1977–78 season was the 40th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the third season spent in the Third Division after the promotion from the Fourth Division in 1975. Alongside competing in the Football League the club also participated in the FA Cup, Football League Cup and the Welsh Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 3 | Preston North End | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 63 | 38 | +25 | 56 | Promoted |
| 4 | Peterborough United | 46 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 47 | 33 | +14 | 56 | |
| 5 | Chester | 46 | 16 | 22 | 8 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 54 | |
| 6 | Walsall | 46 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 61 | 50 | +11 | 53 | |
| 7 | Gillingham | 46 | 15 | 20 | 11 | 67 | 60 | +7 | 50 | |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 46 | 16 | 22 | 8 | 59 | 56 | +3 | 54 | 14 | 8 | 1 | 41 | 24 | +17 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 18 | 32 | −14 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
| Result | W | L | D | D | W | D | D | L | D | L | D | D | D | W | L | L | W | D | W | D | W | L | D | D | D | W | D | W | L | D | D | D | D | W | D | L | D | D | W | W | D | W | W | W | W | W |
| Position | 2 | 10 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 20 August | Hereford United | H | W | 4–1 | Kearney (2, 1pen), Ian Edwards, Mason | 3,276 |
| 27 August | Colchester United | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,169 |
| 2 September | Cambridge United | H | D | 0–0 | | 3,794 |
| 10 September | Bradford City | A | D | 2–2 | Crossley, Kearney | 3,612 |
| 14 September | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 2–1 | Ian Edwards, Crossley | 4,520 |
| 17 September | Gillingham | H | D | 2–2 | Storton, Phillips | 3,367 |
| 20 September | Carlisle United | A | D | 0–0 | | 4,941 |
| 24 September | Oxford United | A | L | 1–4 | Kearney | 4,283 |
| 28 September | Wrexham | H | D | 1–1 | Delgado | 9,514 |
| 30 September | Tranmere Rovers | A | L | 0–5 | | 4,352 |
| 4 October | Portsmouth | A | D | 0–0 | | 10,465 |
| 8 October | Plymouth Argyle | H | D | 1–1 | Hall (o.g.) | 3,367 |
| 15 October | Rotherham United | A | D | 1–1 | Phillips | 4,825 |
| 22 October | Swindon Town | H | W | 1–0 | Storton | 3,292 |
| 29 October | Preston North End | A | L | 1–2 | Delgado | 7,550 |
| 5 November | Lincoln City | A | L | 1–2 | Phillips | 4,270 |
| 12 November | Port Vale | H | W | 2–1 | Ian Edwards, Jeffries | 3,117 |
| 19 November | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | Delgado | 4,020 |
| 3 December | Chesterfield | H | W | 2–1 | Storton, Livermore | 2,803 |
| 10 December | Peterborough United | A | D | 0–0 | | 5,844 |
| 26 December | Shrewsbury Town | H | W | 1–0 | Crossley | 5,701 |
| 27 December | Walsall | A | L | 0–3 | | 4,990 |
| 31 December | Lincoln City | H | D | 2–2 | Storton, Ian Edwards | 3,322 |
| 2 January | Exeter City | A | D | 1–1 | Crossley | 6,193 |
| 14 January | Hereford United | A | D | 2–2 | Ian Edwards, Jones | 4,216 |
| 21 January | Colchester United | H | W | 2–1 | Crossley (pen), Ian Edwards | 2,855 |
| 28 January | Cambridge United | A | D | 0–0 | | 4,542 |
| 4 February | Bradford City | H | W | 3–2 | Livermore (2), Oakes | 2,957 |
| 21 February | Gillingham | A | L | 0–1 | | 7,863 |
| 25 February | Tranmere Rovers | H | D | 0–0 | | 5,494 |
| 1 March | Carlisle United | H | D | 2–2 | Phillips, Crossley | 2,934 |
| 4 March | Plymouth Argyle | A | D | 2–2 | Oakes, Mellor | 5,322 |
| 7 March | Sheffield Wednesday | A | D | 1–1 | Jones | 10,678 |
| 11 March | Rotherham United | H | W | 2–1 | Oakes, Crossley | 3,421 |
| 17 March | Swindon Town | A | D | 1–1 | Phillips | 4,275 |
| 24 March | Preston North End | H | L | 1–2 | Crossley | 7,864 |
| 25 March | Shrewsbury Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 2,592 |
| 27 March | Walsall | H | D | 1–1 | Crossley (pen) | 4,671 |
| 1 April | Exeter City | H | W | 2–1 | Mellor, Phillips | 1,996 |
| 3 April | Wrexham | A | W | 2–1 | Howat, Mellor | 19,125 |
| 8 April | Port Vale | A | D | 0–0 | | 3,615 |
| 12 April | Oxford United | H | W | 3–1 | Howat (2), Livermore | 2,351 |
| 15 April | Bury | H | W | 1–0 | Nickeas | 3,377 |
| 22 April | Chesterfield | A | W | 2–1 | Oakes, Phillips | 3,753 |
| 26 April | Portsmouth | H | W | 2–0 | Livermore (pen), Mellor | 2,837 |
| 29 April | Peterborough United | H | W | 4–3 | Howat, Mellor, Oakes, Turner (o.g.) | 4,237 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 26 November | Darlington (4) | H | W | 4–1 | Crossley (3), Kearney | 3,330 |
| Second round | 17 December | Carlisle United (3) | A | L | 1–3 | Crossley | 5,577 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 13 August | Burnley (2) | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,736 |
| First round second leg | 17 August | Burnley (2) | H | W | 1–0 | Kearney | 4,048 |

## Welsh Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Fourth round | 25 January | Wrexham (3) | H | L | 0–2 | | 6,921 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Welsh Cup | Welsh Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||||
| | Brian Lloyd | 39 | – | 36 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Grenville Millington | 12 | – | 10 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | David Burns | 7+1 | – | 5+1 | – | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | Nigel Clutton | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Paul Crossley | 34 | 13 | 31 | 9 | 2 | 4 | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Bob Delgado | 46 | 3 | 41 | 3 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Ian Edwards | 38 | 6 | 33 | 6 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Nigel Edwards | 18 | – | 13 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Ian Howat | 11+3 | 4 | 10+2 | 4 | – | – | 0+1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Derek Jeffries | 26+2 | 1 | 23+2 | 1 | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | Brynley Jones | 16+5 | 2 | 15+5 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Mike Kearney | 26+1 | 6 | 22+1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – |
| | Doug Livermore | 34 | 5 | 32 | 5 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Stuart Mason | 8+1 | 1 | 6+1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | Ian Mellor | 17 | 5 | 17 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Mark Nickeas | 18 | 1 | 18 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Alan Oakes | 48 | 5 | 44 | 5 | 1 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Ronnie Phillips | 45 | 7 | 42 | 7 | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Paul Raynor | 35+1 | – | 34 | – | 0+1 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Trevor Storton | 46 | 4 | 41 | 4 | 2 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Jim Walker | 36 | – | 32 | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – |
| | Own goals | – | 2 | – | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 51 | 65 | 46 | 59 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |