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Season 1976/1977 was the 104th season of competitive football in Scotland and the 80th season of Scottish league football.
After the failure of the Spring Cup and the 26 game season in the 1st & 2nd Divisions, a 39-game season was instituted in these divisions with a slight imbalance in the number of home and away games played by each team; however, this was seen as preferable to a lengthy 52 game season.
A draw at Tynecastle Park late in April was the difference between survival and relegation for Ayr. The draw sent Heart to Division 1.
United’s survival at the expense of a big city club provoked negative press comments but national radio at the time were moved to say that the bottom line was that Ayr United were an asset to the Premier League, Hearts were not and that underscored United’s contribution to the season.
United were also involved in controversy in the Anglo-Scottish cup after a superb 3-0 win over Newcastle United at Somerset Park.
The Geordies were found guilty of fielding a weakened team against the Honest Men and were thrown out of the competition giving Ayr United a place in the next round where they lost to Nottingham Forest.
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