# 1976–77 Chester F.C. season

The 1976–77 season was the 39th season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
Also, it was the second 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 |
| 11 | Swindon Town | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 68 | 75 | −7 | 45 |
| 12 | Gillingham | 46 | 16 | 12 | 18 | 55 | 64 | −9 | 44 |
| 13 | Chester | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 48 | 58 | −10 | 44 |
| 14 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 51 | 53 | −2 | 43 |
| 15 | Walsall | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 57 | 65 | −8 | 41 |

### 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 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 48 | 58 | −10 | 44 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 4 | 5 | 14 | 20 | 38 | −18 |
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 | L | W | D | L | D | W | L | D | W | W | L | L | W | L | W | W | L | L | L | W | W | L | W | W | W | W | L | W | L | L | W | L | D | D | W | L | L | D | L | L | D | W | D | L |
| Position | 6 | 8 | 16 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 21 August | Tranmere Rovers | A | W | 1–0 | Philpotts (o.g.) | 4,904 |
| 24 August | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | L | 0–1 | | 4,573 |
| 28 August | Oxford United | H | L | 1–3 | Crossley (pen) | 3,587 |
| 4 September | Crystal Palace | A | W | 2–1 | Crossley, Mason | 12,746 |
| 11 September | Preston North End | H | D | 0–0 | | 4,151 |
| 18 September | Bury | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,976 |
| 25 September | Rotherham United | A | D | 1–1 | Redfern | 3,913 |
| 2 October | Peterborough United | H | W | 2–1 | Crossley (2, 1pen) | 3,614 |
| 5 October | Sheffield Wednesday | A | L | 0–3 | | 13,209 |
| 9 October | Grimsby Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 3,910 |
| 16 October | Mansfield Town | H | W | 1–0 | MacKenzie (o.g.) | 4,033 |
| 23 October | York City | A | W | 2–0 | Crossley (pen), Dearden | 2,182 |
| 30 October | Reading | A | L | 0–2 | | 5,550 |
| 2 November | Portsmouth | A | L | 1–2 | Dearden | 8,480 |
| 6 November | Walsall | H | W | 1–0 | Redfern | 3,899 |
| 10 November | Chesterfield | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,500 |
| 27 November | Northampton Town | H | W | 2–1 | Oakes, Ian Edwards | 3,721 |
| 18 December | Swindon Town | H | W | 2–1 | Richardson, Howat | 3,399 |
| 27 December | Wrexham | A | L | 2–4 | Ian Edwards, Crossley (pen) | 10,000 |
| 28 December | Shrewsbury Town | H | L | 1–2 | Crossley | 8,155 |
| 15 January | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | L | 0–3 | | 16,495 |
| 22 January | Tranmere Rovers | H | W | 1–0 | Griffiths (o.g.) | 5,695 |
| 1 February | Reading | H | W | 3–1 | Richardson, Ian Edwards, Crossley | 3,151 |
| 5 February | Oxford United | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,653 |
| 12 February | Crystal Palace | H | W | 2–1 | Owen, Crossley (pen) | 5,442 |
| 15 February | Sheffield Wednesday | H | W | 1–0 | Owen | 5,613 |
| 19 February | Preston North End | A | W | 4–3 | Crossley (2), Owen (2) | 10,101 |
| 22 February | Gillingham | H | W | 1–0 | Crossley | 4,048 |
| 5 March | Rotherham United | H | L | 1–3 | Ian Edwards | 6,150 |
| 8 March | Bury | H | W | 1–0 | Mason | 3,975 |
| 11 March | Peterborough United | A | L | 2–3 | Dearden, Nigel Edwards | 4,781 |
| 14 March | Port Vale | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,451 |
| 19 March | Grimsby Town | H | W | 2–0 | Dearden (2) | 3,246 |
| 22 March | Walsall | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,247 |
| 26 March | Mansfield Town | A | D | 1–1 | Dearden | 6,976 |
| 29 March | Lincoln City | A | D | 3–3 | Dearden, Kearney, Nigel Edwards | 5,567 |
| 2 April | York City | H | W | 1–0 | Delgado | 3,045 |
| 8 April | Wrexham | H | L | 1–2 | Crossley (pen) | 11,280 |
| 9 April | Shrewsbury Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 3,362 |
| 11 April | Portsmouth | H | D | 1–1 | Crossley | 3,309 |
| 16 April | Gillingham | A | L | 0–1 | | 3,963 |
| 23 April | Chesterfield | H | L | 1–2 | Walker | 2,637 |
| 29 April | Northampton Town | A | D | 0–0 | | 5,105 |
| 3 May | Lincoln City | H | W | 1–0 | Burns | 1,863 |
| 7 May | Port Vale | H | D | 1–1 | Delgado | 2,814 |
| 14 May | Swindon Town | A | L | 1–2 | Ian Edwards | 4,520 |

## FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round | 20 November | Hartlpool (4) | H | W | 1–0 | Nigel Edwards | 3,724 |
| Second round | 11 December | Grimsby Town (3) | A | W | 1–0 | Howat | 5,729 |
| Third round | 8 January | Southend United (4) | A | W | 4–0 | Howat, Ian Edwards (3) | 10,397 |
| Fourth round | 29 January | Luton Town (2) | H | W | 1–0 | Ian Edwards | 10,608 |
| Fifth round | 26 February | Wolverhampton Wanderers (2) | A | L | 0–1 | | 37,803 |

## League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| First round first leg | 14 August | Hereford United (2) | H | W | 2–0 | Crossley (pen), Draper | 3,866 |
| First round second leg | 18 August | Hereford United (2) | A | L | 3–4 | Draper, Crossley, Paine (o.g.) | 5,028 |
| Second round | 31 August | Swansea City (4) | H | L | 2–3 | Dearden, Crossley | 3,326 |

## Welsh Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Fourth round | 18 January | Shrewsbury Town (3) | A | D | 3–3 | Atkins (o.g.), Owen, Crossley | 1,364 |
| Fourth round replay | 25 January | Shrewsbury Town (3) | H | L | 1–2 | Owen | 1,442 |

## 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 ||||||||||||
| | Mike Craven | 5 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Grenville Millington | 51 | – | 43 | – | 5 | – | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||||
| | David Burns | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Paul Crossley | 50 | 18 | 40 | 14 | 5 | – | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| | Bill Dearden | 40+1 | 8 | 33+1 | 7 | 5 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | – |
| | Bob Delgado | 49+1 | 2 | 41+1 | 2 | 5 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| | Derek Draper | 13+2 | 2 | 10+2 | – | – | – | 2 | 2 | 1 | – |
| | Chris Dunleavy | 11 | – | 8 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Ian Edwards | 23 | 9 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 4 | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Nigel Edwards | 52+1 | 3 | 43+1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | – | 2 | – |
| | Ian Howat | 14+6 | 3 | 10+5 | 1 | 3+1 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Brynley Jones | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Mike Kearney | 15 | 1 | 15 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Tony Loska | 6+1 | – | 3+1 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Stuart Mason | 23+2 | 2 | 20+1 | 2 | – | – | 2+1 | – | 1 | – |
| | Mark Nickeas | 5+1 | – | 4+1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Alan Oakes | 54 | 1 | 45 | 1 | 5 | – | 3 | – | 1 | – |
| | Terry Owen | 37+5 | 6 | 30+5 | 4 | 2 | – | 3 | – | 2 | 2 |
| | Graham Pugh | 11 | – | 8 | – | – | – | 3 | – | – | – |
| | Paul Raynor | 17 | – | 17 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Jimmy Redfern | 6+4 | 2 | 5+4 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Paul Richardson | 34 | 2 | 28 | 2 | 5 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Trevor Storton | 54 | – | 44 | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | 2 | – |
| | Jim Walker | 39 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 5 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Phil Williams | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Own goals | – | 5 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 |
| | Total | 56 | 66 | 46 | 48 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 4 |