Champions Liverpool beat Norwich City 1–0, but last year's runners-up Queens Park Rangers lose 4–0 at home to Everton.

[1] 9 October 1976: Surprise package Middlesbrough move to the top of the First Division table following a 1–0 win at home to Norwich City.

[3] 16 October 1976: The 1975 champions Derby County belatedly record their first League win of the season when they thrash Tottenham Hotspur 8–2 at the Baseball Ground.

[1] 17 November 1976: With a team featuring six changes from their previous match, England suffer a major set-back in their attempt to reach the World Cup Finals when they are beaten 2–0 by Italy in Rome.

[3] 25 November 1976: Barely 18 months after winning the First Division title, Derby County manager Dave Mackay resigns following a poor start to the season, which has left the club just a single point off the bottom of the table.

[1] 31 December 1976: At the end of the year, Liverpool's lead at the top of the First Division has been cut to two points over Ipswich Town, who have three games in hand, and Manchester City.

The club had looked like possible title challengers early in the season, but a poor run of form has dropped them to the lower reaches of the table.

[3] 15 February 1977: Ipswich Town move to the top of the First Division with a 5–0 thrashing of Norwich City in the East Anglia derby.

[5] 28 February 1977: Two successive defeats for Ipswich Town have allowed Liverpool to regain top spot in the race for the title.

[6] Arsenal's 2–1 loss to Queens Park Rangers is their seventh consecutive League defeat, a club record.

At the bottom, West Ham United, Sunderland, Derby County and Bristol City are separated by a single point.

[1] 13 April 1977: The Football League Cup final is decided at the third attempt when Aston Villa beat Everton 3–2 in the second replay at Old Trafford.

[1] 14 May 1977: Liverpool are confirmed champions of the First Division for the second season running and for the tenth time in total[9] following a 0–0 draw with West Ham United.

West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers win their last matches of the season to survive, and Bristol City keep their hopes alive by beating Liverpool 2–1.

[1] 25 May 1977: Liverpool win the European Cup for the first time, defeating Borussia Mönchengladbach of West Germany 3-1 Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

[1] 31 May 1977: England lose to Wales at Wembley for the first time when Leighton James scores the only goal from the penalty spot in a Home Championship fixture.

[3] 4 June 1977: Scotland beat England 2–1 at Wembley to clinch the Home Championship, but their victory is overshadowed by a pitch invasion by celebrating supporters.

[2] Archived 21 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine 11 July 1977: Don Revie announces his resignation as England manager after three years.

Tommy Docherty guided Manchester United to a 2–1 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup final, but was sacked within weeks after announcing his affair with the wife of the club's physiotherapist.

Ron Saunders took Aston Villa to their second League Cup victory in three seasons as the Midlanders continued to re-establish themselves as a top club.

Queens Park Rangers dropped to 14th place a year after almost winning the title, while 1975 champions Derby County finished 15th, with manager Dave Mackay being sacked before Christmas and replaced by 26-year-old coach Colin Murphy, one of the youngest managers ever to take charge of a Football League side.

The kick-off had been delayed for fifteen minutes by Coventry chairman Jimmy Hill due to "crowd congestion".

They were joined by Chelsea, back in the First Division after two seasons away, and by Brian Clough's ambitious Nottingham Forest side.

The last promotion place was sealed by Crystal Palace, where Terry Venables was enjoying a dream start to his managerial career.

The British pop star Elton John took over Fourth Division side Watford and installed Graham Taylor as manager at the end of the season.