1975–76 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
1975–76 season
ChairmanSir William Dugdale, Bt
ManagerRon Saunders
StadiumVilla Park
First Division16th
FA CupThird round
League CupThird round
Second City Derby
33--24--24

The 1975–76 English football season was Aston Villa's first season in Europe and 77th season in the Football League, their first season in the top division for eight years.

In October 1975, at the age of 19, Andy Gray (167) moved south to newly promoted Villa for £110,000. Other debuts included Gordon Cowans (414), Dennis Mortimer (317), John Deehan (110), John Burridge (65), and John Overton (3). Dave Richardson joined Aston Villa in 1976 as Youth Development Officer from Leicester City, unwittingly bringing paedophile, Ted Langford, from his old club. Richardson secured schoolboy player Steve Froggatt from Leicester.

10 April 1976: Liverpool draw 0–0 against Aston Villa. In the Second City derby both teams won their home match.

UEFA Cup

Having won the League Cup in the previous season, Villa qualified for Europe for the first time.

Round Country Club Away Home
1R Belgium Royal Antwerp 1–4 0–1

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
14 Coventry City 42 13 14 15 47 57 0.825 40
15 Newcastle United 42 15 9 18 71 62 1.145 39
16 Aston Villa 42 11 17 14 51 59 0.864 39
17 Arsenal 42 13 10 19 47 53 0.887 36
18 West Ham United 42 13 10 19 48 71 0.676 36
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Matches

16 August 1975 Aston Villa 1–2 Leeds United Villa Park
(Leighton Phillips) Report
Note:
19 August 1975 Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Aston Villa
Report (Keith Leonard)
Note:
23 August 1975 Norwich City 5–3 Aston Villa
Report (Ray Graydon); (Ray Graydon); (Charlie Aitken)
Note:
27 August 1975 Aston Villa 1–0 Manchester City Villa Park
(Keith Leonard) Report
Note:
30 August 1975 Aston Villa 1–0 Coventry City Villa Park
(Ray Graydon) Report
Note:
6 September 1975 Newcastle United 3–0 Aston Villa
Report
Note:
13 September 1975 Aston Villa 2–0 Arsenal Villa Park
(Leighton Phillips); (Keith Leonard) Report
Note:
20 September 1975 Liverpool 3–0 Aston Villa
Report
23 September 1975 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–0 Aston Villa
Report
27 September 1975 Aston Villa 2–1 Birmingham City Villa Park
(Chico Hamilton); (Brian Little) Report
4 October 1975 Middlesbrough 0–0 Aston Villa
Report
11 October 1975 Aston Villa 1–1 Tottenham Hotspur Villa Park
(Andy Gray) Report
18 October 1975 Everton 2–1 Aston Villa
Report (Chris Nicholl)
25 October 1975 Aston Villa 1–1 Burnley Villa Park
(Own Goal) Report
1 November 1975 Ipswich Town 3–0 Aston Villa
Report
8 November 1975 Aston Villa 5–1 Sheffield United Villa Park
(Andy Gray); (Chico Hamilton); (Chico Hamilton); (John Deehan); (Ray Graydon) Report
15 November 1975 Manchester United 2–0 Aston Villa
Report
22 November 1975 Aston Villa 3–1 Everton Villa Park
(Andy Gray); (Andy Gray); (Own Goal) Report
29 November 1975 Aston Villa 1–1 Leicester City Villa Park
(Ray Graydon) Report
6 December 1975 Stoke City 1–1 Aston Villa
Report (Ray Graydon)
13 December 1975 Aston Villa 3–2 Norwich City Villa Park
(Ray Graydon); (John Deehan); (John Deehan) Report
20 December 1975 Leeds United 1–0 Aston Villa
Report
26 December 1975 Aston Villa 4–1 West Ham United Villa Park
(John Deehan); (John Deehan); (Andy Gray); (Chico Hamilton) Report
27 December 1975 Derby County 2–0 Aston Villa
Report
10 January 1976 Arsenal 0–0 Aston Villa
Report
17 January 1976 Aston Villa 1–1 Newcastle United Villa Park
(Own Goal) Report
31 January 1976 Aston Villa 0–2 Queens Park Rangers Villa Park
Report
7 February 1976 Manchester City 2–1 Aston Villa
Report (Andy Gray)
14 February 1976 Sheffield United 2–1 Aston Villa
Report (Ray Graydon)
21 February 1976 Aston Villa 2–1 Manchester United Villa Park
(Bobby McDonald); (Andy Gray) Report
24 February 1976 Aston Villa 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers Villa Park
(Ray Graydon) Report
28 February 1976 Burnley 2–2 Aston Villa
Report (Ray Graydon); (Andy Gray)
6 March 1976 Aston Villa 0–0 Ipswich Town Villa Park
Report
13 March 1976 Tottenham Hotspur 5–2 Aston Villa
Report (Ray Graydon); (Andy Gray)
20 March 1976 Leicester City 2–2 Aston Villa
Report (Chris Nicholl); (Chris Nicholl)
27 March 1976 Aston Villa 0–0 Stoke City Villa Park
Report
3 April 1976 Birmingham City 3–2 Aston Villa
Report (Andy Gray); (Ray Graydon)
10 April 1976 Aston Villa 0–0 Liverpool Villa Park
Report
13 April 1976 Coventry City 1–1 Aston Villa
Report (Chris Nicholl)
17 April 1976 West Ham United 2–2 Aston Villa
Report (John Deehan); (Steve Hunt)
19 April 1976 Aston Villa 1–0 Derby County Villa Park
(Bobby McDonald) Report
24 April 1976 Aston Villa 2–1 Middlesbrough Villa Park
(John Deehan); (Frank Carrodus) Report
Note:

Source: avfchistory.co.uk

FA Cup

Teams from the Football League First and Second Division entered in the Third round. The third round of games in the FA Cup were mainly played on 3 January 1976, with two matches played two days earlier on New Year's Day. Replays were mainly played midweek over 6–7 January or the week after but one occurred on the 24th instead. Holders West Ham United were eliminated by Liverpool.

Tie no Home team Score Away team Date
2Southampton1–1Aston Villa3 January 1976
ReplayAston Villa1–2Southampton7 January 1976

League Cup

Second round

Home team Score Away team Date
Aston Villa2–0Oldham Athletic10 September 1975

Third round

Home team Score Away team Date
Aston Villa1–2Manchester United8 October 1975

First team squad

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, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ↑ "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". 18 May 2011.
  3. ↑ Football, 5 June 5, 1975, The Times, Issue: 59414
  4. ↑ Bishop, Rob (30 November 2018). "St Andy's Day". Aston Villa F.C. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  5. ↑ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
  6. ↑ Clive Sheldon QC's independent report, 17 March 2021
  7. ↑ Villan on the Spot: Steve Froggatt, By Aston Villa FC, 8 October 2015
  8. ↑ Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 136. ISBN 1859832148.
  9. ↑ "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Royal Antwerp FC 4-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  11. ↑ "Aston Villa 0-1 Royal Antwerp FC | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-2 Leeds United | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  13. ↑ "Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  14. ↑ "Norwich City 5-3 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  15. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  16. ↑ "Aston Villa 1-0 Coventry City | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  17. ↑ "Newcastle United 3-0 Aston Villa | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  18. ↑ "Aston Villa 2-0 Arsenal | Match IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  19. ↑ "Season IQ | AVDB". www.avfchistory.co.uk. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  20. ↑ https://avdb.co.uk/aston-villa/matches/first-team/1975-76-villa-2-0-oldham-athletic