| Club: | Chester |
| Season: | 1976–77 |
| Manager: | Ken Roberts Alan Oakes |
| Stadium: | Sealand Road |
| League: | Football League Third Division |
| League Result: | 13th |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Round 5 |
| Cup2: | Football League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | Round 2 |
| Cup3: | Welsh Cup |
| Cup3 Result: | Round 4 |
| League Topscorer: | Paul Crossley (14) |
| Season Topscorer: | Paul Crossley (18) |
| Highest Attendance: | 8,372 vs Bradford City (26 December) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 2,467 vs Torquay United (21 September) |
| Average Attendance: | 4,408 20th in division[1] |
| Prevseason: | 1975–76 |
| Nextseason: | 1977–78 |
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.
| 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 |
See main article: 1976–77 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 |
See main article: 1976–77 Football 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 | 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 |
See main article: 1976–77 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 | H | L | 1–2 | Owen | 1,442 |
| Player | Total | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Welsh Cup | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
Book: Sumner. Chas. 125 Years on the Borderline: The Complete History of Chester City F.C. 1885-2010. 1 November 2011. Yore Publications. 978-0956984821.