Aston Villa
1971–72 season
ChairmanEngland Doug Ellis
ManagerWales Vic Crowe
StadiumVilla Park
Third Division1st
FA CupFirst round
League CupFourth round

The 1971–72 English football season was 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 would be 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
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

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]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Saunders chosen as Aston Villa's new manager, 5 June 1974, The Times, Issue: 59107
  2. ↑ "Ray Graydon treasures his Aston Villa memories". Birmingham Mail. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  3. ↑ "ABOUT Ray Graydon". www.lerwill-life.org.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  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.
  7. ↑ "FA Cup Trivia". The Football Association. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 January 2004.
  8. ↑ "Leeds lose chance of going to top". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
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