1971–72 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
1971–72 season
Chairman	Doug Ellis
Manager	Vic Crowe
Stadium	Villa Park
Third Division	1st
FA Cup	First round
League Cup	Fourth round

The 1971–72 English football season was Aston Villa's 73rd season in the Football League, this season playing in the Football League Third Division. Under manager Vic Crowe^[1] Aston Villa won promotion to the Second Division as champions with a record 70 points, and thus ended their two-year spell in the Third Division. By the end of the decade they were firmly re-established as a First Division club.

In July 1971, Ray Graydon secured a £50,000 move from third division Bristol Rovers, with captain Brian Godfrey moving in the opposite direction.^[2]^[3] Graydon missed just one of Villa's 46 league games in the 1971–72 season, scoring 14 goals as the club secured the Third Division title with a five-point margin over Brighton & Hove Albion.^[4] Debut Appearances included Brian Little (247), Chris Nicholl (210), Ian Ross (175), Jimmy Cumbes (157), Tommy Hughes (16), and Malcolm Beard (6).^[5] Willie Anderson's contribution included scoring a career high fifteen goals in all competitions with eight coming from penalties, helping him gain a reputation as a penalty taker specialist.^[6]

Third Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Aston Villa (C, P)	46	32	6	8	85	32	2.656	70	Promotion to the Second Division
2	Brighton & Hove Albion (P)	46	27	11	8	82	47	1.745	65	Promotion to the Second Division
3	Bournemouth	46	23	16	7	73	37	1.973	62
4	Notts County	46	25	12	9	74	44	1.682	62	Qualification for the Watney Cup
5	Rotherham United	46	20	15	11	69	52	1.327	55

Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Note	Scorers
14 August 1971	Plymouth Argyle	H	3–1	—	Geoff Vowden, Pat McMahon, Willie Anderson (pen)
21 August 1971	Walsall	A	1–1	—	Geoff Vowden
28 August 1971	Rochdale	H	2–0	—	Andy Lochhead, Ray Graydon
4 September 1971	Bolton Wanderers	A	0–2	—	—
11 September 1971	Brighton	H	2–0	—	Ray Graydon, Chico Hamilton
18 September 1971	Halifax Town	A	1–0	—	Ray Graydon
22 September 1971	Mansfield Town	H	0–1	—	—
25 September 1971	Wrexham	H	2–0	—	Willie Anderson (pen), Ray Graydon
28 September 1971	Barnsley	A	4–0	—	Andy Lochhead (2), Chico Hamilton (2)
2 October 1971	Bristol Rovers	A	1–0	—	Willie Anderson
9 October 1971	Rotherham United	H	1–2	—	Andy Lochhead
16 October 1971	Plymouth Argyle	A	2–3	—	Bruce Rioch, Geoff Vowden
20 October 1971	Tranmere Rovers	H	2–0	—	Bruce Rioch, Andy Lochhead
23 October 1971	Bournemouth	A	0–3	—	—
30 October 1971	Blackburn Rovers	H	4–1	—	Neil Rioch (2), Chico Hamilton, Willie Anderson
6 November 1971	Port Vale	A	4–4	—	Chico Hamilton, Willie Anderson (pen), Own goal, Ray Graydon
13 November 1971	Notts County	H	1–0	—	Ray Graydon
27 November 1971	Oldham Athletic	A	6–0	—	Andy Lochhead (3), Willie Anderson, Bruce Rioch (2)
4 December 1971	Bradford City	H	3–0	—	Willie Anderson (pen), Bruce Rioch (2)
18 December 1971	Bolton Wanderers	H	3–2	—	Andy Lochhead, Ray Graydon, Charlie Aitken
27 December 1971	Swansea City	A	2–1	—	Charlie Aitken, Ray Graydon
1 January 1972	Halifax Town	H	1–0	—	Ray Graydon
8 January 1972	Rochdale	A	0–1	—	—
19 January 1972	Shrewsbury Town	H	3–0	—	Chico Hamilton, Ray Graydon (2)
22 January 1972	Barnsley	H	2–0	—	Andy Lochhead, Bruce Rioch
28 January 1972	Tranmere Rovers	A	1–0	—	Charlie Aitken
5 February 1972	York City	H	1–0	—	Willie Anderson (pen)
12 February 1972	Bournemouth	H	2–1	—	Geoff Vowden, Andy Lochhead
19 February 1972	Blackburn Rovers	A	1–1	—	Andy Lochhead
26 February 1972	Port Vale	H	2–0	—	Andy Lochhead, Pat McMahon
4 March 1972	Notts County	A	3–0	—	Pat McMahon (2), Ray Graydon
11 March 1972	Rotherham United	A	2–0	—	Andy Lochhead, Ray Graydon
15 March 1972	Shrewsbury Town	A	1–1	—	Chris Nicholl
18 March 1972	Walsall	H	0–0	—	—
25 March 1972	Brighton	A	1–2	—	Bruce Rioch
31 March 1972	Wrexham	A	2–0	—	Willie Anderson, Ray Graydon
1 April 1972	Swansea City	H	2–0	—	Willie Anderson, Pat McMahon
3 April 1972	Bristol Rovers	H	2–1	—	Andy Lochhead (2)
8 April 1972	York City	A	1–0	—	Bruce Rioch
10 April 1972	Oldham Athletic	H	1–0	—	Ray Graydon
12 April 1972	Torquay United	A	1–2	—	Geoff Vowden
19 April 1972	Chesterfield	A	4–0	—	Andy Lochhead, Geoff Vowden (2), Chico Hamilton
22 April 1972	Bradford City	A	1–0	—	Charlie Aitken
24 April 1972	Mansfield Town	A	1–1	—	Geoff Vowden
29 April 1972	Torquay United	H	5–1	—	Geoff Vowden (2), Andy Lochhead, Own goal, Brian Little
5 May 1972	Chesterfield	H	1–0	—	Ian Ross

Source: avfchistory.co.uk

FA Cup

League Cup

Diary

20 November 1971: As a third division club Villa were required to compete in the first round joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds.^[7] Villa were knocked out by Fourth Division Southend.
31 March 1972: Third Division table-toppers Aston Villa pull away from A.F.C. Bournemouth.^[8]

References

^ Saunders chosen as Aston Villa's new manager, 5 June 1974, The Times, Issue: 59107
^ "Ray Graydon treasures his Aston Villa memories". Birmingham Mail. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
^ "ABOUT Ray Graydon". www.lerwill-life.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
^ Abbott, Colin. "Villan on the Spot: Ray Graydon". www.avfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
^ Kendrick, Mat (6 October 2017). "These are the Aston Villa wingers you loved watching". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
^ "FA Cup Trivia". The Football Association. 16 May 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
^ "Leeds lose chance of going to top". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2018.

[1] Saunders chosen as Aston Villa's new manager, 5 June 1974, The Times, Issue: 59107

[bm-2] "Ray Graydon treasures his Aston Villa memories". Birmingham Mail. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2017.

[npo-3] "ABOUT Ray Graydon". www.lerwill-life.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.

[spot-4] Abbott, Colin. "Villan on the Spot: Ray Graydon". www.avfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.

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

[6] Kendrick, Mat (6 October 2017). "These are the Aston Villa wingers you loved watching". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 10 September 2018.

[Trivia-7] "FA Cup Trivia". The Football Association. 16 May 2003.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)

[8] "Leeds lose chance of going to top". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2018.

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Aston Villa F.C. seasons
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