The 1977–78 English football season was Aston Villa's 78th in the Football League and their third consecutive season in the top division.
| 1977–78 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Sir William Dugdale, Bt[1][2] |
| Manager |  Ron Saunders |
| Stadium | Villa Park |
| First Division | 8th |
| FA Cup | Third round |
| League Cup | Fourth round |
| 33--28--24 | |
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
edit17 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
edit
| 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Squad
editAll Aston Villa players: 1978 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ 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.)
- ^ "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". Business Live. 18 May 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ 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
editAVFC History: 1977–78
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