1976–77 Aston Villa F.C. season

Main article: History of Aston Villa F.C. (1961–present)
Aston Villa
1976–77 season
ChairmanEngland Sir William Dugdale, Bt[1][2]
ManagerEngland Ron Saunders
StadiumVilla Park
First Division4th
FA CupSixth round
League CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague:
Andy Gray (25)
All:
Andy Gray (29)
Average home league attendance37,904
Second City Derby
33--26--24

The 1976–77 season was Aston Villa's 77th in the Football League and their second consecutive season in the top division.

Andy Gray and was joint winner of England's golden boot with Arsenal's Malcolm Macdonald in 1976–77. Gray's 29 goals helped Villa to a fourth-place finish and victory in the League Cup, and earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards.[3]

There were debut appearances for Gordon Smith (79), Alex Cropley (67), Charlie Young (11), Mick Buttress (3), David T Hughes (4) and Ivor Linton (27).[4]

Diary of the season

31 Aug 1976: No fewer than nine teams are level on four points at the top of the First Division after three matches. Aston Villa lead on goal difference. Norwich City are the only team yet to register a point.[5]

15 Dec 1976: Aston Villa beat Liverpool 5–1 in the League at Villa Park.[5]

12 Mar 1977: The League Cup final ends in a 0–0 draw between Aston Villa and Everton at Wembley.[6] Arsenal's 2–1 loss to Queens Park Rangers is their seventh consecutive League defeat, a club record.[5][7]

16 Mar 1977: The Football League Cup final replay at Hillsborough ends in a 1–1 draw.[6]

13 Apr 1977: The Football League Cup final is decided at the third attempt when Aston Villa beat Everton 3–2 in the second replay at Old Trafford.[6] A last minute goal from Brian Little sends the trophy to Villa Park and prevents the possibility of a first-ever major English Cup Final penalty shoot-out.

16 May 1977: Ivor Linton made his debut in the First Division as a 17-year-old apprentice, as a substitute in a 1–0 home victory against Stoke City relegating the Potteries club.[8] West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers win their last matches of the season to survive, and Bristol City keep their hopes alive by beating Liverpool 2–1. They go into their last match level on points with Coventry City and Sunderland.[5]

Villa lost both games in the Second City derby.[9]

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Manchester City 42 21 14 7 60 34 +26 56 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3 Ipswich Town 42 22 8 12 66 39 +27 52
4 Aston Villa 42 22 7 13 76 50 +26 51
5 Newcastle United 42 18 13 11 64 49 +15 49
6 Manchester United 42 18 11 13 71 62 +9 47 Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[a]
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:
  1. ^ Manchester United qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1976–77 FA Cup winners.

Results

Aston Villa's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

Date Opponent Venue Result Scorers
21 August 1976 West Ham United H 4–0 Gray (2), Graydon (2)
25 August 1976 Manchester City A 0–2
28 August 1976 Everton A 2–0 Little, Lyons (own goal)
4 September 1976 Ipswich Town H 5–2 Gray (3), Graydon, Little
11 September 1976 Queens Park Rangers A 1–2 Gray
18 September 1976 Birmingham City H 1–2 Gray
25 September 1976 Leicester City H 2–0 Gray, Graydon
2 October 1976 Stoke City A 0–1
16 October 1976 Sunderland A 1–0 Cropley
20 October 1976 Arsenal H 5–1 Gray (2), Graydon, Little, Mortimer
23 October 1976 Bristol City H 3–1 Gidman, Graydon, Nicholl
30 October 1976 Liverpool A 0–3
6 November 1976 Manchester United H 3–2 Gray (2), Mortimer
10 November 1976 West Bromwich Albion A 1–1 Mortimer
20 November 1976 Coventry City H 2–2 Gidman, Gray
27 November 1976 Norwich City A 1–1 Little
11 December 1976 Leeds United A 3–1 Cropley, Gray (2)
15 December 1976 Liverpool H 5–1 Deehan (2), Gray (2), Little
18 December 1976 Newcastle United H 2–1 Deehan (2)
27 December 1976 Middlesbrough A 2–3 Gray, Hughes
1 January 1977 Manchester United A 0–2
22 January 1977 West Ham United A 1–0 Gray
5 February 1977 Everton H 2–0 Gray, Little
12 February 1977 Ipswich Town A 0–1
2 March 1977 Derby County H 4–0 Cowans, Gidman, Little, Mortimer
5 March 1977 Leicester City A 1–1 Deehan
23 March 1977 Sunderland H 4–1 Deehan (2), Gidman, Gray
2 April 1977 Bristol City A 0–0
5 April 1977 Middlesbrough H 1–0 Deehan
9 April 1977 Derby County A 1–2 Little
16 April 1977 Coventry City A 3–2 Cowans, Deehan, Little
20 April 1977 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–1 Deehan, Little
23 April 1977 Norwich City H 1–0 Little
25 April 1977 Arsenal A 0–3
30 April 1977 Tottenham Hotspur A 1–3 Deehan
4 May 1977 Manchester City H 1–1 Little
7 May 1977 Leeds United H 2–1 Cropley, Deehan
10 May 1977 Birmingham City A 1–2 Deehan
14 May 1977 Newcastle United A 2–3 Little (2)
16 May 1977 Stoke City H 1–0 Gray
20 May 1977 Queens Park Rangers H 1–1 Cowans
23 May 1977 West Bromwich Albion H 4–0 Gray (3), Nicholl

Squad

All Aston Villa players: 1977 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
- GK England ENG John Burridge
- DF England ENG John Robson
- DF Scotland SCO Gordon Smith
- DF Wales WAL Leighton Phillips
- DF Northern Ireland NIR Chris Nicholl
- MF England ENG Dennis Mortimer
- FW England ENG John Deehan
- FW England ENG Brian Little
- FW Scotland SCO Andy Gray
- MF Scotland SCO Alex Cropley
- MF England ENG Frank Carrodus
No. Pos. Nation Player
- DF England ENG John Gidman
- FW England ENG Ray Graydon
- MF England ENG Gordon Cowans
- DF England ENG Charlie Young
- GK Scotland SCO Jake Findlay
- MF England ENG David Hughes
- DF England ENG Keith Masefield
- DF England ENG Mike Buttress
- DF England ENG Ivor Linton
- MF England ENG Steve Hunt

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". 18 May 2011.
  3. ^ Bishop, Rob (30 November 2018). "St Andy's Day". Aston Villa F.C. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
  5. ^ a b c d Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 138. ISBN 1859832148.
  6. ^ a b c Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 256. ISBN 1859832148.
  7. ^ Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011-2012. London: Headline. 2011. ISBN 9780755362318.
  8. ^ "Ivor Linton – Aston Villa FC". Football-Heroes.net. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  9. ^ "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.


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