# 1977–78 Watford F.C. season

Watford Football Club is an English football team, based in Watford, Hertfordshire. 1977–78 was the club's first season under the management of Graham Taylor, and its last in the fourth tier of English football. Watford ended the season as champions of the Football League Fourth Division with 71 points, the club's highest Football League total under the system of two points for a win, and three points short of the all-time Football League record set by Graham Taylor's Lincoln City side in 1975–76. The season also marked new club records for the most league wins in a season (30), most home wins (18), most away wins (12), and most away goals scored (42).
Ross Jenkins finished at the club's top scorer for the third time in four campaigns, with 18 goals in all competitions. He was followed by Alan Mayes and Keith Mercer with 16 and 13 goals respectively; both men also scored hat-tricks for the team. Bobby Downes and Alan Garner made the most appearances, playing some part in all 54 competitive fixtures. Garner went on to receive the Watford F.C. Player of the Season award for his efforts. Other player milestones included the arrival of future club captain Ian Bolton, and the breakthrough into the first team of young striker Luther Blissett, who went on to become the club's all-time leading appearance maker and goalscorer.

## Results

Watford's score listed first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Fourth Division

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Watford scorers |
| 20 August 1977 | Stockport County | A | 3–1 | 3,056 | Jenkins (2), Ellis (pen) |
| 27 August 1977 | York City | H | 1–3 | 7,620 | Mayes |
| 3 September 1977 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 1–0 | 2,963 | Jenkins |
| 6 September 1977 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–0 | 6,850 | Blissett |
| 10 September 1977 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2–0 | 7,852 | Jenkins (2) |
| 14 September 1977 | Reading | A | 3–1 | 4,862 | Mayes (2), Blissett |
| 17 September 1977 | Barnsley | A | 0–1 | 6,443 | |
| 24 September 1977 | Darlington | H | 2–1 | 7,632 | Blissett, Ellis (pen) |
| 27 September 1977 | A.F.C. Bournemouth | H | 2–1 | 8,191 | Bolton, Coffill |
| 1 October 1977 | Rochdale | A | 3–2 | 1,278 | Joslyn, Mayes, Mercer |
| 3 October 1977 | Brentford | A | 3–0 | 14,500 | Ellis, Jenkins, Mayes |
| 8 October 1977 | Swansea City | H | 2–1 | 10,232 | Downes, Mercer |
| 15 October 1977 | Aldershot | A | 0–1 | 8,059 | |
| 22 October 1977 | Newport County | H | 2–0 | 10,749 | Downes, Mercer |
| 29 October 1977 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 5–2 | 10,871 | Mercer (3), Downes, Garner |
| 5 November 1977 | Hartlepool United | A | 2–1 | 3,121 | Garner, Mercer |
| 12 November 1977 | Scunthorpe United | H | 4–1 | 10,565 | Jenkins (2), Mercer (2) |
| 19 November 1977 | Southend United | A | 0–1 | 10,919 | |
| 3 December 1977 | Halifax Town | H | 1–1 | 9,329 | Garner |
| 10 December 1977 | Southport | A | 2–2 | 1,727 | Jenkins, Pollard |
| 26 December 1977 | Northampton Town | H | 3–0 | 15,056 | Downes, Mayes, Pollard |
| 27 December 1977 | Torquay United | A | 3–2 | 6,228 | Mayes (2), Bolton |
| 31 December 1977 | Wimbledon | A | 3–1 | 7,324 | Downes, Jenkins, Mayes |
| 2 January 1978 | Hartlepool United | H | 1–0 | 16,866 | Bolton |
| 13 January 1978 | Stockport County | H | 1–0 | 12,754 | Garner |
| 21 January 1978 | York City | A | 4–0 | 3,831 | Mayes (3), Blissett |
| 28 January 1978 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 6–0 | 11,816 | Joslyn (2), Bolton, Downes, Garner, Jenkins |
| 11 February 1978 | Barnsley | H | 0–0 | 13,216 | |
| 25 February 1978 | Rochdale | H | 1–0 | 10,139 | Jenkins |
| 3 March 1978 | Swansea City | A | 3–3 | 15,000 | Bolton, Jenkins, Mayes |
| 7 March 1978 | Reading | H | 1–0 | 11,439 | Garner |
| 11 March 1978 | Aldershot | H | 1–0 | 12,641 | Downes |
| 14 March 1978 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0–1 | 6,603 | |
| 17 March 1978 | Newport County | A | 2–2 | 8,409 | Downes, Jenkins |
| 24 March 1978 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–2 | 4,652 | Ellis (pen), Jenkins |
| 25 March 1978 | Torquay United | H | 1–0 | 10,491 | Garner |
| 28 March 1978 | Northampton Town | A | 2–0 | 8,041 | Bolton, Mayes |
| 1 April 1978 | Wimbledon | H | 2–0 | 11,212 | Mayes, Pritchett |
| 4 April 1978 | A.F.C. Bournemouth | A | 2–1 | 6,532 | Downes, Pollard |
| 8 April 1978 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–0 | 5,202 | Joslyn |
| 11 April 1978 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–1 | 7,189 | Pritchett |
| 15 April 1978 | Southend United | H | 1–1 | 18,947 | Jenkins |
| 18 April 1978 | Darlington | A | 0–0 | 2,407 | |
| 22 April 1978 | Halifax Town | A | 1–1 | 3,542 | How |
| 25 April 1978 | Brentford | H | 1–1 | 16,544 | Blissett |
| 29 April 1978 | Southport | H | 3–2 | 10,089 | Pritchett (2 pens), Blissett |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Watford scorers |
| R1 | 26 November 1977 | Hendon | H | 2–0 | 11,825 | Garner, Mercer |
| R2 | 17 December 1977 | Colchester United | H | 2–0 | 11,907 | Jenkins, Mercer |
| R3 | 7 January 1978 | West Ham United | A | 0–1 | 36,475 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Watford scorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 13 August 1977 | Reading | H | 2–1 | 5,722 | Mercer (2) |
| R1 2nd Leg | 17 August 1977 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 4,533 | |
| R1 Replay | 23 August 1977 | Reading | H | 5–0 | 7,082 | Downes, Ellis (pen), Joslyn, Mayes, Pritchett |
| R2 | 30 August 1977 | Grimsby Town | A | 2–1 | 4,345 | Bolton, Jenkins |
| R3 | 25 October 1977 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–1 | 22,140 | |

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Watford | 46 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 85 | 38 | +47 | 71 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Southend United | 46 | 25 | 10 | 11 | 66 | 39 | +27 | 60 | Promoted |
| 3 | Swansea City | 46 | 23 | 10 | 13 | 87 | 47 | +40 | 56 | Promoted |
| 4 | Brentford | 46 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 86 | 54 | +32 | 56 | Promoted |
| 5 | Aldershot | 46 | 19 | 16 | 11 | 67 | 47 | +20 | 54 | |