1978–79 Hibernian F.C. season
In the 1978–79 season Hibernian FC managed a fifth-place finish in the league, with notable wins of 3–0 and 4–0 against Motherwell tempered by a 6–1 loss to Partick Thistle late in the season. In the UEFA cup they reached the second round, being beaten 2–1 on aggregate by RC Strasbourg. In the Scottish Cup they made the final, but ultimately after two goalless draws, they lost out to Rangers 3–2 after extra time in a hotly contested second replay.


1978–79 Home Counties League
The 1978–79 Home Counties League season was the first in the history of the Combined Counties Football League, a football competition in England. This was the only season in which the "Home Counties League" name was used before the league was renamed as the Combined Counties League.


1978–79 Home Counties League
There was one division of thirteen clubs, won by British Aerospace (Weybridge).


1978–79 Home Counties League, Clubs
The league was formed mostly using clubs from the Surrey Senior League. The league featured 13 teams.


1978–79 Honduran Liga Nacional
The 1978–79 Honduran Liga Nacional season was the 13th edition of the Honduran Liga Nacional. The format of the tournament remained the same as the previous season. C.D. Motagua won the title after defeating Real C.D. España in the finals. It's unclear why no Honduran representation was sent to the 1979 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Nevertheless, Motagua, Real España, Olimpia and Broncos obtained berths to the 1979 Copa Fraternidad.


1978–79 Honduran Segunda División
The 1978–79 Honduran Segunda División was the 12th season of the Honduran Segunda División. Under the management of Luis Maradiaga, C.A. Portuario won the tournament after defeating C.D. Federal in the final series and obtained promotion to the 1979–80 Honduran Liga Nacional.


1978–79 Hong Kong FA Cup
1978–79 Hong Kong FA Cup was the fifth staging of the Hong Kong FA Cup.


1978–79 Hong Kong First Division League
The 1978–79 Hong Kong First Division League season was the 68th since its establishment.


1978–79 Houston Rockets season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the Rockets' 12th season in the NBA and 8th season in the city of Houston.


1978–79 Houston Rockets season
In the playoffs, the Rockets were swept by the Atlanta Hawks in two games in the First Round.


1978–79 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season
Huddersfield Town's 1978-79 campaign was Town's penultimate season in their 5-year stint in the Football League's basement division. It also saw the arrival of Mick Buxton at the club, he would be Town's second longest manager in the club's history. After replacing Tom Johnston, Town gained a resurgence in their form and then finished in 9th place. It would be a precursor to Town's championship winning team the next season.


1978–79 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season, Squad at the start of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1978–79 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season, Review
Following on from the previous season's disappointments and the early season's poor form, Tom Johnston resigned and following a spell as caretaker, Mick Buxton became the new manager and helped Town recover their form mainly from the signing from Bury and the conversion of Keith Hanvey from midfield to defence to partner Dave Sutton in the centre.


1978–79 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season, Review
Town would finish the season in 9th place with just 47 points, but the following season would see Town return to Division 3 in style.


1978–79 Huddersfield Town A.F.C. season, Squad at the end of the season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1978–79 I-Divisioona season
The 1978–79 I-Divisioona season was the fifth season of the I-Divisioona, the second level of Finnish ice hockey. 10 teams participated in the league, and SaiPa Lapeenranta won the championship. SaiPa Lappeenranta and FoPS Forssa qualified for the promotion/relegation round of the SM-liiga.


1978–79 IHL season
The 1978–79 IHL season was the 34th season of the International Hockey League, a North American minor professional league. Nine teams participated in the regular season, and the Kalamazoo Wings won the Turner Cup.


1978–79 IIHF European Cup
The 1978–79 European Cup was the 14th edition of the European Cup, IIHF's premier European club ice hockey tournament. The season started on September 12, 1978, and finished on August 29, 1979.


1978–79 IIHF European Cup
The tournament was won by CSKA Moscow, who won the final group.


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team represented the University of Idaho during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Members of the Big Sky Conference, the Vandals were led by first-year head coach Don Monson and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. They were 11–15 overall and 4–10 in conference play.


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
After four seasons with last place finishes in the conference, Jim Jarvis resigned as head coach in June 1978 under recurring allegations of illegal recruiting. The program had been placed on probation for one year in January, resulting in a reprimand for Jarvis and his assistant coach by the university.


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
He was succeeded in August by alumnus Monson, an assistant at Michigan State, who had significantly greater success. Although the Vandals were again in the cellar in 1979, the four conference wins were the most for the program in four years and the eleven wins the most in five. The groundwork had been made for significant improvement; Monson led Idaho to consecutive conference titles (1981, 1982) and the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 1982.


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
Idaho's best-attended home games this season were the final two; 4,500 saw a fifteen-point loss to Boise State, while 4,600 enjoyed a 21-point upset of Idaho State in the finale. It was the Vandals' first win over the Bengals in four years; ISU had won the previous seven meetings. A month earlier, the Vandals won decisively at Boise to snap two losing streaks; six to the Broncos and fifteen in  conference play.


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
The long-awaited win over Idaho State allowed the Vandals to regain possession of the "King Spud Trophy," an oversized metallic potato with a face and a crown, first played for in 1962. Bengal head coach Lynn Archibald thought it should go to the losing team: "It's the ugliest thing I've ever seen. The only good thing that happened last week was losing it."


1978–79 Idaho Vandals men's basketball team
No Vandals were named to the all-conference team; junior guard Don Newman was on the second team, and junior forward Reed Jaussi was honorable mention.


1978–79 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team represented the University of Illinois.


1978–79 Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team, Regular season
In 1978-79 season, Illinois finished seventh in the Big Ten, but went 19-11 overall, including ascension to No. 2 in the national polls after starting the year 15-0. During this season, Illinois upset top-ranked Michigan State and Magic Johnson, 57-55, in one of the school’s most memorable games. It was during this season that Illinois also led the nation in field-goal percentage defense (.404).


1978–79 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Illinois State Redbirds men's basketball team represented Illinois State University during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Redbirds, led by first year head coach Bob Donewald, played their home games at Horton Field House and competed as an independent (not a member of a conference). They finished the season 20–10.


1978–79 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represented Indiana University. Their head coach was Bobby Knight, who was in his 8th year. The team played its home games in Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference.


1978–79 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team
The Hoosiers finished the regular season with an overall record of 22–12 and a conference record of 10–8, finishing 5th in the Big Ten Conference. Coming off an NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance, Indiana missed out on an invitation to the 1979 NCAA Tournament. Instead, IU was invited to participate in the 1979 NIT, where Bobby Knight and the Hoosiers advanced to the championship game and won their first NIT title.


1978–79 Indiana Pacers season
The 1978–79 NBA season was Indiana's third season in the NBA and 12th season as a franchise.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team is considered the greatest in the school's history. The Sycamores competed as members of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, playing their home games at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. Led by first-year head coach Bill Hodges and National Player of the Year Larry Bird, Indiana State was unranked to begin the season, but swept through the regular season unbeaten.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team
Bird led the #1 ranked Sycamores to the national title game versus the Magic Johnson-led #3 Michigan State Spartans, and ended the season as National Runner-Up with a record of 33–1 (16–0 MVC). To date, the 1978–79 Sycamores are the only team to advance this far in their first-ever NCAA appearance. They had been the last unbeaten team to reach the national title game until Gonzaga in 2021.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Roster
The Sycamores were led by Bird, the NCAA Player of the Year, and his 28.6 scoring average. He was followed by Carl Nicks’ 19.3 average. The starting lineup also included Miley, Alex Gilbert and Steve Reed. Heaton and Leroy Staley were key reserves. The remainder of the roster consisted of Tom Crowder, Eric Curry, Rod McNelly, Rich Nemcek, Bob Ritter and Scott Turner.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Season summary
In 1979, the NCAA tournament championship game was the most-watched game in the history of the sport, in no small part because of Indiana State star Larry Bird. Bird wasn’t a one-man show, but the unheralded Sycamores rode him to a 33–0 record heading into the title game. The well-rounded Bird averaged 29 points, 14.8 rebounds, and, most significantly, six assists as he changed the way the game was played.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Offseason
Head coach Bob King suffered a stroke and was unable to continue as head coach of the Sycamores. Assistant Bill Hodges was elevated to the position of head coach.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Offseason, Exhibition vs. Soviet National Team
On November 20, the touring Soviet National team came to Hulman Center to play Indiana State. ISU defeated the Soviets, 83–79, to become one of only four college teams to beat them that season.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Regular season
During the 1978–79 season, Indiana State qualified for the NCAA Tournament. ISU finished the regular season 29–0, 16–0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and earned the top ranking in the country.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Regular season
The only time that the perfect regular season was in jeopardy was on Feb. 1. The Sycamores were 18–0 against New Mexico State. With three seconds remaining, the Sycamores were down 83–81. New Mexico State was at the free throw line and the shot was missed. The missed shot was rebounded by Brad Miley and passed to Bob Heaton. Heaton launched a 50-foot desperation shot which banked through the net to send the game into overtime.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Regular season
Bird received several honors at the end of regular season. He won the USBWA College Player of the Year, Naismith and Wooden Awards, given to the year's top male college basketball player.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Schedule and results, NCAA basketball tournament
The top seed in the NCAA Midwest Regional was awarded to the Sycamores. The final game of the regional tournament was against Arkansas with a berth in the Final Four on the line. With the game tied at 71, the right-handed Heaton was the hero again with a last second left-handed shot in the lane to win the game. They advanced to the championship game and faced Michigan State University, which was led by sophomore Magic Johnson. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64, and Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.


1978–79 Indiana State Sycamores men's basketball team, Rankings
^Coaches did not release Week 1 or Week 2 polls.


1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season
The 1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season was the Racers' final season in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The team folded after only 25 games.


1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season, Offseason
Nelson Skalbania, the owner of Indianapolis Racers, signed the 17-year-old future super-star, Wayne Gretzky to, at that time, a whopping personal contract worth between 1.125 and 1.75 million dollars over 4 to 7 years. Skalbania, knowing that the WHA was fading, felt owning the young star was more valuable than owning a WHA team.


1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season, Regular season
This was the first season of Wayne Gretzky's professional career. The Racers' management knew that the team was going to folddue to poor attendance, and sold Gretzky to the Edmonton Oilers after eight games. Skalbania needed cash and liquidated his greatest asset to his old friend and former partner, Peter Pocklington, owner of the Edmonton Oilers. Pocklington purchased Gretzky and two other Indianapolis players, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll paying $700,000 for the contracts of the three players, although the announced price was actually $850,000.


1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF= Goals for, GA = Goals against, Pts = Points


1978–79 Indianapolis Racers season, Player stats, Regular season
Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals      MIN = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts;


1978–79 Inter-City League season
The 1978–79 Inter-City League season was the first season of the Inter-City League, the top level ice hockey league in southern England. Eight teams participated in the league, and the Streatham Redskins won the championship. The top four teams qualified for the British Championship. The games played by Oxford University were counted double. (One win/loss is equivalent to two wins/losses.)


1978–79 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball team represented the University of Iowa in the 1978–79 college basketball season. The team was led by head coach Lute Olson and played their home games at the Iowa Field House. They finished the season with a 20–8 record and, with a 13-5 conference record, earned a Big Ten Championship (three-way tie with Michigan State and Purdue). To date, this is the last regular-season conference title for the Hawkeyes men's basketball team.


1978–79 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represented Iowa State University during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Cyclones were coached by Lynn Nance, who was in his third season with the Cyclones. They played their home games at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.


1978–79 Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team
They finished the season 11–16, 6–8 in Big Eight play to finish in sixth place. The Cyclones lost in the first round of the Big Eight Tournament to Kansas, falling 91-70.


1978–79 Iran 2nd Division
The 1978–79 Iran Football's 2nd Division was not completed due to disruptions caused by the Iranian Revolution.


1978–79 Iraq FA Cup
The 1978–79 Iraq FA Cup was the fourth edition of the Iraq FA Cup. The tournament was won by Al-Zawraa, beating Al-Jaish 3–1 in the final on 3 May 1979 to secure their second cup, with goals from Hazem Jassam, Ibrahim Ali and Thamir Yousef. Al-Zawraa's previous  matches in the tournament were a 7–0 win over Al-Hurriya, a 3–1 win over Al-Ittihad, a 4–0 win over Al-Shorta and a 6–0 win over Al-Shabab, while Al-Jaish had eliminated Al-Tayaran from the semi-finals who in turn had beaten Al-Minaa in the quarter-finals. Al-Zawraa also won the 1978–79 Iraqi National League to complete the second double in Iraqi football.


1978–79 Iraqi National League
The 1978–79 Iraqi National League of Clubs was the 5th season of the competition since its foundation in 1974. Al-Zawraa won their third league title in four seasons, doing so without losing a game, and also won the 1978–79 Iraq FA Cup to secure the double for the second time.


1978–79 Irish Cup
The 1978–79 Irish Cup was the 99th edition of Northern Ireland's premier football knock-out cup competition.


1978–79 Irish Cup
The defending champions were Linfield, who defeated Ballymena United 3–1 in the 1977–78 final. However, they were knocked out by eventual winners Cliftonville in the first round. Cliftonville went on to win the cup for the 8th time, defeating Portadown 3–2 in the final. The 1979 victory represented their first cup success in 70 years; this remains a record for the longest gap between Irish Cup wins. To date, this is Cliftonville's last Irish Cup success, though they have reached the final five times since this win; in 1997, 1999, 2009, 2013 and 2018. They lost the 1997, 2009, 2013 and 2018 finals, and were disqualified before the final was played in 1999 when it was discovered that they had fielded an ineligible player in the earlier rounds.


1978–79 Irish Cup, Quarter-finals
1This tie required a replay, after the first game ended as a 0–0 draw.


1978–79 Irish Cup, Semi-finals
2This tie required a replay, after the first game ended as a 2–2 draw.


1978–79 Irish League
The Irish League in season 1978–79 comprised 12 teams, and Linfield won the championship.


1978–79 Israel State Cup
The 1978–79 Israel State Cup (Hebrew: גביע המדינה, Gvia HaMedina) was the 40th season of Israel's nationwide football cup competition and the 25th after the Israeli Declaration of Independence.


1978–79 Israel State Cup
The competition was won by Beitar Jerusalem who have beaten Maccabi Tel Aviv 2–1 at the final.


1978–79 Isthmian League
The 1978–79 season was the 64th season of the Isthmian League, an English football competition.


1978–79 Isthmian League
At the end of the season Alliance Premier League was created. As a result of it, Isthmian League teams lost possibility to take part in the elections to the Football League as only highest placed team from Alliance Premier League who met the Football League requirements may apply. The Isthmian League refused to participate in the formation of the new league.


1978–79 Isthmian League, Premier Division
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 20 clubs from the previous season and two new clubs, promoted from Division One:


1978–79 Isthmian League, Premier Division
This season was the last one when Isthmian League clubs may have applied for election to the Football League. Though, no clubs participated in the elections.


1978–79 Isthmian League, Division One
Division One consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:


1978–79 Isthmian League, Division One
At the end of the season Leytonstone, relegated from the Premier Division, merged with Ilford to form Leytonstone & Ilford. Subsequently, St Albans City were given a reprieve.


1978–79 Isthmian League, Division Two
Division Two consisted of 18 clubs, including 15 clubs from the previous season and three new clubs:


1978–79 Japan Ice Hockey League season
The 1978–79 Japan Ice Hockey League season was the 13th season of the Japan Ice Hockey League. Six teams participated in the league, and the Seibu Tetsudo won the championship.


1978–79 John Player Cup
The 1978–79 John Player Cup was the eighth edition of England's premier rugby union club competition at the time. Leicester won the competition defeating Moseley in the final. The event was sponsored by John Player cigarettes and the final was held at Twickenham Stadium.


1978–79 KNVB Cup
The 61st edition of the KNVB Cup started on August 19, 1978. The first final was played on May 15, 1979: the match Ajax – FC Twente ended a draw: 1–1 (after extra time). Instead of a penalty shootout, a replay was held on May 29. In that match, Ajax beat FC Twente 3–0 and won the cup for the eighth time. During the quarter and semi-finals of the tournament, two-legged matches were held.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, First round
The matches of the first round were played on August 19 and 20, 1978.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, Second round
The matches of the second round were played on October 14, 15 and 25, 1978. The Eredivisie clubs entered the tournament this round.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, Round of 16
The matches were played on November 18 and 19, 1978.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, Quarter finals
The quarter finals were played on March 14 and April 4, 1979.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, Semi-finals
The semi-finals were played on April 18 and May 2, 1979.


1978–79 KNVB Cup, Final, Replay
Ajax also won the Dutch Eredivisie championship, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the European Cup, so finalists Twente could play in the Cup Winners' Cup.


1978–79 Kansas City Kings season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the Kings 30th season in the NBA and their seventh season in the city of Kansas City.


1978–79 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team represented the University of Kansas during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season.


1978–79 Kent Football League
The 1978–79 Kent Football League season was the 13th in the history of the Kent Football League, a football competition in England.


1978–79 Kent Football League
At the end of the previous season reserve sides of Dover, Folkestone & Shepway and Maidstone United all left the Kent League, with competition becoming one for ‘first teams’ only.


1978–79 Kent Football League
The league was won by Sheppey United, but the club was not promoted to the Southern Football League.


1978–79 Kent Football League, Clubs
The league featured 15 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with three new clubs:


1978–79 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team represented University of Kentucky in the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The head coach was Joe B. Hall and the team finished the season with an overall record of 19–12 (10–8 SEC).


1978–79 La Liga
The 1978–79 La Liga was the 48th season since its establishment. It started on September 2, 1978, and finished on June 3, 1979.


1978–79 Lancashire Cup
1978–79 was the sixty-sixth occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held.


1978–79 Lancashire Cup
Widnes won the trophy  by beating Workington Town by the score of 15-13


1978–79 Lancashire Cup
The match was played at Central Park, Wigan, (historically in the county of Lancashire). The attendance was 10,020 and receipts were £6,261.00


1978–79 Lancashire Cup
After relatively little success in the competition, Workington Town had reached the semi-final stage in 1973, 1974 and 1975, had been runner-up in 1976, winner in 1977, and now runners-up again in 1978. They would go on to be runners-up again in 1979.


1978–79 Lancashire Cup, Background
The total number of teams entering the competition remained at last season’s total of 14 with  no junior/amateur clubs taking part.


1978–79 Lancashire Cup, Background
The same fixture format was retained, but due to the number of participating clubs, this resulted in one  “blank” or “dummy” fixture in the first round, and one bye in the second round.


1978–79 Lancashire Cup, Competition and Results, Round 1
Involved  7 matches (with one “blank” fixture) and 14 Clubs


1978–79 Lancashire Cup, Competition and Results, Final, Teams and Scorers
Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = one (1) point


1978–79 Lancashire Cup, Notes and comments
1 * Central Park was the home ground of Wigan with a final capacity of 18,000, although the record attendance was  47,747 for Wigan v St Helens 27 March 1959


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league)
This was the eighth season for rugby league's League Cup competition, which was now known as the John Player Trophy for sponsorship reasons.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league)
Widnes won the final against Warrington by the score of 16-4. The match was played at Knowsley Road, St Helens, Merseyside. The attendance was 10,743 and receipts were £11709.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Background
This season saw no changes in the  entrants, no new members and no withdrawals, the number remaining at eighteen. Bad weather - Due to an exceptionally inclement (i.e. frost, snow etc.) winter there were very few Rugby League matches played during the months of January and February


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Round 2 - Second  Round Replays
Involved  1 match and 2 Clubs - and due to the first match being postponed because of extremely inclement weather


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Round 4 – Semi-Finals
Involved 2 matches and 4 ClubsBad weather - Due to an exceptionally inclement (i.e. frost, snow etc.) winter there were very few Rugby League matches played during the months of January and February


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Round 3 – Semi-Finals - Replays
Involved 3 matches and 4 clubs - and due to the first match being postponed because of extremely inclement weather


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Final - Replay, Teams and Scorers
Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = one (1) point


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Prize Money
As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the  prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows :-


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Competition and Results, Prize Money
Note - the  author is unable to trace the award amounts for this season. Can anyone help ?


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Notes and comments
1 * Leigh Miners' Welfare are a Junior (amateur) club from Leigh (formed by merger of Astley & Tyldesley and Hope Rangers - and now renamed as Leigh Miners Rangers) 2 * new record score between professional clubs in the  competition - at the  time, beating the  previous record of 9-51 set when Blackpool Borough lost at home to Leeds by 9-51 in season 1972–733 * Milford are a Junior (amateur) club from Leeds4 * Warrington official archives show the game as being played on 30 September but RUGBYLEAGUEproject and Wigan official archives shows it as played on 24 September 5 * Postponed due to frozen pitch6 * Postponed due to frozen pitch - was due to be televised by BBC7 * Postponed due to the postponement of the Semi Final ties caused by frost and other extremely inclement weather.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Notes and comments
8 * The Final had been due to be played on Saturday 27 January but was put back due to backlog of semi-finl ties caused by enforced postponement due to extreme inclement weather9  * Knowsley Road was the home of St Helens R.F.C. from 1890 until its closure in 2010. The final capacity was 17,500 although the record attendance was 35,695 set on 26 December 1949 for a league game between St Helens and Wigan.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Notes and comments, General information for those unfamiliar
The council of the Rugby Football League voted to introduce a new competition, to be similar to The Football Association and Scottish Football Association's "League Cup". It was to be a similar knock-out structure to, and to be secondary to, the Challenge Cup.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Notes and comments, General information for those unfamiliar
As this was being formulated, sports sponsorship was becoming more prevalent and as a result John Player and Sons, a division of Imperial Tobacco Company, became sponsors, and the competition never became widely known as the "League Cup" The competition ran from 1971–72 until 1995-96 and was initially intended for the professional clubs plus the two amateur BARLA National Cup finalists. In later seasons the entries were expanded to take in other amateur and French teams.


1978–79 League Cup (rugby league), Notes and comments, General information for those unfamiliar
The competition was dropped due to "fixture congestion" when Rugby League became a summer sportThe Rugby League season always (until the onset of "Summer Rugby" in 1996) ran from around August-time through to around May-time and this competition always took place early in the season, in the Autumn, with the final usually taking place in late January The competition was variably known, by its sponsorship name, as the Player's No.6 Trophy (1971–1977), the John Player Trophy (1977–1983), the John Player Special Trophy (1983–1989), and the Regal Trophy in 1989.


1978–79 League of Ireland
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by Sexitoni (talk | contribs) at 04:28, 17 November 2019 (→Final classification:  correction). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1978–79 League of Ireland, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and Dundalk F.C. won the championship.


1978–79 Leicester City F.C. season
During the 1978–79 English football season, Leicester City F.C. competed in the Football League Second Division.


1978–79 Leicester City F.C. season, Season summary
In the 1978–79 season, Jock Wallace left Rangers to become Leicester's new boss following the Foxes' relegation from the First Division. It was a disappointing season for the Foxes but were not helped by lack of finances to sign quality players but the only positive from the season was that Wallace had to use youth policy and play some youngsters and it brought some success in results. Despite that they finished the season in 17th place.


1978–79 Leicester City F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


1978–79 Liga Alef
The 1978–79 Liga Alef season saw Hapoel Nazareth Illit (champions of the North Division) and Hapoel Beit Shemesh (champions of the South Division) win the title and promotion to Liga Artzit.


1978–79 Liga Alef
Promotion play-offs, held in neutral venue, introduced between the second placed clubs in each regional division. Hapoel Herzliya won over Maccabi Kiryat Gat, and became the third promoted club.


1978–79 Liga Artzit
The 1978–79 Liga Artzit season saw Hakoah Ramat Gan win the title and win promotion to Liga Leumit. Maccabi Ramat Amidar and Hapoel Petah Tikva were also promoted.


1978–79 Liga Artzit
Hapoel Marmorek, Hapoel Netanya and Hapoel Ashdod were all relegated to Liga Alef.


1978–79 Liga Bet
The 1978–79 Liga Bet season saw Hapoel Bnei Nazareth, Hapoel Umm al-Fahm, Hapoel Ramat HaSharon and Beitar Be'er Sheva win their regional divisions and promoted to Liga Alef.


1978–79 Liga Bet, North Division B
Hapoel Beit Eliezer withdrew from the league during the season.


1978–79 Liga Española de Baloncesto
The 1978–79 season was the 23rd season of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto. Real Madrid won the title.


1978–79 Liga Leumit
The 1978–79 Liga Leumit season saw Maccabi Tel Aviv win the title, whilst Hapoel Hadera, Hapoel Jerusalem and Hapoel Rishon LeZion (in their first season back in the top division since 1952) were relegated to Liga Artzit. Oded Machnes (Maccabi Netanya) and Eli Miali (Beitar Jerusalem) were the league's joint top scorers with 18 goals.


1978–79 Liga Nacional de Hockey Hielo season
The 1978–79 Superliga Espanola de Hockey Hielo season was the seventh season of the Superliga Espanola de Hockey Hielo, the top level of ice hockey in Spain. Five teams participated in the league, and CH Casco Viejo Bilbao won the championship.


1978–79 Liverpool F.C. season
Liverpool F.C. won its 11th league title, with a record-breaking season. They amassed a record points total of 68, with Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness as commanding influences in the team that had the highest goal scoring ratio under Bob Paisley's management. Defensively, Liverpool conceded only 16 goals (just four of them at Anfield) and goalkeeper Ray Clemence kept a total of 28 clean sheets in 42 League matches.


1978–79 Liverpool F.C. season
Disappointing for Liverpool was the early exit of the European Cup, losing to domestic rivals Nottingham Forest in the inaugural round; Forest went on to win the European Cup along with the League Cup, and were proving to be Liverpool's most fierce competitors as the decade drew to a close. This ended Liverpool's chances of taking three European Cups in a row, an achievement only Real Madrid, Ajax and Bayern Munich have ever succeeded in doing.


1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season
The 1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season was the Kings' 12th season in the National Hockey League.


1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season, Transactions
The Kings were involved in the following transactions during the 1978–79 season.


1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season, Transactions, Free agent compensation
Dale McCourt refused to report to Los Angeles and sued the NHL. He played the 1978-79 season with the Red Wings.


1978–79 Los Angeles Kings season, Draft picks
Los Angeles's draft picks at the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.


1978–79 Los Angeles Lakers season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the Lakers' 31st season in the NBA and 19th season in Los Angeles. It would be the final season for the team under the ownership Jack Kent Cooke, who would sell the team to Dr. Jerry Buss during the summer that followed.


1978–79 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by PrimeBOT (talk | contribs) at 00:13, 21 June 2020 (→Schedule: Task 30 - remove deprecated parameter in Template:CBB schedule entry). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1978–79 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team represented the University of Louisville during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Louisville's 65th season of intercollegiate competition. The Cardinals competed in the Metro Conference and were coached by Denny Crum. The team played home games at Freedom Hall.


1978–79 Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team
The team completed a 24–8 record and reached the Sweet Sixteen of the 1979 NCAA Tournament.


1978–79 Luxembourg National Division
The 1978–79 Luxembourg National Division was the 65th season of top level association football in Luxembourg.


1978–79 Luxembourg National Division, Overview
It was performed in 12 teams, and FA Red Boys Differdange won the championship.


1978–79 Macedonian Republic League
The 1978–79 Macedonian Republic League was the 35th since its establishment. FK Pobeda won their 4th championship title.


1978–79 Magyar Kupa
The 1978–79 Magyar Kupa (English: Hungarian Cup) was the 39th season of Hungary's annual knock-out cup football competition.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season
The 1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the first in league history and would end with the New York Arrows winning the first MISL title.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Recap
The league would begin with six teams and a 24-game schedule beginning in December 1978 and ending in March 1979. The top four teams would advance to a single-game semifinal and a best of three championship series. League attendance would average 4,453 per game.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Recap
Signs were good that the league would have a long-time presence. The early games drew strong crowds, as Philadelphia sold out the Spectrum for their opener, leading the league in attendance. The first expansion team was announced on December 13, nine days before the first game in league history, as the Buffalo Stallions were slated to start play in the 1979-80 season. 10,386 fans were in the Nassau Coliseum to see the Cincinnati Kids play the Arrows in the league's first game.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Recap
Despite finishing in a solid third place, Cincinnati folded after the season.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Regular season, Schedule
The 1978–79 regular season schedule ran from December 22, 1978, to March 18, 1979. Each team played a schedule of 24 games.


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Regular season, Regular season statistics, Scoring leaders
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Regular season, Regular season statistics, Goalkeeping leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Playoffs, Playoff statistics, Playoff scoring
GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points


1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season, Playoffs, Playoff statistics, Playoff goalkeeping
Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins; L = Losses


1978–79 Maltese Premier League
The 1978–79 Maltese First Division was the 64th season of top-tier football in Malta. It was contested by 10 teams, and Hibernians F.C. won the championship.


1978–79 Manchester United F.C. season
The 1978–79 season was Manchester United's 77th season in the Football League, and their fourth consecutive season in the top division of English football. They finished the season ninth in the league, but were more successful in the FA Cup, reaching the final where they lost 3-2 to Arsenal at Wembley, conceding a late goal from Alan Sunderland in the final minute of the game after coming from 2-0 down make it 2-2 in the closing minutes of the game.


1978–79 Mansfield Town F.C. season
The 1978–79 season was Mansfield Town's 42nd season in the Football League and 14th in the Third Division they finished in 18th position with 43 points.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season
Mersin İdmanyurdu (also Mersin İdman Yurdu, Mersin İY, or MİY) Sports Club; located in Mersin, east Mediterranean coast of Turkey in 1978–79. Mersin İdmanyurdu had relegated from First League in 1977–78 season. It was the second relegation of the team after 2 seasons appearances in first league (9 in total). Mersin appointed coach Octavian Popescu. The 1978–79 season was the 7th season of Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) football team in Second League, the second level division in Turkey. They finished 6th in the Red Group.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Second League participation
The (1978–79) was 16th season of Second League. The league was played with 32 teams, 16 in Red Group and 16 in White Group. Group winners promoted to First League 1979–80 in each group. Runners-up of two groups played a play-off game and winner promoted to first league as well. Last two teams in each group relegated to Third League 1979–80. Mersin İY became 6th with 9 wins and 28 goals in Red Group.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Second League participation, Results summary
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 1978–79 Second League Red Group league summary:


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Second League participation, League table
Mersin İY's league performance in Second League Red Group in 1978–79 season is shown in the following table.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Second League participation, League table
Note: Won, drawn and lost points are 2, 1 and 0. F belongs to MİY and A belongs to corresponding team for both home and away matches.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Second League participation, Results by round
Results of games MİY played in 1978–79 Second League Red Group by rounds:


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Turkish Cup participation
1978–79 Turkish Cup was played for the 17th season as Türkiye Kupası by 122 teams. First, four elimination rounds were played in one-leg elimination system. Fifth and sixth elimination rounds and finals were played in the two-legs elimination system. Mersin İdmanyurdu participated in 1978–79 Turkish Cup from round 3 and was eliminated at round 4 by Ankaragücü. Ankaragücü was eliminated at round 6. Fenerbahçe won the Cup for the 3rd time and became eligible for 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Turkish Cup participation, Cup track
The drawings and results Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) followed in 1978–79 Turkish Cup are shown in the following table.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Turkish Cup participation, Game details
Mersin İdmanyurdu (MİY) 1978–79 Turkish Cup game reports is shown in the following table. Kick off times are in EET and EEST.


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 Turkish Cup participation, Game details
MİY amateur team was also participated and eliminated to Tarsus İdmanyurdu:


1978–79 Mersin İdmanyurdu season, 1978–79 squad
Stats are counted for 1978–79 Second League matches and 1978–79 Turkish Cup (Türkiye Kupası) matches. In the team rosters five substitutes were allowed to appear, two of whom were substitutable. Only the players who appeared in game rosters were included and listed in the order of appearance.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season
Statistics of the Primera División de México for the 1978–79 season.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Overview
This season was contested by 20 teams, and Cruz Azul won the championship.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 1América 1 - 0 Cruz AzulAtlético Potosino 0 - 2 Toluca


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 2Cruz Azul 2 - 1 Atlético PotosinoToluca 1 - 0 América


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 3Atlético Potosino 1 - 2 AméricaToluca 0 - 1 Cruz Azul


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 4Cruz Azul 2 - 1 AméricaToluca 5 - 0 Atlético Potosino


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 5Atlético Potosino 2 - 2 Cruz AzulAmérica 3 - 1 Toluca


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group A
Round 6América 0 - 1 Atlético PotosinoCruz Azul 1 - 0 Toluca


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 1U.N.A.M. 1 - 0 ZacatepecMonterrey 0 - 1 U.A.N.L.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 2U.N.A.M. 2 - 2 MonterreyU.A.N.L. 2 - 1 Zacatepec


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 3Monterrey 2 - 1 ZacatepecU.N.A.M. 3 - 0 U.A.N.L.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 4Zacatepec 1 - 2 U.N.A.M.U.A.N.L. 1 - 1 Monterrey


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 5Monterrey 1 - 1 U.N.A.M.Zacatepec 1 - 1 U.A.N.L.


1978–79 Mexican Primera División season, Group Stage Playoff, Semifinal, Group B
Round 6U.A.N.L. 2 - 0 U.N.A.M.Zacatepec 2 - 2 Monterrey


1978–79 Mexican Segunda División season
The 1978–79 Segunda División was the 30th season of the Mexican Segunda División. The season started on 8 July 1978 and concluded on 22 June 1979. It was won by Atlas.


1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey season
The 1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey team represented the Miami University in college ice hockey. In its inaugural varsity season the team was coached by Steve Cady and played at the newly opened Miami Ice Arena.


1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey season, Season
Miami's ice hockey program was promoted to varsity status in the summer of 1978. In their first season the Redskins remained in the Mid–Central Collegiate Hockey Association, a small collection of local club teams, mainly so it could field a full schedule. Miami was also able to schedule 10 games against Division I opponents that would take place throughout the season.


1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey season, Season
After an initial win over Cincinnati, Miami was beaten soundly in four consecutive games. The losses were against the top-tier squads which was a trend that would continue throughout the season. Miami finished the regular season with a very good 12–3–1 record in conference, but lost all 10 games against the D-I teams. Miami's up and down year came to an end with the MCCHA tournament, with the entire championship being played in its home arena. The Redskins took advantage of the opportunity and routed Eastern Michigan before shutting out Michigan–Dearborn to claim the championship.


1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey season, Season
As Miami continued to transition into a full Division I schedule, the team knew it had a long way to go before it could compete with the rest of the big programs.


1978–79 Miami Redskins men's ice hockey season, Players drafted into the NHL, 1979 NHL Entry Draft
Miami did not have any players selected in the NHL Entry Draft.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team represented Michigan State University in the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Spartans were coached by Jud Heathcote in his third year and played their home games at Jenison Field House in East Lansing, Michigan. They were members of the Big Ten Conference. The Spartans finished the season 26–6, 13–5 in Big Ten play, finishing in a tie for first place in the Big Ten. They received a bid to the NCAA Tournament and defeated Indiana State for the National Championship. This marked the school's first National Championship in basketball.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Previous season
The Spartans finished the 1977–78 season 25–5, 15–3 in Big Ten play to win the Big Ten championship. They beat Providence in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament and Western Kentucky in the Mideast Regional Semifinal. However, they lost to Kentucky in the Regional Final.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Previous season
In August 1978, assistant coach Don Monson became head coach at his alma mater, Idaho.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
MSU was led by star sophomore, Earvin "Magic" Johnson (16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game), senior Greg Kelser (18.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per game), and sophomore Jay Vincent (13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game). The Spartans started the season well, finishing the non-conference season with an 8–1 recorded including a loss to No. 13 ranked North Carolina. They entered conference play as the No. 1 ranked team in the country.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
After winning their first two conference games, they lost four of their next six games to fall to a 4–4 record in the Big Ten, trailing first-place Ohio State by four games in the standings. However, Michigan State then won their next 10 games with wins over No. 7 Ohio State, at No. 15 Iowa, at No. 13 Ohio State, and No. 18 Purdue. A loss on the final day of the season to Wisconsin resulted in the Spartans slipping into a tie for the Big Ten championship with Iowa and Purdue. MSU received a bid to the NCAA Tournament because of a better head-to-head performance against Big Ten rivals and a superior overall record (21–6). The Spartans finished the season ranked No. 3 in the country.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
Michigan State advanced to the Final Four by defeating Lamar, LSU and No. 1-seeded Notre Dame. In the Final Four, the second Final Four appearance in school history, they faced Penn, blowing them out 101–67 to earn a trip to the Championship. There, the Spartans faced No. 1-ranked and undefeated Indiana State led by senior Larry Bird. In what was the most-watched college basketball game ever, Michigan State defeated Indiana State 75–64 to win the school's first ever basketball National Championship. Magic Johnson was voted Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Season summary
After two years in college, in which he averaged 17.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, Johnson declared himself eligible for the 1979 NBA draft.


1978–79 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team, Rankings
^Coaches did not release Week 1 or Week 2 polls.


1978–79 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team
The 1978–79 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1978–79 season. The team played its home games in the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference. Under the direction of head coach Johnny Orr, the team finished tied for seventh in the Big Ten Conference. The team failed to earn an invitation to either the 1978 National Invitation Tournament or the 1978 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament. The team was ranked in the Associated Press Top Twenty-Five Poll for eight of the season's seventeen weeks, reaching a number 6 ranking on December 5, 1978, and falling out after the January 9, 1979, poll.


1978–79 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team, Team players drafted into the NBA
Five players from this team were selected in the NBA Draft.


1978–79 Midland Football Combination
The 1978–79 Midland Football Combination season was the 42nd in the history of Midland Football Combination, a football competition in England.


1978–79 Midland Football Combination, Division One
Division One featured 19 clubs which competed in the division last season along with one new club, promoted from Division Two:


1978–79 Midland Football League
The 1978–79 Midland Football League was the 79th in the history of the Midland Football League, a football competition in England.


1978–79 Midland Football League, Premier Division
The Premier Division featured 17 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with two new clubs:


1978–79 Midland Football League, Division One
Division One featured 14 clubs which competed in the previous season, along with two new clubs:


1978–79 Milwaukee Bucks season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the Bucks' 11th season in the NBA.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season
The 1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey team represented the University of Minnesota in college ice hockey. In its 7th year under head coach Herb Brooks the team compiled a 32–11–1 record and reached the NCAA tournament for the eighth time. The Golden Gophers defeated North Dakota 4–3 in the championship game at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan to win their third national championship.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Early Lead
Minnesota began the 1978–79 season well, winning two games before each of their losses through mid-November. Steve Janaszak, one of the four remaining players from Minnesota's last national championship team, received the lion's share of minutes in goal as the Gophers built an early lead in both the WCHA and Big Ten. After the calendar had turned to December, Minnesota visited a resurgent North Dakota who had already climbed up to second place in the conference. The teams split the series and Minnesota headed home with an 11–4 record.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Early Lead
The Gophers played host to three ECAC Hockey teams during the winter break and though Harvard gave them a good game, Minnesota swept both weekend to build their record to 15–4. When the Gophers returned to conference play they throttled Michigan with Janaszak posting his only shutout of the season. That dominance likely led to a bit of soft play the following weekend when the Gopher's didn't show up against Minnesota–Duluth and the squad played its first weekend all season without recording a win.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Trouble on the Road
After the failed homestand Minnesota spent the following two weekends outside of Minnesota. The first series against Wisconsin began well but the Badgers salvaged a split in the second game. The Gophers then headed southwest to play Denver and lost both games to a middling Pioneer squad. With their conference record dented, Minnesota returned to the Williams Arena and hosted two weak teams over two weeks, easily winning four games, before ending up in Notre Dame where they lost two close affairs. The pair of losses were at an inopportune time because it allowed North Dakota to build a 5-point lead in the WCHA race.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Trouble on the Road
While the two teams would play to end the season Minnesota needed help from a bad Michigan State team who were fighting just to make the conference tournament. Before they could worry about that, however, they had to take care of business at home against Michigan Tech. The Gophers won both of their games and watched as the Fighting Sioux lost on Saturday to give Minnesota a chance at the conference title. The next weekend Minnesota opened with a 5–2 win over North Dakota but could not keep the momentum going and failed to win the crown after losing the second game.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, WCHA Tournament
With their second-place finish Minnesota was guaranteed home ice for the conference playoffs. After breezing through the first round against Michigan Tech, Minnesota hosted Minnesota–Duluth, one of only two team to have a winning record against the Golden Gophers in the regular season. Minnesota fought valiantly in the first game with Janaszak turning aside all but one shot from a potent Bulldog attack. Minnesota pulled away in the second game, scoring six times, and captured their sixth WCHA Tournament title.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, NCAA Tournament
While the Gophers earned one of the two WCHA bids, the other went to North Dakota and because the Fighting Sioux had finished the regular season with a better conference record, Minnesota was slotted into the second western seed. Because of this Minnesota was forced to begin the tournament against CCHA champion Bowling Green who had proven the year before that they could compete on a nationalstage. Minnesota proved the stronger team, however, winning the first round match 6–3 and punching their ticket to Detroit.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, NCAA Tournament
In the semifinals Minnesota met New Hampshire, the top offence team in the east, and the two battled a close contest for 60 minutes with the Gophers ending up as the victors. In the championship game Minnesota faced UND for the seventh time that season. The Fighting Sioux elected to start senior Bill Stankoven over freshman Bob Iwabuchi despite the underclassmen's superior numbers. That choice did not pan out as the Gophers scored three times in the first period and took a 2-goal lead into the second.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, NCAA Tournament
Iwabuchi found himself in goal from the remainder of the contest but the Fighting Sioux had a tough hill to climb. Janaszak played strong throughout the game but couldn't stop North Dakota from cutting into the lead with a late second period goal. Neal Broten restored the two goal advantage less than three minutes into the third but UND narrowed the gap back to 1 with just over ten minutes to play. The two teams fought desperately in the final half-period but neither side was able to score and Minnesota earned their third national title in only 6 years.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Awards and Honors
For his superlative play in the three games, Steve Janaszak was named Tournament MOP and was on the All-Tournament Team with teammates Mike Ramsey, Steve Christoff and Eric Strobel. Defenseman Bill Baker was the team's sole representative on the AHCA All-American West Team and the All-WCHA First Team while team scoring leader Steve Christoff made the WCHA Second Team.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Awards and Honors
The 1978–79 Minnesota team joined the 1948–49 Boston College Eagles as the only teams to win a championship with all of their players having been born in one state or province and was the second time Minnesota had won a championship with only American players. Two Gophers were taken in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft with both (Mike Ramsey and Neal Broten) becoming All-Stars.


1978–79 Minnesota Golden Gophers men's ice hockey season, Season, Awards and Honors
Head Coach Herb Brooks would leave Minnesota that summer when he signed on to serve as the bench boss for the US National Team at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Unsurprisingly, Brooks drew heavily from the program he ran for seven season with 8 of 20 players coming from the 1979 championship team: Bill Baker, Neal Broten, Steve Christoff, Steve Janaszak, Rob McClanahan, Mike Ramsey, Eric Strobel and Phil Verchota.


1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season
The 1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season was the team's 12th season in the NHL. In the off season, the North Stars were on the verge of folding, and were merged with the Cleveland Barons, another team on the brink of collapse. The merged franchise continued as the Minnesota North Stars, with the old logo and colors. The changes for the franchise were new ownership and new management. Former Cleveland Barons General Manager Harry Howell assumed the coaching duties from Lou Nanne, who was named General Manager. Former Barons owner George Gund III became a co-owner of the North Stars. Howell's tenure as head coach would last just eleven games before he was replaced by Glen Sonmor.


1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season
While the merger allowed the North Stars ice a stronger team, it also saw the North Stars take the Barons' place in the tough Adams Division. The North Stars finished with 68 points, which was a substantial improvement over either the Barons' or North Stars' performance the previous season. Had the North Stars still been in the Smythe Division, that would have been good enough for second place and a playoff berth, but it was not enough to lift the team out of last place in the Adams. Minnesota missed the playoffs for the 5th time in 6 years. One of the highlights was Bobby Smith winning the Calder Trophy.


1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season, Player stats, Skaters
Note: GP  =  Games played; G  =  Goals; A  =  Assists; Pts  =  Points; +/-  =  Plus/minus; PIM  =  Penalty minutes


1978–79 Minnesota North Stars season, Player stats, Goaltenders
Note: GP  =  Games played; TOI  =  Time on ice (minutes); W  =  Wins; L  =  Losses; OT  =  Overtime losses; GA  =  Goals against; SO  =  Shutouts; SV%  =  Save percentage; GAA  =  Goals against average


1978–79 Montenegrin Republic League
The 1978–79 Montenegrin Republic League was the 34th season of Montenegrin Republic League. The season started in August 1978 and finished in May 1979.


1978–79 Montenegrin Republic League, Season
In Montenegrin Republic League 1978-79 participated 14 teams. Among the clubs which didn't play on previous season were Lovćen (relegated from Yugoslav Second League) and three best teams from lower tier - Igalo, Ulcinj and Rudar. The title won OFK Titograd, with five points more than Iskra


1978–79 Montenegrin Republic League, Higher leagues
On season 1978–79, three Montenegrin teams played in higher leagues of SFR Yugoslavia. Budućnost participated in 1978–79 Yugoslav First League, while two other teams (Sutjeska and Jedinstvo) participated in 1978–79 Yugoslav Second League.


1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season
The 1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season was the club's 70th season. The franchise won 52 games and had 11 ties, but finished second overall in the league. The New York Islanders finished first overall by one point over the Canadiens. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup for the fourth consecutive time, the 15th time in the past 24 seasons, and their 22nd overall. The Canadiens won the Stanley Cup on home ice for the first time since 1968.


1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season, Regular season, Season standings
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Pts = Points       Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.


1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season, Roster
6 – Mondou •8 – Risebrough •10 – Lafleur •11 – Lambert •12 – Cournoyer •14 – Tremblay •15 – Houle •20 – Connor •21 – Jarvis •22 – Shutt •23 – Gainey •25 – Lemaire •26 – Newman •28 – Larouche •30 – Hughes •31 – Napier •32 – Lumley


1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season, Roster
3 – Engblom •5 – Lapointe •17 – Langway •18 – Savard •19 – Robinson •24 – Lupien •27 – Chartraw


1978–79 Montreal Canadiens season, Draft picks
Montreal's draft picks at the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.


1978–79 Moroccan Throne Cup
The 1978–79 season of the Moroccan Throne Cup was the 23rd edition of the competition.


1978–79 Moroccan Throne Cup
Wydad Athletic Club won the cup, beating Chabab Mohammédia 2–1 in the final, played at the stade Mohammed V in Casablanca. Wydad Athletic Club won the cup for the third time in their history.


1978–79 Moroccan Throne Cup, Tournament, Final
The final took place between the two winning semi-finalists, Wydad Athletic Club and Chabab Mohammédia, on 9 September 1979 at the Stade Mohammed V in Casablanca.


1978–79 NBA season
The 1978–79 NBA season was the 33rd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Seattle SuperSonics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Washington Bullets 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals, a rematch of the previous year's Finals, but with the opposite result.


1978–79 NBA season, Playoffs
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics.


1978–79 NBA season, NBA awards
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
The 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings was made up of two human polls, the AP Poll and the Coaches Poll, in addition to various other preseason polls.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season
The 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began in November 1978, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 26, 1979, at the Special Events Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Michigan State Spartans won their first NCAA national championship with a 75–64 victory over the Indiana State Sycamores.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Season outlook, Pre-season polls
The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Conference membership changes
The 1978–79 season was most notable for the expansion of the Pacific-8 Conference to 10 members with the addition of the men's athletic programs of Arizona and Arizona State (the conference did not sponsor women's sports until the 1986–87 school year). The conference duly renamed itself the Pacific-10 Conference.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Regular season, Conference winners and tournaments
Of 22 Division I basketball conferences, 13 determined their league champion with a single-elimination tournament, while seven leagues sent their regular-season champion to the NCAA Tournament. The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) did not receive an automatic tournament bid until the 1979–80 season, while the Trans America Athletic Conference (TAAC) received their automatic bid in 1980–81.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Regular season, Conference winners and tournaments
From 1975 to 1982, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), a loosely organized sports federation of Northeastern colleges and universities, organized Division I ECAC regional tournaments for those of its members that were independents in basketball. Each 1979 tournament winner received an automatic bid to the 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament in the same way that the tournament champions of conventional athletic conferences did.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, Coaching changes
A number of teams changed coaches during the season and after it ended.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season
The 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season began in October 1978 and concluded with the 1979 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament's championship game on March 24, 1979 at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Michigan. This was the 32nd season in which an NCAA ice hockey championship was held and is the 84th year overall where an NCAA school fielded a team.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
The following players led the league in points at the conclusion of the season.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Scoring leaders
GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
The following goaltenders led the league in goals against average at the end of the regular season while playing at least 33% of their team's total minutes.


1978–79 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, Player stats, Leading goaltenders
GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime/shootout losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average


1978–79 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season
The 1978–79 NCAA Division II men's ice hockey season began in November 1978 and concluded on March 17 of the following year. This was the 15th season of second-tier college ice hockey.


1978–79 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season
The 1978–79 NCAA Division III men's ice hockey season began in November 1978 and concluded on March of the following year. This was the 6th season of Division III college ice hockey.


1978–79 NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs for the 1978 season began on December 24, 1978. The postseason tournament concluded with the Pittsburgh Steelers defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII, 35–31, on January 21, 1979, at the Orange Bowl in Miami.


1978–79 NFL playoffs
This was the first year that the playoffs expanded to a ten-team format, adding a second wild card team (a fifth seed) from each conference. The two wild card teams from each conference (the 4 and 5 seeds) played each other in the first round, called the "Wild Card Playoffs." The division winners (seeds 1, 2, and 3) automatically advanced to the Divisional Playoffs, which became the second round of the playoffs.


1978–79 NFL playoffs
However, the league continued to prohibit meetings between two teams from the same division in the divisional playoffs. Thus, there could be times when the pairings in that round would be the no. 1 seed vs. the no. 3 seed and no. 2 vs. no. 4.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Participants
Within each conference, the three division winners and the two wild card teams (the top two non-division winners with the best overall regular season records) qualified for the playoffs. The three division winners were seeded 1 through 3 based on their overall won-lost-tied record, and the wild card teams were seeded 4 and 5. The NFL did not use a fixed bracket playoff system. In the first round, dubbed the wild-card playoffs or wild-card weekend, the fourth seed wild card hosted the fifth seed. All three division winners from each conference then received a bye in the first round.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Participants
The second round, the divisional playoffs, had a restriction where two teams from the same division cannot meet: the surviving wild card team visited the division champion outside its own division that had the higher seed, and the remaining two teams from that conference played each other. The two surviving teams from each conference's divisional playoff games then meet in the respective AFC and NFC Conference Championship games, hosted by the higher seed. Although the Super Bowl, the fourth and final round of the playoffs, was played at a neutral site, the designated home team was based on an annual rotation by conference.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Schedule
In the United States, CBS televised the NFC playoff games, while NBC broadcast the AFC games and Super Bowl XIII.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
This was a matchup of two teams that had ended prolonged postseason droughts. The Falcons were in the playoffs for the first time in their 13-year history while the Eagles were playing their first playoff game since their victory in the 1960 NFL Championship Game.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Philadelphia had been decimated by problems at the placekicker position all year long. Starting kicker Nick Mike-Mayer had made just 8 of 17 field goal attempts before suffering a season-ending injury in week 12. To replace him, coach Dick Vermeil used punter Mike Michel. Michel had done some placekicking in college, so Vermeil assigned him both roles. This did not pay off, as Michel missed 3 of 12 extra points during the remainder of the season, performing so poorly that the Eagles started attempting fourth down conversions deep in opponent territory rather than field goals. Coming into this playoff game, Michel had not attempted a single field goal, and the Eagles' issues in the kicking game played a decisive role in their loss. Coincidentally, the Falcons kicker in this game, rookie Tim Mazzetti, had been cut by Philadelphia in the preseason.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
The Falcons won their first playoff game in team history after they overcame a 13–0 deficit by scoring 2 touchdowns in the final 5 minutes of the game. In the first quarter, Philadelphia's Cleveland Franklin recovered a fumble from Billy Ryckman on a punt return at the Falcons 13-yard line, setting up wide receiver Harold Carmichael's 13-yard touchdown reception from Ron Jaworski. However, Michel missed the ensuing extra point, which later became costly.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Neither team scored again until the third quarter when the Eagles took advantage of another Atlanta special teams miscue, this time a dismal 17-yard punt by John James that gave them a first down on their 40-yard line. Aided by a roughing the passer penalty and a pair of receptions by Charlie Smith, Jaworski led the team 60 yards to score on Wilbert Montgomery's 1-yard rushing touchdown. Michel's extra point was partially deflected, but still went in to give the Eagles a 13–0 lead. Later in the period, Michel had a chance to put the team up by three scores, but he missed a 42-yard field goal attempt, the first field goal kick of his career.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Still, the Eagles seemed in control of the game going into the fourth quarter. And with 9:52 left, they appeared to be in prime position to secure a win when cornerback Bobby Howard intercepted Falcons QB Steve Bartkowski's pass, the 5th turnover of the day for Atlanta. The Eagles then moved the ball to Atlanta's 15-yard line, but with 8:16 to go, linebacker Fulton Kuykendall recovered a fumble from fullback Mike Hogan on the 13.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
A few plays later, faced with second down and 10 on the 26, Bartkowski launched a deep pass to Wallace Francis, who was tightly covered by defensive back Herm Edwards. Both players went up for the ball and came down with it, resulting in a simultaneous catch between each of them. Under NFL rules, a simultaneous catch goes to the receiver, so Atlanta kept the ball and gained 49 yards in what turned out to be a decisive play. Three plays later, Bartkowski found tight end Jim Mitchell wide open in the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown pass, cutting the score to 13–7 at 4:56.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
The Eagles went three-and-out on their next possession and had to punt ball back to the Falcons. Franklin tackled Ryckman for a 5-yard loss on the return, but committed a 15-yard facemask penalty in the process, giving Atlanta the ball on their 49-yard line. After 5 plays, Atlanta had moved only 12 yards. Faced with a crucial 3rd and 10 situation, Bartkowski went deep to Francis again, this time connecting with the receiver as he evaded safety Randy Logan to score on a 37-yard touchdown completion. With Mazzetti's extra point, the Falcons took their first lead of the game, 14–13, with 1:37 left in the game.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
The Eagles had one last shot to win the game as Jaworski completed four passes to get them to Atlanta's 16-yard line with 13 seconds remaining, but Michel missed a 34-yard field goal attempt and the Falcons ran out the rest of the clock.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
Bartkowski completed 18/32 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. His top target was Francis, who caught 6 passes for 135 yards and a touchdown. Jaworski completed 19/35 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown. The Eagles leading receiver was Smith, who caught 7 passes for 108 yards. This was and to this day remains the only playoff game to feature two Polish-born starting quarterbacks (Bartkowski and Jaworski were born in the USA of Polish descent). Michel was released by the Eagles in the offseason after this game and never played in the NFL again.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, NFC: Atlanta Falcons 14, Philadelphia Eagles 13
This was the first postseason meeting between the Eagles and Falcons.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to an upset victory by passing for 306 yards. Houston outgained the Dolphins in total yards, 455-209, and forced 5 turnovers while only losing one on their end.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
Miami managed to keep Houston running back Earl Campbell well contained in the first half, limiting him to just 16 yards on 13 carries, but they were unable to handle the passing attack of Pastorini, who completed 16 of 21 passes for 261 yards during that time. Meanwhile, Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese completed just 6 of 16 passes in the first two quarters.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
The Dolphins scored first after Earnie Rhone recovered a fumbled punt from Robert Woods at the Houston 21-yard line, setting up quarterback Bob Griese's 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andre Tillman. However, the Oilers responded with an 11-play, 71-yard drive in which Pastorini completed 6 of 7 passes for 66 yards, the last one a 13-yard touchdown pass to running back Tim Wilson. Neither team scored again until the fourth quarter, despite several chances.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
In the second quarter, Pastorini completed a 55-yard pass to tight end Mike Barber on the Dolphins 9-yard line, but the drive ended with no points when Toni Fritsch's 28-yard field goal attempt was blocked by linebacker Kim Bokamper. The Oilers later drove to the Dolphins red zone with 14 seconds left in the half. On the next play, Pastorini completed a pass to Ken Burrough, but he was tackled short of the end zone and the clock ran out before the team could spike the ball to stop it.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
In the third quarter, Miami blew a chance to take then lead when Garo Yepremian drove a 38-yard field goal attempt wide left. In the final period, Toni Fritsch made a 35-yard field goal to give the Oilers a 10-7 lead. Then linebacker Gregg Bingham intercepted a pass from Griese and returned it 4 yards to midfield. Campbell finally managed to get into gear with a 20-yard run on the ensuing drive, and eventually finished it off with a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Dolphins closed out the scoring, but only when Pastorini ran out of the end zone for an intentional safety to run out the clock.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
Despite his poor first half, Campbell finished the game with 84 rushing yards and a 13-yard reception. Wilson rushed for 76 yards and caught 5 passes for 40. Barber had 112 yards on 4 receptions, while Burroughs caught 6 passes for 103. Griese finished the game just 11/28 for 114 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Wild Card playoffs, Sunday, December 24, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 17, Miami Dolphins 9
This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Dolphins.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
The Steelers dominated the Broncos by gaining 425 yards of total offense, and dominated Denver starting quarterback Craig Morton so effectively that his team gained just 49 yards on their first five possessions before he was replaced by Norris Weese in the second quarter, who ended up getting sacked 5 times.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
After Denver scored first on a field goal, Pittsburgh responded by driving 66 yards in 8 plays to score on running back Franco Harris' 1-yard touchdown run, giving the team a 6-3 lead after Roy Gerela missed the extra point. Then on the Steelers' next drive, Harris ran 18 yards to the end zone for his second touchdown. In the second quarter, the Steelers increased their lead to 16-3 with Gerela's 24-yard field goal.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
However, linebacker Tom Jackson later recovered a fumble from Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw on the Steelers 49-yard line, where the Broncos went on to score on Dave Preston's 3-yard touchdown run that made the score 16-10. The Steelers responded with Gerela's second field goal of the day to take a 19-10 lead going into halftime.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
In the third quarter, Denver mounted their most promising drive of the day, advancing the ball 73 yards. But it ended with no points when Joe Greene blocked Jim Turner's 29-yard field goal attempt. In the fourth quarter, Bradshaw threw two touchdowns, the first a 45-yarder to wide receiver John Stallworth. Then Dennis Winston recovered a fumble from Denver's Rick Upchurch on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Bradshaw's 38-yard touchdown pass. to wide receiver Lynn Swann.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
Bradshaw completed 16 of 29 passes for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns, Stallworth had 10 receptions for 156 yards and a touchdown, and Harris rushed for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 33, Denver Broncos 10
This was the second postseason meeting between the Broncos and Steelers, which Denver won last year's meeting.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
After losing three fumbles and their starting quarterback due to injury in the first half, Dallas rallied back from a 7-point deficit with two touchdowns in the second half to secure the win.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach converted a 3rd and 16 with a 39-yard completion to Drew Pearson as he led the team 57 yards in 12 plays score on their opening drive with a 34-yard field goal by Rafael Septien. Atlanta responded by driving 78 yards in 8 plays to take a 7-3 lead with Bubba Bean's 14-yard touchdown run. On the first play of the next possession, Staubach completed an 18-yard pass to tight end Jackie Smith. Three plays later, punter/reserve quarterback Danny White kept the drive going with a 12-yard run on a fake punt, and Scott Laidlaw ran for a 21-yard gain on the next play. Laidlaw eventually finished the 10-play, 76 yard drive with a 13-yard touchdown run, giving Dallas a 10-7 lead.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
Atlanta had to punt on their next drive, but Butch Johnson muffed the kick and Tom Moriarty recovered the ball for the Falcons on the Dallas 25-yard line. Three plays later, Tim Mazzetti kicked a 42-yard field goal to tie the game at 10 roughly a minute into the second quarter. Dallas responded by driving 46 yards in 10 plays to take a 13-10 lead with a 48-yard field goal from Septien.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
But Atlanta got a big break on the ensuing kickoff when a 15-yard personal foul penalty against Dallas turned Dennis Pearson's 36-yard return into a 51-yard gain and gave them the ball on the Cowboys 40-yard line. From there, Atlanta scored on a 7-play drive, the last one a 17-yard touchdown pass from Steve Bartkowski to Wallace Francis that gave the team a 17-13 lead. Dallas barely avoided disaster when they muffed the ensuing kickoff, managing to recover the ball in the end zone for a touchback.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
But on the next play, Tony Dorsett lost a fumble while being hit by Greg Brezina, and Falcons linebacker Dewey McClain recovered it on the Cowboys 30-yard line. The Dallas defense managed to keep Atlanta out of the end zone, but Mazzetti kicked a 22-yard field goal to give them a 20-13 lead with 50 seconds left in the half. Dallas then drove to the Falcons 35-yard line, but lost the ball on a fumbled snap in shotgun formation that was recovered by defensive back Tom Pridemore. To make matters worse for Dallas, Staubach was knocked out of the game on the drive due to a massive hit from linebacker Robert Pennywell, though they did manage to prevent Atlanta from scoring as a result of an interception by Randy Hughes.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
Atlanta had to punt from deep in their territory on their opening drive of the second half, and Johnson returned it to the Falcons 49-yard line. Still, Dallas was unable to capitalize, as they lost their fourth turnover of the day, this time a pass from White that was intercepted by Rolland Lawrence. Still, Dallas quickly forced a punt and again achieved excellent field position as Johnson returned it 8 yards to their 46-yard line.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
Then White completed passes to Billy Joe Dupree and Laidlaw for gains of 24 and 15 yards as the team drove 54 yards in seven plays to tie the game, 20-20, on his 2-yard touchdown pass to Smith. Later on, Bartkowski threw a pass that was deflected by Cliff Harris and intercepted by defensive back Aaron Kyle, who returned it 15 yards to the Falcons 41-yard line.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
On the next play, the last of the third quarter, Dupree took the ball on an end around play and ran for a 20-yard gain. Still, the Falcons defense managed to prevent a score, stopping the Cowboys over the next three plays before Septien missed a 31-yard field goal attempt. The next time Dallas got the ball, a bad Falcons punt gave them a first down on the Atlanta 30-yard line, where they drove to a 27-20 lead on Laidlaw's 1-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys defense then went on to dominate Atlanta for the rest of the game.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
After a punt from each team, Atlanta mounted a drive inside the Dallas 35-yard line, only to lose the ball when failing to convert a 4th and 1. The Falcons forced a punt and got one last chance to drive for a tying touchdown with 59 seconds and all three timeouts left. But Harris put an end to that prospect by intercepting a pass from Bartkowski and returning it 22 yards.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
Laidlaw rushed for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also catching a pass for 15. Dorsett rushed for 65 yards. Dupree caught 5 passes for 59 yards and rushed for 20. Bartkowski was held to just 8 of 23 completions for 95 yards, with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Saturday, December 30, 1978, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 27, Atlanta Falcons 20
This was the first postseason meeting between the Falcons and Cowboys.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
Quarterback Dan Pastorini led the Oilers to a victory by throwing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while running back Earl Campbell rushed for 118 yards and a score.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
After a scoreless first quarter, Houston completely took over the game. Houston receiver Ken Burrough caught a pass from Pastorini at the Pats 40-yard, broke through coverage from Mike Haynes, and took off for a 71-yard touchdown reception. Raymond Clayborn's 47-yard kickoff return gave the Patriots a chance to strike back, but two plays later, Steve Grogan's pass on a flea flicker play was intercepted by Mike Reinfeldt on the Oilers 1-yard line.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
Aided by an unnecessary roughness penalty that gave them a first down after failing to convert a 3rd down on their own 7-yard line, Houston drove 99 yards to score on Pastorini's 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mike Barber. Again, the Patriots seemed ready to respond, driving to the Oilers 23-yard line, but again they came up short due to Reinfeldt, who intercepted another pass from Grogan to end the drive. Reinfeldt's 27-yard return and another unnecessary roughness penalty against New England gave the Oilers a first down on the Patriots 49-yard line. Pastorini completed a 22-yard pass to Barder, and eventually got his team a 21-0 lead with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Barber at the end of the possession.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
Pastorini finished the first half with 10 of 12 completions for 184 yards and 3 touchdowns. He threw only two passes in the second half, both completions. Meanwhile, Grogan was benched with 18 seconds left in the half, having completed only 3 of 12 passes for 38 yards.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
A 30-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch gave the Oilers a 24-0 third quarter lead before New England managed a comeback. First they drove 75 yards to score on Andy Johnson's 24-yard halfback option play pass to receiver Harold Jackson. Then in the fourth quarter, they took advantage of a short field due to a poor punt by Cliff Parsley, scoring on Tom Owen's 24-yard touchdown pass to tight end Russ Francis that cut their deficit to 24-14. However, their efforts were dashed on their drive when linebacker Gregg Bingham intercepted an Owen pass and returned it 19 yards to the Patriot 18-yard line, setting up Campbell's 2-yard touchdown run to put the game away.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
Francis caught 8 passes for 101 yards and a touchdown.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
This was the Patriots only playoff loss at Foxboro Stadium. They did not lose another home playoff game again until 31 years later, seven years after Gillette Stadium opened.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, AFC: Houston Oilers 31, New England Patriots 14
This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Patriots.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, NFC: Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10
After the game was tied 10–10 at halftime, the Rams dominated the second half by scoring 24 unanswered points. After the Vikings opened up the scoring with a field goal, Los Angeles marched 59 yards to score on quarterback Pat Haden's 9-yard touchdown pass to Willie Miller. However, Minnesota tied the game 6 seconds before halftime when quarterback Fran Tarkenton threw a 1-yard touchdown to Ahmad Rashād. From that point on, the Rams controlled the rest of the game.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, NFC: Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10
After Cullen Bryant gave Los Angeles the lead midway through the third period with a 3-yard touchdown, Haden threw a 27-yard touchdown to Ron Jessie. Meanwhile, the Vikings offense could only manage 58 yards of offense during the second half in what turned out to be Tarkenton's last game of a Hall of Fame career.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Divisional playoffs, Sunday, December 31, 1978, NFC: Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10
This was the fifth postseason meeting between the Vikings and Rams, with Minnesota winning all four preivous meetings.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Houston Oilers 5
On a wet, slick, and slippery field, the Steelers dominated the Oilers by forcing 9 turnovers and only allowing 5 points. Pittsburgh took the early lead by driving 57 yards to score on running back Franco Harris' 7-yard touchdown run. Then, linebacker Jack Ham recovered a fumble at the Houston 17-yard line, which led to running back Rocky Bleier's 15-yard rushing touchdown.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Houston Oilers 5
In the second quarter, a 19-yard field goal by Oilers kicker Toni Fritsch cut the score 14–3, but then the Steelers scored 17 points during the last 48 seconds of the second quarter. First, Houston running back Ronnie Coleman lost a fumble, and moments later Pittsburgh wide receiver Lynn Swann caught a 29-yard touchdown reception. Then Johnnie Dirden fumbled the ensuing kickoff, which led to Steelers wide receiver John Stallworth's 17-yard reception. After the Oilers got the ball back, Coleman fumbled again, and Roy Gerela kicked a field goal to increase Pittsburgh's lead, 31–3. Houston never posed a threat for the rest of the game as they turned over the ball four times in their six second-half possessions.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Houston Oilers 5
This was the first postseason meeting between the Oilers and Steelers.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
After a scoreless defensive struggle in the first half (Ram kicker Frank Corral missed two field goals), the Cowboys forced 5 second half turnovers that led to 28 points. With 9:11 left in the third quarter, Dallas safety Charlie Waters intercepted a pass and returned it to the Los Angeles 10-yard line. Five plays later, running back Tony Dorsett, who finished the game with 101 rushing yards, scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to give the Cowboys a 7–0 lead.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
With about 4 minutes left in the period, the Rams mounted a threat when Jackie Wallace returned a punt at midfield to the Dallas 23-yard line. Three plays later at the Dallas 14, Jim Jodat was stopped cold on 4th and a foot by Randy White and Larry Bethea.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
As the third quarter neared a close, Waters recorded another interception and returned it to the Rams' 20, setting up quarterback Roger Staubach's 4-yard touchdown pass to Scott Laidlaw 58 seconds into the final period. On Waters' interception, Pat Haden's throwing hand hit Randy White's helmet, breaking his thumb and knocking him out of the game.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
At around the 8-minute mark in the 4th, Vince Ferragamo, Haden's replacement, hit Willie Miller on a 65-yard pass to the 10-yard line, but on first and goal Cullen Bryant fumbled (his first in 337 career carries), and Cowboys defensive end Harvey Martin recovered at the 11-yard line. Dallas then marched 89 yards, featuring a 53-yard run on first down by Tony Dorsett and scored on Billy Joe Dupree's 11-yard touchdown catch. Dorsett had 70 of the drive's 89 yards rushing alone.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
The Cowboys closed out the scoring with 1:19 left in the game when linebacker Thomas Henderson intercepted a Ferragamo pass and returned it 68-yards for the final touchdown.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
This game was the last playoff game at the Coliseum for the Rams until the 2017 season.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Conference Championships, Sunday, January 7, 1979, NFC: Dallas Cowboys 28, Los Angeles Rams 0
This was the fourth postseason meeting between the Cowboys and Rams, with Dallas winning two of the previous three meetings.


1978–79 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers 35, Dallas Cowboys 31
This was the second Super Bowl meeting between the Steelers and Cowboys, where Pittsburgh won the only previous meeting.


1978–79 NHL season
The 1978–79 NHL season was the 62nd season of the National Hockey League. The Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Rangers in the Stanley Cup finals four games to one for their fourth consecutive Cup. The Cleveland Barons merged with the Minnesota North Stars (continuing as the North Stars), reducing the NHL membership to 17 teams, the last time that the NHL contracted. In the 1978–79 season, two of the "Original Six" teams met in the Finals, which would not occur again until 2013. The Boston Bruins joined the Canadiens and Rangers in the 1978–79 semifinals and marked the last appearance by three Original Six teams in the final four until 2014.


1978–79 NHL season, League business
This season saw the first reduction in the total number of teams since the Brooklyn Americans folded following the 1941–42 season. Fearing that two teams were on the verge of folding, the league approved the merger of the financially unstable Cleveland Barons and Minnesota North Stars franchises, reducing the number of teams to 17. The merged team continued as the Minnesota North Stars but assumed the Barons' place in the Adams Division.


1978–79 NHL season, League business
This reduction would only be temporary, however, as negotiations continued toward an agreement with the World Hockey Association that would see it fold following this season, with four of its teams joining the NHL as expansion franchises for 1979–80.


1978–79 NHL season, League business
For the first time since the NHL All-Star Game became an annual tradition, it was not played. In its stead was the 1979 Challenge Cup, which saw Soviet Union players come over to North America to play against NHL players. The Soviets won the series two games to one.


1978–79 NHL season, Regular season
For the past three seasons, the Montreal Canadiens had dominated the regular season, but times were changing. The New York Islanders had been steadily improving over the past few seasons and this season saw them beat out the Canadiens by one point for the best record in the league.