1977–78 Aston Villa F.C. season

The 1977–78 English football season was Aston Villa's 78th in the Football League and their third consecutive season in the top division.

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

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]

Diary of the season

17 April 1978: Newcastle United lose at Aston Villa and are relegated to the Second Division.[4]

2 May 1978: Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Aston Villa 3–1 to stay in the First Division at West Ham United's expense.[4]

Villa lost both games in the Second City derby.[5]

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

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. Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 140. ISBN 1859832148.
  5. "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.

AVFC History: 1977–78


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