1977–78 FA Cup


The 1977–78 FA Cup was the 97th season of the world's oldest knockout football competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup. The final saw Ipswich Town beat Arsenal 1–0, with a goal from Roger Osborne.

Qualifying rounds

Most participating clubs that were not members of the Football League competed in the qualifying rounds to secure one of 28 places available in the first round.
The winners from the fourth qualifying round were Blyth Spartans, Wigan Athletic, Spennymoor United, Mossley, Stafford Rangers, Burscough, Runcorn, Goole Town, Arnold, Burton Albion, Nuneaton Borough, AP Leamington, Kettering Town, Enderby Town, Boreham Wood, Enfield, Leatherhead, Barnet, Tilbury, Lowestoft Town, Folkestone & Shepway, Hendon, Wealdstone, Tooting & Mitcham United, Bideford, Minehead, Weymouth and Bath City.
Enderby Town was the only non-league club appearing in the competition proper for the first time. Of the others, Mossley had last featured at this stage in 1969–70, Arnold and Lowestoft Town had last done so in 1967-68, Folkestone & Shepway had last done so in 1966-67, Burton Albion in 1965-66, Burscough in 1959-60 and Tilbury in 1949-50.
Blyth Spartans became the first club since New Brighton in 1956-57 to feature in nine rounds of one FA Cup tournament. They progressed from the first qualifying round to the fifth round proper, defeating Shildon, Crook Town, Consett, Bishop Auckland, Burscough, Chesterfield, Enfield and Stoke City before Wrexham needed a replay at St James' Park in Newcastle to end their run.

First round proper

The 48 teams from the Football League Third and Fourth Divisions entered in this round along with the 28 non-league clubs from the qualifying rounds and Workington, Scarborough, Dagenham and Wycombe Wanderers who were given byes. The first matches were played on 26 November 1977 with replays mainly taking place on 28–30 November. Three replays were postponed until 5-7 December.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Enfield3–0Wimbledon26 November 1977
2Chester4–1Darlington26 November 1977
3Chesterfield1–0Halifax Town26 November 1977
4Barnet1–2Peterborough United26 November 1977
5Bath City0–0Plymouth Argyle26 November 1977
ReplayPlymouth Argyle2–0Bath City29 November 1977
6Preston North End3–2Lincoln City26 November 1977
7Watford2–0Hendon26 November 1977
8Reading3–1Aldershot26 November 1977
9Walsall1–0Dagenham26 November 1977
10Gillingham1–1Weymouth26 November 1977
ReplayWeymouth0–1Gillingham30 November 1977
11Boreham Wood0–0Swindon Town26 November 1977
ReplaySwindon Town2–0Boreham Wood29 November 1977
12Sheffield Wednesday1–0Bury26 November 1977
13Scarborough4–2Rochdale26 November 1977
14Doncaster Rovers0–1Shrewsbury Town26 November 1977
15Wrexham2–0Burton Albion26 November 1977
16Tranmere Rovers1–1Hartlepool United26 November 1977
ReplayHartlepool United3–1Tranmere Rovers29 November 1977
17Stockport County3–0Scunthorpe United26 November 1977
18Barnsley1–0Huddersfield Town26 November 1977
19Brentford2–0Folkestone & Shepway26 November 1977
20Lowestoft Town0–2Cambridge United26 November 1977
21Portsmouth3–1Bideford26 November 1977
22Bradford City0–1Crewe Alexandra26 November 1977
23Carlisle United2–0Stafford Rangers26 November 1977
24Spennymoor United3–1Goole Town26 November 1977
25Blyth Spartans1–0Burscough26 November 1977
26Minehead2–0Wycombe Wanderers26 November 1977
27Newport County1–1Exeter City26 November 1977
ReplayExeter City4–2Newport County30 November 1977
28Wealdstone0–0Hereford United26 November 1977
ReplayHereford United2–3Wealdstone30 November 1977
29Southport2–2Runcorn26 November 1977
ReplayRuncorn1–0Southport28 November 1977
30Torquay United1–2Southend United26 November 1977
31Workington0–2Grimsby Town26 November 1977
32Rotherham United3–0Mossley26 November 1977
33Tilbury0–1Kettering Town26 November 1977
ReplayTilbury2–2Kettering Town5 December 1977
ReplayKettering Town2–3Tilbury7 December 1977
34Tooting & Mitcham United1–2Northampton Town26 November 1977
35Wigan Athletic1–0York City26 November 1977
36Colchester United1–1AFC Bournemouth26 November 1977
ReplayAFC Bournemouth0–0Colchester United29 November 1977
ReplayAFC Bournemouth1–4Colchester United5 December 1977
37Nuneaton Borough2–0Oxford United26 November 1977
38Leatherhead0–0Swansea City26 November 1977
ReplaySwansea City2–1Leatherhead29 November 1977
39Arnold0–0Port Vale26 November 1977
ReplayPort Vale5–2Arnold28 November 1977
40AP Leamington6–1Enderby Town26 November 1977

Second round proper

The second round of games were played on 17 December 1977. Replays took place on 19th–21 December.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Preston North End0–2Wrexham17 December 1977
2Watford2–0Colchester United17 December 1977
3Walsall1–1Port Vale17 December 1977
ReplayPort Vale1–3Walsall19 December 1977
4Gillingham1–1Peterborough United17 December 1977
ReplayPeterborough United2–0Gillingham20 December 1977
5Grimsby Town2–0Barnsley17 December 1977
6Crewe Alexandra0–0Scarborough17 December 1977
ReplayScarborough2–0Crewe Alexandra21 December 1977
7Swindon Town2–1Brentford17 December 1977
8Shrewsbury Town1–1Stockport County17 December 1977
ReplayStockport County1–2Shrewsbury Town19 December 1977
9Northampton Town0–2Enfield17 December 1977
10Portsmouth2–2Swansea City17 December 1977
ReplaySwansea City2–1Portsmouth20 December 1977
11Plymouth Argyle1–0Cambridge United17 December 1977
12Carlisle United3–1Chester17 December 1977
13Blyth Spartans1–0Chesterfield17 December 1977
14Minehead0–3Exeter City17 December 1977
15Wealdstone2–1Reading17 December 1977
16Rotherham United6–0Spennymoor United17 December 1977
17Wigan Athletic1–0Sheffield Wednesday17 December 1977
18Nuneaton Borough1–2Tilbury17 December 1977
19AP Leamington0–0Southend United17 December 1977
ReplaySouthend United4–0AP Leamington19 December 1977
20Hartlepool United4–2Runcorn17 December 1977

Third round proper

Teams from the Football League First and Second Divisions entered in this round. The third round of games in the FA Cup were played on 6–7 January 1978. Replays were mainly played over 9–11 January but some occurred on 16 January instead.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Bristol City4–4Wrexham7 January 1978
ReplayWrexham3–0Bristol City9 January 1978
2Burnley1–0Fulham7 January 1978
3Walsall4–1Swansea City7 January 1978
4Nottingham Forest4–1Swindon Town7 January 1978
5Blackburn Rovers2–1Shrewsbury Town7 January 1978
6Grimsby Town0–0Southampton7 January 1978
ReplaySouthampton0–0Grimsby Town10 January 1978
ReplayGrimsby Town1–4Southampton16 January 1978
7Middlesbrough3–0Coventry City7 January 1978
8West Bromwich Albion4–1Blackpool7 January 1978
9Sunderland0–1Bristol Rovers7 January 1978
10Derby County3–2Southend United7 January 1978
11Luton Town1–1Oldham Athletic7 January 1978
ReplayOldham Athletic1–2Luton Town10 January 1978
12Everton4–1Aston Villa7 January 1978
13Sheffield United0–5Arsenal7 January 1978
14Tottenham Hotspur2–2Bolton Wanderers7 January 1978
ReplayBolton Wanderers2–1Tottenham Hotspur10 January 1978
15Queens Park Rangers4–0Wealdstone7 January 1978
16West Ham United1–0Watford7 January 1978
17Brighton & Hove Albion3–0Scarborough7 January 1978
18Hull City0–1Leicester City7 January 1978
19Carlisle United1–1Manchester United7 January 1978
ReplayManchester United4–2Carlisle United11 January 1978
20Chelsea4–2Liverpool7 January 1978
21Exeter City2–2Wolverhampton Wanderers7 January 1978
ReplayWolverhampton Wanderers3–1Exeter City10 January 1978
22Blyth Spartans1–0Enfield7 January 1978
23Mansfield Town1–0Plymouth Argyle7 January 1978
24Cardiff City0–2Ipswich Town7 January 1978
25Charlton Athletic0–2Notts County6 January 1978
26Leeds United1–2Manchester City7 January 1978
27Stoke City4–0Tilbury7 January 1978
28Rotherham United1–1Millwall7 January 1978
ReplayMillwall2–0Rotherham United10 January 1978
29Peterborough United1–1Newcastle United7 January 1978
ReplayNewcastle United2–0Peterborough United11 January 1978
30Birmingham City4–0Wigan Athletic7 January 1978
31Orient1–1Norwich City6 January 1978
ReplayNorwich City0–1Orient16 January 1978
32Hartlepool United2–1Crystal Palace7 January 1978

Fourth round proper

The fourth round of games were intended to be played on 28 January 1978, but by this time only nine matches had been played, of which three went to replays. The other matches and replays were completed either midweek on 31 January – 1 February, or on 6 February. Replays were played at various times after the initial games. Holders Manchester United were eliminated by West Bromwich Albion.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Walsall1–0Leicester City28 January 1978
2Nottingham Forest2–1Manchester City31 January 1978
3Bolton Wanderers1–0Mansfield Town6 February 1978
4Middlesbrough3–2Everton28 January 1978
5Derby County2–1Birmingham City1 February 1978
6Ipswich Town4–1Hartlepool United28 January 1978
7Newcastle United2–2Wrexham28 January 1978
ReplayWrexham4–1Newcastle United6 February 1978
8Bristol Rovers2–0Southampton28 January 1978
9West Ham United1–1Queens Park Rangers28 January 1978
ReplayQueens Park Rangers6–1West Ham United31 January 1978
10Brighton & Hove Albion1–2Notts County31 January 1978
11Manchester United1–1West Bromwich Albion28 January 1978
ReplayWest Bromwich Albion3–2Manchester United1 February 1978
12Millwall4–0Luton Town31 January 1978
13Chelsea6–2Burnley31 January 1978
14Arsenal2–1Wolverhampton Wanderers28 January 1978
15Stoke City2–3Blyth Spartans6 February 1978
16Orient3–1Blackburn Rovers28 January 1978

Fifth round proper

The fifth set of games mainly took place on 18 February 1978, with two of the games played on 22nd and 27th. Four games went to replays which were played on 27–28 February. A second replay was then played on 2 March.
Blyth Spartans was the first non-League club to reach the Fifth Round since Yeovil Town in 1948-49. They were the last club from the qualifying rounds left in the competition.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Middlesbrough2–0Bolton Wanderers27 February 1978
2Derby County2–3West Bromwich Albion22 February 1978
3Wrexham1–1Blyth Spartans18 February 1978
ReplayBlyth Spartans1–2Wrexham27 February 1978
4Queens Park Rangers1–1Nottingham Forest18 February 1978
ReplayNottingham Forest1–1Queens Park Rangers27 February 1978
ReplayNottingham Forest3–1Queens Park Rangers2 March 1978
5Bristol Rovers2–2Ipswich Town18 February 1978
ReplayIpswich Town3–0Bristol Rovers28 February 1978
6Millwall2–1Notts County18 February 1978
7Arsenal4–1Walsall18 February 1978
8Orient0–0Chelsea18 February 1978
ReplayChelsea1–2Orient27 February 1978

Sixth round proper

The sixth round of FA Cup games were played on 11 March 1978. There was one replay on 14th.
Tie noHome teamScoreAway teamDate
1Middlesbrough0–0Orient11 March 1978
ReplayOrient2–1Middlesbrough14 March 1978
2West Bromwich Albion2–0Nottingham Forest11 March 1978
3Wrexham2–3Arsenal11 March 1978
4Millwall1–6Ipswich Town11 March 1978

Semi-finals

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TV coverage

The right to show FA Cup games were, as with Football League matches, shared between the BBC and ITV network. All games were shown in a highlights format, except the Final, which was shown live both on BBC1 & ITV. The BBC football highlights programme Match of the Day would show up to three games and the various ITV regional network stations would cover up to one game and show highlights from other games covered elsewhere on the ITV network. No games from Rounds 1 or 2 were shown. Highlights of replays were shown on either the BBC or ITV. The BBC were only able to cover two planned Round Three FA Cup round ties due to a technical error for West Ham United v Watford.
Third Round BBC Carlisle United v Manchester United, Leeds United v Manchester City, Manchester United v Carlisle United. ITV Chelsea v Liverpool, Sheffield United v Arsenal, Everton v Aston Villa, Middlesbrough v Coventry City, Peterborough United v Newcastle United
Fourth Round BBC Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United v Wrexham, Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers. ITV Middlesbrough v Everton, West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers, Walsall v Leicester City, Bristol Rovers v Southampton, Nottingham Forest v Manchester City
Fifth Round BBC Wrexham v Blyth Spartans, Queens Park Rangers v Nottingham Forest, Arsenal v Walsall. ITV Bristol Rovers v Ipswich Town, Orient v Chelsea All regions showed these two games.
Sixth Round BBC West Bromwich Albion v Nottingham Forest, Millwall v Ipswich Town. ITV Wrexham v Arsenal, Middlesbrough v Orient All regions showed these two games
Semi-Finals BBC Ipswich Town v West Bromwich Albion. ITV Arsenal v Orient
Final Arsenal v Ipswich Town shown live on BBC and ITV.