Despite United's success in the League campaign the average attendance dipped slightly to 33,934. The top crowd was 49,664 for the Tyne Wear derby. It was a reflection of the sale of Macdonald, the mixed feelings towards United's more cautious style and the resignation of Lee.
A number of games were made all ticket in an attempt to try and curb the trouble makers. The Man United match at SJP was quite remarkable in that only 39,037 fans turned up due to the bad weather despite the fact that thousands more tickets had been sold.
There were mixed feelings about Macdonald's departure. Some fans blamed the board, most blamed Lee and there was a minority who saw Macdonald as the instigator of the move, either wishing him well or offering good riddance.
Although there was talk of a possible fans boycott secretary Alan Robinson said "not one solitary member has threatened to chuck it. I'm sorry Mac has gone because he's a good player, but that's the end of it". Other supporters were less forgiving and a brick was thrown through the window of his shop.
More turned against him due to his press "gloatings" after his hat-trick helped his new employees to a 5-3 victory over United in December.
Gordon Lee also divided the fans. Some were impressed by the fact that he had the club hovering around the top of the table whilst others couldn't forgive him for selling Macdonald and didn't appreciate the new style of play.
It will come as no surprise that during Lee's last game in charge - when it was known he was on his way - there were choruses of "sack the board". But it may well surprise that another song sung was "We love you Gordon"!
Hooliganism continued to worsen generally with a whole host of serious incidents including the death of an eighteen year old fan and culminating in the Scottish invasion of Wembley during the Home Internationals. FA Chairman Sir Harold Thompson proposed a three point plan for defeating the hooligans:harsher penalties, a re-imposition of the ban on "football special" trains and the erection of fencing. Meanwhile secretary Ted Croker took a longer term view and called for the introduction of all seater stadia.
The "magnanimity" of the United supporters was praised in the Rothmans Football Yearbook who stated that they had been the real stars of the 1976 League Cup Final; but 1976/77 again saw many examples of the violent side of a minority of the supporters.
United fans went on the rampage in Norwich causing hundreds of pounds worth of damage and leaving one establishment "half wrecked". It led to the club issuing a message in the programme reminding the fans that they were ambassadors for the club and the city.
There were less than 10,000 fans at the friendly against Hibernian - approximately 1,000 from Scotland - but the police were anticipating trouble and had a 150 officers on duty. They were proved right as there was continuous fighting on the terraces during the match. Nine fans were arrested and another fifteen thrown out. A Scotsman staged a one man pitch invasion with sixteen officers in hot pursuit, one of which ended his progress with a fine rugby tackle. After the game the Scots fans had to be escorted back to their coaches and trains as thousands of United supporters milled around town.
Extensive fighting broke out when United visited Maine Road; fifty fans were thrown out and a policeman was assaulted.
When the match against Ipswich was abandoned at half-time hundred of fans rampaged through the city centre. They streamed out of the ground - some chanting "Eldon Square here we come" and shop windows were smashed, cars were damaged and Christmas shoppers fled in terror. Officers had to be drafted in from the outskirts of town to help out the 150 assigned to the match and they made eleven arrests in all. Hundreds more stayed around the ground demanding the return of their ticket money and it wasn't until an hour later than police and their dogs managed to disperse the crowd.
Secretary Russell Cushing explained that under FA rules the club could not refund them as the match did start whilst chairman Westwood later stated that it was because of the "impracticalities" of paying back so many people through the gate. Ipswich manager Bobby Robson said he "didn't ask the fans to pay".
At the FA Cup tie at home to Manchester City 108 fans were ejected and 10 more arrested when fighting broke out between rials supporters. The trouble started when supporters at the front of the Gallowgate were getting crushed as the crowd surged forward. Panic set in and children were hoisted onto the cinder track. In the chaos the previously segregated fans became intermingled. As the trouble escalated fighting fans spilled onto the pitch and the referee was forced to halt the game for twelve minutes.
Thirty were ejected at Bristol during the game was City and one of the United' coaches was vandalised by the home supporters.