Aston Villa
1977–78 season
ChairmanSir William Dugdale, Bt[1][2]
ManagerEngland Ron Saunders
StadiumVilla Park
First Division8th
FA CupThird round
League CupFourth round
Second City Derby
33--28--24

The 1977–78 English football season was Aston Villa's 78th in the Football League and 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]

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

Squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
- GK England ENG Jimmy Rimmer
- DF England ENG John Gidman
- DF Scotland SCO Gordon Smith
- DF Wales WAL Leighton Phillips
- DF Scotland SCO Ken McNaught
- MF England ENG Dennis Mortimer
- FW England ENG John Deehan
- FW England ENG Brian Little
- FW Scotland SCO Andy Gray
No. Pos. Nation Player
- MF England ENG Gordon Cowans
- MF England ENG Frank Carrodus
- DF England ENG John Gregory
- MF Scotland SCO Alex Cropley
- DF Scotland SCO Allan Evans
- MF Scotland SCO Tommy Craig
- DF England ENG John Robson
- DF England ENG Mike Buttress
- DF England ENG Ivor Linton

See also

References

  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 or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". Business Live. 18 May 2011.
  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.
  5. 1 2 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.

AVFC History: 1977–78

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