1977–78 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
1977–78 season
Chairman	Sir William Dugdale, Bt
Manager	Ron Saunders
Stadium	Villa Park
First Division	8th
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Fourth round

The 1977–78 English football season was Aston Villa's 2nd season in Europe and 79th season in the Football League, their third consecutive season in the top division.

Villa reached the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup where they went out 4–3 on aggregate against Barcelona. In the domestic league, however, they struggled, and Saunders started rebuilding the team.^[3]

There were debut appearances for Jimmy Rimmer (229), Ken McNaught, John Gregory, Tommy Craig, David Evans and Allan Evans.^[4]

Diary of the season

17 April 1978: Newcastle United lose at Aston Villa and are relegated to the Second Division.^[5]

2 May 1978: Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Aston Villa 3–1 to stay in the First Division at West Ham United's expense.^[5]

Villa lost both games in the Second City derby.^[6]

UEFA Cup

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
6	West Bromwich Albion	42	18	14	10	62	53	+9	50	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
7	Coventry City	42	18	12	12	75	62	+13	48
8	Aston Villa	42	18	10	14	57	42	+15	46
9	Leeds United	42	18	10	14	63	53	+10	46
10	Manchester United	42	16	10	16	67	63	+4	42

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Notes	Scorers
20 August 1977	QPR	A	2–1	—	Deehan 47', Carrodus 55'
24 August 1977	Manchester City	H	1–4	—	Deehan 4'
27 August 1977	Everton	H	1–2	—	Gray 22'
3 September 1977	Bristol City	A	1–1	—	Little 20'
10 September 1977	Arsenal	H	1–0	—	Cropley 90'
17 September 1977	Forest	A	0–2	—	None
23 September 1977	Wolves	H	2–0	—	Own Goal 75', Deehan 90'
1 October 1977	Birmingham	H	0–1	—	None
5 October 1977	Leeds	A	1–1	—	Gray 32'
8 October 1977	Leicester	A	2–0	—	Cowans 49', Gray 61'
15 October 1977	Norwich	H	3–0	—	Gray 18', Cowans 62', Little 77'
22 October 1977	West Ham	A	2–2	—	McNaught 25', Gray 77'
29 October 1977	United	H	2–1	—	Gray 31', Cropley 40'
5 November 1977	Liverpool	A	2–1	—	Gray 41', 72'
12 November 1977	Boro	H	0–1	—	None
19 November 1977	Chelsea	A	0–0	—	None
3 December 1977	Ipswich	A	0–2	—	None
10 December 1977	Albion	H	3–0	—	Cowans 39', Gray 44', Gidman 54'
17 December 1977	Boro	A	0–1	—	None
26 December 1977	Coventry	H	1–1	—	Deehan 73'
27 December 1977	Derby	A	3–0	—	Little 8', Gray 37', Deehan 89'
31 December 1977	Manchester City	A	0–2	—	None
2 January 1978	QPR	H	1–1	—	Little 22'
14 January 1978	Everton	A	0–1	—	None
28 January 1978	Bristol City	H	1–0	—	Deehan 80'
4 February 1978	Arsenal	A	1–0	—	Own Goal 22'
25 February 1978	Birmingham	A	0–1	—	None
4 March 1978	Leicester	H	0–0	—	None
11 March 1978	Norwich	A	1–2	—	Gregory 87'
18 March 1978	West Ham	H	4–1	—	Gregory 18', 79', Deehan 33', Mortimer 75'
21 March 1978	Coventry	A	3–2	—	Little 34', McNaught 40', Gray 69'
25 March 1978	Derby	H	0–0	—	None
29 March 1978	United	A	1–1	—	Deehan 71'
1 April 1978	Liverpool	H	0–3	—	None
5 April 1978	Forest	H	0–1	—	None
8 April 1978	Newcastle	A	1–1	—	Evans 67'
15 April 1978	Chelsea	H	2–0	—	Cowans 55', Own Goal 87'
17 April 1978	Newcastle	H	2–0	—	Cowans 24', Gray 69'
22 April 1978	Albion	A	3–0	—	Deehan 25', Cowans 33', Mortimer 40'
26 April 1978	Leeds	H	3–1	—	Deehan 2', Little 72', Mortimer 74'
29 April 1978	Ipswich	H	6–1	—	Deehan 14', 45', Gray 17', Little 23', Carrodus 53', Cowans 68'
2 May 1978	Wolves	A	1–3	—	Carrodus 28'

Source: avfchistory.co.uk

FA Cup

League Cup

Squad

All Aston Villa players: 1978 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


Pos.	Nation	Player
GK	ENG	Jimmy Rimmer
DF	ENG	John Gidman
DF	SCO	Gordon Smith
DF	WAL	Leighton Phillips
DF	SCO	Ken McNaught
MF	ENG	Dennis Mortimer
FW	ENG	John Deehan
FW	ENG	Brian Little
FW	SCO	Andy Gray


Pos.	Nation	Player
MF	ENG	Gordon Cowans
MF	ENG	Frank Carrodus
DF	ENG	John Gregory
MF	SCO	Alex Cropley
DF	SCO	Allan Evans
MF	SCO	Tommy Craig
DF	ENG	John Robson
DF	ENG	Mike Buttress
DF	ENG	Ivor Linton

References

^ Dyer, Christopher (10 March 2022). "Dugdale, Sir William Stratford, second baronet". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.108089. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". Business Live. 18 May 2011.
^ Shaw, Phil (1 November 2005). "Deadly's legacy will have lively potential" (reprint hosted at NewsBank). The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
^ ^a ^b Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 140. ISBN 1859832148.
^ "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

External links

AVFC History: 1977–78

[1] Dyer, Christopher (10 March 2022). "Dugdale, Sir William Stratford, second baronet". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.108089. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)

[2] "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". Business Live. 18 May 2011.

[IndEllis-3] Shaw, Phil (1 November 2005). "Deadly's legacy will have lively potential" (reprint hosted at NewsBank). The Independent. London. Retrieved 19 March 2012.

[4] "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.

[smailesleague-5] Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 140. ISBN 1859832148.

[6] "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

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