Aston Villa's 1969-70 season

<-1968-69

Season 81 | 1969-70

1970-71->

The Story of 1969-70

9 August 1969, Villa 0-1 Norwich, Villa Park.

Villa lose on the opening day of the season as Tommy Docherty makes his big promise: “First Division, 1971."

13 August 1969, League Cup, Villa 2-1 Chester, Sealand Road.

Villa narrowly beat fourth division side Chester in the first round of the League Cup in a bad tempered match on the pitch and on the terraces as Tommy Docherty had to appeal for calm from the visiting fans.

16 August 1969, Villa 0-2 Huddersfield, Leeds Road.

After two games of the season Villa sit bottom of the second division alongside Birmingham and Portsmouth.

19 August 1969, Villa 1-1 Carlisle, Brunton Park.

Villa earn their first point of the season after scoring their first goal and sitting back to protect what they had.

23 August 1969, Villa 0-2 Swindon, Villa Park.

Villa with one goal and one point from their first four second division games under Tommy Docherty fall back to joint bottom of the table alongside Preston and Birmingham.

27 August 1969, Villa 0-1 Leicester, Villa Park.

Villa sit alone at the bottom of the table after five second division games having lost three successive home matches without scoring.

30 August 1969, Villa 0-1 Middlesbrough, Ayresome Park.

For the first time this season Villa dominate a League match but despite an improved performance they leave Ayresome Park still with one goal and one point in the second division and bottom of the table.

3 September 1969, League Cup, Villa 1-2 Albion, Villa Park.

Villa lose to Albion in the second round of the League Cup.

6 September 1969, Villa 2-2 Millwall, Villa Park.

Villa score for the first time in four League games - their second and third goals in seven second division games - but they are already two down to fellow strugglers Millwall at Villa Park before Dave Rudge’s three minute brace secures Villa’s second point of the season to sit joint bottom of the table with Watford.

13 September 1969, Villa 0-3 Watford, Vicarage Road.

A week after claiming “It’s no use pulling a team apart if you haven’t got better players to come in.” Tommy Docherty makes five changes with Charlie Aitken, Mike Ferguson, Chico Hamilton, Willie Anderson and Evan Williams dropped. It doesn’t work. Villa return to sole occupier status at the bottom of the table as they are beaten at Watford, fail to score for the sixth time in eight League games, and sit two points from safety. Before the game Watford had been joint bottom with Tommy Docherty’s side, one place below on goal average. The reserves won mind you with their unexpected influx of new players.

17 September 1969, Villa 1-2 Bolton, Burnden Park.

Villa, winless in nine second division games under Tommy Docherty, remain rooted to the bottom of the table as 15 year old Jimmy Brown impresses on his debut.

20 September 1969, Villa 3-2 Hull, Villa Park.

Villa win for the first time in ten second division games under Tommy Docherty, win for the first time in the League this season and score three goals for the first time this season but remain bottom of the table as the teams above them, complete with games in hand, win. The win though ended Villa’s worse ever start to a season and involved them recovering from having fallen two goals down before a half hour had been played. Villa’s goals are inspired by one of the players Docherty had slated for the scrap heap - Brian Godfrey - who had now created three and scored once in four games since his return to the side.

27 September 1969, Villa 0-0 Portsmouth, Fratton Park.

Villa make it two League games unbeaten for the first time this season after 11 games but remain bottom of the table, two points from safety.

4 October 1969, Villa 0-0 Preston, Villa Park.

Villa deliver a second successive goalless draw but are now unbeaten in three League games for the first time this season as they remain bottom of the second division under Tommy Docherty with six points from twelve games. Villa have failed to score in eight of those games.

8 October 1969, Villa 4-1 Huddersfield, Villa Park.

Villa record their biggest win since January 1968 as they extend their unbeaten League run to four games with another Brian Godfrey inspired performance. Villa however remain bottom of the table but share last place with Millwall with Tommy Docherty’s side ahead on goal average.

11 October 1969, Villa 0-4 Cardiff, Ninian Park.

Villa slump to defeat at Ninian to end their four game unbeaten run and fall back to the foot of the table level on points with Millwall but bottom on goal average.

18 October 1969, Villa 0-0 Birmingham, Villa Park.

Villa fail to score for the tenth time in fifteen League games and remain bottom of the table on goal average, two points adrift of safety.

25 October 1969, Villa 2-2 Oxford, Manor Ground.

Villa score for the first time in three games to take a point from fellow strugglers Oxford but sit rock bottom, a point behind Millwall and a point from safety. Brian Godfrey is again the star as Tommy Docherty attempts to shift blame for two wins in sixteen games onto fan expectation.

1 November 1969, Villa 1-1 QPR, Villa Park.

Villa’s point against QPR leaves them bottom of the table but they are joined by Watford with both on eleven points after seventeen games.

8 November 1969, Villa 0-1 Bristol City, Ashton Gate.

Villa lose to Bristol City as Watford lose to Millwall to leave the pair three points adrift at the bottom of the table after eighteen games.

12 November 1969, Villa 1-0 Carlisle, Villa Park.

Villa win for the first time in six as Emment Kapengwe the 26-year-old Zambian international made his debut and “showed that he is a big, strong player with hardly a weakness.” With Watford’s defeat on Tuesday evening, Villa move off the bottom of the table for the first time since August.

15 November 1969, Villa 0-0 Blackpool, Villa Park.

After 20 games and three wins Villa sit two points off the bottom of the table one point from safety as Watford - also held to a goalless draw - sit bottom. But focus lies elsewhere as the restless fan base take out their ire on Lionel Martin whilst Tommy Docherty blames all and sundry. Meanwhile, behind the scenes turmoil and discipline leave the club looking fractured on and off the pitch.

19 November 1969, Villa 3-0 Bolton, Villa Park.

In further signs of the turmoil swirling around the club under Tommy Docherty and Herbert Douglas Ellis, Barrie Hole requests a transfer and Mike Ferguson and Dick Edwards have one enforced on them. On the pitch though Villa record their fourth win in twenty one League games and their third at home where they are now unbeaten in nine. As a result Villa leap out of the bottom two for the first time this season and climb to joint seventeenth in the table, they have though played one, and in some cases two, more games than Millwall, Hull and Charlton who also sit on sixteen points.

22 November 1969, Villa 0-5 Sheffield United, Bramall Lane.

Villa are hammered at Bramall Lane and fall back to third from bottom of the table, level on points with Millwall and one point above safety. Tommy Docherty, with four wins in twenty two games, heaps blame on an 18 year old, 16 year old and a 23 year old as there seems little personal recognition of the much fawned over manager’s own performance.

6 December 1969, Villa 0-2 Blackburn, Ewood Park.

Villa fall back into the bottom two level on points with 20th placed Millwall but having played three games more. Watford sit bottom three points behind Villa with a game in hand. Villa play Watford next.

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Image Credit

Season Summary

Division	Final League Position	FA Cup Progress	EFL Cup Progress	Biggest Win
Division Two	21st	3rd Round	2nd Round	4-1 vs. Huddersfield Town (h), Division Two

Top Scorer	Most Appearances	Most Starts
6 \| Bruce Rioch	46 \| Bruce Rioch, Mick Wright	46 \| Bruce Rioch, Mick Wright

Manager Summary

P: Games Played; W: Games Won; D: Games Drawn; L: Games Lost; PPG: Points per Game (3 Points for a win, 1 Point for a draw); CS%: Clean Sheet percentage; W%: Win Rate; L%: Loss Rate; U: Games Unbeaten; U% Unbeaten Rate.

From	To	Manager	P	W	D	L	U	W%	L%	U%	CS%	PPG
31 Jan 1970	Ongoing	Vic Crowe	16	4	4	8	8	25%	50%	50%	31%	1.00
Ongoing	17 Jan 1970	Tommy Docherty	30	5	10	15	15	17%	50%	50%	20%	0.83

Manager	Chairman	Chief Executive
Vic Crowe	Herbert Douglas Ellis	Alan Bennett
Tommy Docherty	Herbert Douglas Ellis	Alan Bennett

Season Statistics

Pos: Final League Position; P: Games Played; W: Games Won; D: Games Drawn; L: Games Lost; F: Goals Scored; A: Goals Conceded; Pts: Final League Points; GD: Goal Difference (A-F); PPG: Points per Game (3 Points for a win, 1 Point for a draw); GR: Goal Ratio (F/A); GPG: Goals Scored per Game; CPG: Goals Conceded per Game; CS: Clean Sheets; CS%: Clean Sheet percentage; W%: Win Rate; L%: Loss Rate; U: Games Unbeaten; U% Unbeaten Rate.

Results - All Competitions

P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	GR	GPG	CPG	CS	CS%	W%	L%	U	U%	PPG
46	9	14	23	40	67	-27	0.6	0.87	1.46	11	24%	20%	50%	23	50%	0.89

Results - League

Pos	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	GD	GPG	CPG	GR	CS	CS%	W%	L%	U%	PPG
21st	42	8	13	21	36	62	29	-26	0.86	1.48	0.58	11	26%	19%	50%	50%	0.88

Sequences

Wins in a Row	League Wins in a Row	Games Unbeaten	Games without a Win	Losing Run
2	2	4	11	4

League Table

Pos	Club	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
1	Huddersfield Town	42	24	12	6	68	37	31	60
2	Blackpool	42	20	13	9	56	45	11	53
3	Leicester City	42	19	13	10	64	50	14	51
4	Middlesbrough	42	20	10	12	55	45	10	50
5	Swindon Town	42	17	16	9	57	47	10	50
6	Sheffield United	42	22	5	15	73	38	35	49
7	Cardiff City	42	18	13	11	61	41	20	49
8	Blackburn Rovers	42	20	7	15	54	50	4	47
9	Queens Park Rangers	42	17	11	14	66	57	9	45
10	Millwall	42	15	14	13	56	56	0	44
11	Norwich City	42	16	11	15	49	46	3	43
12	Carlisle United	42	14	13	15	58	56	2	41
13	Hull City	42	15	11	16	72	70	2	41
14	Bristol City	42	13	13	16	54	50	4	39
15	Oxford United	42	12	15	15	35	42	-7	39
16	Bolton Wanderers	42	12	12	18	54	61	-7	36
17	Portsmouth	42	13	9	20	66	80	-14	35
18	Birmingham City	42	11	11	20	51	78	-27	33
19	Watford	42	9	13	20	44	57	-13	31
20	Charlton Athletic	42	7	17	18	35	76	-41	31
21	Aston Villa	42	8	13	21	36	62	-26	29
22	Preston North End	42	8	12	22	43	63	-20	28

Matches

Select a row for detailed match reports

Competition	Date	Home		Away	W	D	L	Game
Division Two	9 Aug 1969	Aston Villa	0-1	Norwich City			L	3073
League Cup 1st Round	13 Aug 1969	Chester	1-2	Aston Villa	W			3074
Division Two	16 Aug 1969	Huddersfield Town	2-0	Aston Villa			L	3075
Division Two	19 Aug 1969	Carlisle United	1-1	Aston Villa		D		3076
Division Two	23 Aug 1969	Aston Villa	0-2	Swindon Town			L	3077
Division Two	27 Aug 1969	Aston Villa	0-1	Leicester City			L	3078
Division Two	30 Aug 1969	Middlesbrough	1-0	Aston Villa			L	3079
League Cup 2nd Round	3 Sep 1969	Aston Villa	1-2	West Brom			L	3080
Division Two	6 Sep 1969	Aston Villa	2-2	Millwall		D		3081
Division Two	13 Sep 1969	Watford	3-0	Aston Villa			L	3082
Division Two	17 Sep 1969	Bolton Wanderers	2-1	Aston Villa			L	3083
Division Two	20 Sep 1969	Aston Villa	3-2	Hull City	W			3084
Division Two	27 Sep 1969	Portsmouth	0-0	Aston Villa		D		3085
Division Two	4 Oct 1969	Aston Villa	0-0	Preston North End		D		3086
Division Two	8 Oct 1969	Aston Villa	4-1	Huddersfield Town	W			3087
Division Two	11 Oct 1969	Cardiff City	4-0	Aston Villa

Season #2 | 1880-81 | Games #3 - #6

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133 Seasons, 33 Managers, 983 Players, 5,671 Matches, Only One Aston Villa

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Season 81 | 1969-70