1979/80 Season Review

Rovers started the season with a new look line-up after the retirement of Lofty Peak. Geoff Giles was moved into centre-half to replace Peak, Mervyn Wallace dropped into midfield and Spanish Superstar Paco Diaz was the new striker/winger. Diaz had signed from Varagosa for £700,000 after impressing Roy during the UEFA Cup Quarter Final the previous season and made an instant impression, adding flair and skill to the Rovers front line.

Rovers excellent form in the league was overshadowed by two controversies, the first involved the signing of Vic Guthrie. Guthrie was a no-nonsense defender who had been on the verge of the England team, but was playing for lowly Westbury Town in the Second Division. Roy made the shock signing early in the season sensing that his new look defence lacked aerial power. Guthrie was the man he chose to rectify this weakness. But he was not popular with the Melchester fans after refusing to honour the tradition of bowing to the bust of George Armstrong. However Vic's strong performances and Roy's admission that he himself had never completed the ritual soon meant Guthrie was a fixture in the Rovers back four.

Melchester were dominant in the league but could not defend the UEFA Cup, being eliminated following a humiliating defeat to Icelandic part-timers Heklavik. Another shocking result would follow in the F.A. Cup, Rovers losing to Fourth Division Chalkford in the 6th Round.

But the cup failures did not deter Melchester who secured the First Division title with a 2-0 win away at Sandford on the last day of the season.

  
League Position: Champions
League Cup: Unknown
F.A. Cup: 6th Round (lost to Chalkford 0-1)
UEFA Cup: 3rd Round (lost to Heklavik 1-2 agg.)

Squad:
G - Carter, Evans, Morton
D - Baxter, Guthrie, McKay, Giles, Slade, Peters, Knight, Derry
M - Wallace, Gray, Holloway, Cassidy, Keelan, Edwards
F - Race, Eliot, Diaz, Dixon

Line-up (4-3-3):

Players in: Paco Diaz (Varagosa, £700,000), Vic Guthrie (Westbury, £20,000)
Players out: None