Elton John going up to replace Port Vale, Hereford United, Bradford City, Portsmouth in Third Division. The foursome tried to escape relegation as much as they could, but gave up at the end. No big loss even for third-level football, save the fans of the unlucky clubs. Up the table 13 clubs were more or less satisfied with their mid-table status. May be Gilingham, two points above the best of those lacking ambitions, was more like them than as well. Six teams fought for three promotional spots – at the end, Walsall, 6th, trailed 8 points behind the champions, but only 3 points behind the third placed. Goal-difference decided third place – Peterborough United and Preston North End finished with 56 points each, mirroring each other in wins, ties, and losses, but Preston North End scored a lot and thanks to that ended with better goal-difference. Up they went, Peterborough United took 4th place cursing their luck – or their strikers.
One can’t tell much about a third division club, but Preston is familiar name because the club is so old and among the original founders of the English league. Good days ended also many years ago… by 1977-78 the club was just happy to reach second league.
So were Cambridge United, clinching second place. The University is famous, but not the football club – same with Oxford United. Going up to second division was just about the best happening to CU.
Champions of Third Division were Wrexham. Looking just at the final table, they appear comfortable champions – 3 points above Cambridge United. But it was not overwhelming victory, but one achieved largely at the end of the season – the race was tight.
For what it is worth, Wrexham was the only promoted club with some promise – more or less, they were on the rise. True, Welsh clubs played minor role in English football, but Wrexham won the Welsh Cup and participated in the Cup Winners Cup – they did not last in Europe, but still it was unique achievement: a third division club playing in European tournament. This also suggested some strength and may be improvement, and may even bigger ambitions. So far – up to Second.
Of course, no big names here. Not even familiar ones. Perhaps the players with Polish names – Cegielski and Niedzwiecki – appear strange, but they were not imports, just local boys. Immigrants settled in Wales, working in the mines, and as a result their kids often played for Welsh clubs. Think Peter Rodriguez, Giorgio Chinaglia… and add these two to number of Welshmen with foreign names.