Third Division clubs had to worry about relegation and 13 – more than half of the league members – was preoccupied with avoiding relegation. Two clubs were doomed rather early and gave up, as far as English clubs ever give up: the boys bravely tried to get points, but were weaker than the rest of the league.
Hull City finished last with 31 points. Kittens, not tigers.
Blackpool were like Hull City this season and took the 23rd place in the final table with 32 points. Nothing to be proud of… only one team behind them and 4th division next year.
Colchester United was 22nd, but nothing like the bottom two – they fought as much as they were able. With 39 points, Colchester finished with only 4 points less than the 12th placed team. Down they went.
Sheffield United was the last relegated team – they finished 21st with 40 points. The most famous among the relegated, a club used to play first division football, but now they were going to the lowest professional division. Lucky, unlucky, the club was going through hard times, perhaps reaching its lowest point – nothing worse could happen in the future.
Of the large group clubs trying to escape relegation Newport County ended at the highest spot – 12th place. With 43 points, they were only 3 points ahead of Sheffield United, but he only lowly club with positive goal-difference. Let’s note and remember one player in this squad – John Aldridge. One day, much later in the 1980s, he will pop up.
Exeter City was 11th, immediately above Newport and the lowest of the 6 teams having solid mid-table season – no ambitions for promotion, but not worried with relegation either. Exeter was like that since they were promoted in 1977. Good years for the club, the only question was how long their solidity will last.
Plymouth Argyle were the same as Exeter during the same period, only they came not from 4th division, but were relegated from the 2nd in 1977. This year they ended 7th with 52 points – 7 more than Exeter and 2 points ahead of Burnley.
Burnley was 8th, nothing spectacular – rather the opposite. Martin Dobson and Alan Stevenson were national team players early in the 1970s… now in 3rd division.
And the very top – 5 clubs competing for 4 promotional spots. Chesterfield had the reason to cry at the end – they finished 5th because of worse goal-difference. Lost promotion to Huddersfield.
Huddersfield Town were lucky indeed – they were promoted only thanks to better goal-difference, but were promoted. Well, they were first division members back at the end of the 1960s – may be starting to climb again? At least for the moment, it looked this way.
Charlton Athletic finished with 59 points – 3 points ahead of Huddersfield and 2 points behind the league winners. Third only on worse goal-difference, but no big deal: they were going up.
Barnsley bested Charlton and took the 2nd place – happy boys, going up.
Rotherham United had a wonderful season and were the 3rd Division champions as a result – not a overwhelming champs, but they won the tough race against Barnsley and Charlton. The least known club among the promoted, they should have been really proud of their achievement – if the other promoted clubs had a history of first division football, modest Rotherham was looking for second division as a big success. Always nice to see the underdog winning.