Match programme: York City v Reading (7 May 1977)

About this match programme

By Richard Snowball

After two seasons in Division Two, York City were hoping to steady the ship back in Division Three, but they faced the last home match of the season, on May 7, 1977, with another relegation staring them in the face.

York were bottom of the League on 31 points, one point ahead of opponents Reading, who had a game in hand.

A win for York was vital and a close and hard fought match was expected, and so it turned out, but York could not do enough to force a victory and it ended honours even with a 1-1 draw.

Because of the poor season, the match was watched by the lowest attendance of the season, 1,748, bringing the season's average crowd to only 2,986, more than 2,000 fewer than the previous season in Division Two.

York still had an outside chance of saving themselves in the last match of season, away to Portsmouth, who themselves were involved in the relegation battle and only two points ahead of York.

A crowd of 14,288 turned out at Fratton Park to see the home side win 3-1 to avoid relegation and doom York to bottom place.

Chris Topping was again an ever present having now made more than 300 consecutive appearances over the last six seasons.

Acknowledgement

This facsimile of the match programme was created by the publisher of There’s Only One Arthur Bottom, the daily email newsletter for fans of York City FC, and TOOAB contributors Richard Snowball, Terry Espiner and Paul Bowser.

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