Game #2641
Aston Villa
17-9-16, 43 PTS
Saturday, 29 April 1961
Won
9th (-)
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟩
Division One
Attendance: 26,034
Sheffield Wednesday
Villa Park
23-12-7, 58 PTS
Incredible scenes at Villa Park as Joe Mercer names Villa great in Johnny Dixon who proceeds to create a goal in 5 minutes, score himself and cause a mass pitch invasion in celebration. Villa could have lost 0-10 and it would still be one of the greatest occasions in the club's illistrious history. Villa end the League season 9th with just one more scheduled game left to play - the League Cup semi final replay in three days time.
Aston Villa
4-1
Sheffield Wednesday
Assist(s) | Johnny Dixon | 5' | Harry Burrows | 27' |
KEY MAN
Johnny Dixon, final appearance of 437 as the great man bid farewell, Saturday, 29 April 1961.
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MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 29 April 1961
🟢 | 1' Debut, Charlie Aitken
⚽ | 5' Goal, 1-0, Gerry Hitchens, Assist by Johnny Dixon
⚽ | 27' Goal, 2-0, Bobby Thomson, Assist by Harry Burrows
🥅 | 42' Goal, 2-1, (Sheffield Wednesday), Billy Griffin
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
⚽ | 68' Goal, 3-1, Gerry Hitchens
⚽ | 70' Goal, 4-1, Johnny Dixon
💥 | 70' Pitch invasion celebrating Johnny Dixon's goal interrupts play
💥 | 70' Player leaves field of play with injury, Johnny Dixon
💥 | 72' Player returns to field of play, Johnny Dixon
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 4-1 Sheffield Wednesday
ON THIS DAY
Joe Mercer's Villa's play their twelfth game in thirty six days to make it seventeen wins, nine draws and sixteen defeats in forty two games following their return to the top flight.
Villa’s first season back in division one after a season away was an unqualified success and a typical Mercer campaign with a series of excellent runs occasionally punctured by losing form.
The season still promised more as further games remained as Villa were still competing in the inaugural League Cup whose addition to the calendar had caused significant fixture congestion that Mercer’s men admirably dealt with.
A ninth placed finish on their return to the top flight was no mean feat but it also signalled the end of one of the greatest ever Villa players.
Legendary Villa captain, Johnny Dixon, made his only appearance of the season and final appearance for Villa aged 37.
Dixon had distinguished himself thought his playing career with Villa that spanned from 1945-46 to 1960-61 during which time he made 437 appearances whilst scoring 144 goals, and winning the 1957 FA Cup.
As one legend departed the field however another entered as left back Charlie Aitken made his Villa debut aged 19 after moving from Edinburgh Thistle in August 1959.
Aston Villa
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1956-57
Sheffield Wednesday
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1934–35
FIXTURE HISTORY
Sheffield Wednesday
Previous 5 vs. Wednesday: 🟥 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1960-61 |
Matchday | #56 |
League Match | #42 |
Manager Game | #131 |
Saturday, 29 April 1961
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Joe Mercer | 🏴 | Ellesmere Port, 1958-1964
Referee: J. S. McLoughlin | 🏴 | Manchester, -1961
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 2-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 4-1
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟩
MANAGERIAL RECORD
Joe Mercer | 🏴 |
GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME
🕒 131 | 🟩 | 62 🟨 31 🟥 38 | 1.66
Career Form:
Top 6
Joe Mercer | 🏴 |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: J. S. McLoughlin | 🏴 | Manchester, -1961
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
J. S. McLoughlin
CARDS
Villa
None
Sheffield Wednesday
None
TEAM NEWS
Legendary Villa captain Johnny Dixon is poignantly handed his first start of the season for his final appearance as another future Villa great, Charlie Aitken, makes his debut.
John Neal also returns to the line up as Gordon Lee, Stan Lynn and Ron Wylie drop out.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.93 |
Oldest Player |
F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 | 37.41 |
Youngest Player |
LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 | 19.01 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Joe Mercer | 🏴 |
Harry Catterick | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Nigel Sims | 🏴 |
FB John Neal | 🏴 |
LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 | 🟢 |
CB Jimmy Dugdale | 🏴 |
M Alan Deakin | 🏴 |
M Vic Crowe | 🏴 |
W Jimmy MacEwan | 🏴 |
W Harry Burrows | 🏴 | 🔥 |
F Gerry Hitchens | 🏴 | ⚽ | ⚽ |
F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 | 🔥 | ⚽ | 🚑 | 🔴 |
F Bobby Thomson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
Sheffield Wednesday
GK Ron Springett | 🏴 |
LB Don Megson | 🏴 |
CB Peter Swan | 🏴 |
RB Peter Johnson | 🏴 |
M Tom McAnearney | 🏴 |
M Tony Kay | 🏴 |
W Alan Finney | 🏴 |
F Billy Griffin | 🏴 | ⚽ |
F Johnny Fantham | 🏴 |
F Bobby Craig | 🏴 |
CF Keith Ellis | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions permitted in period
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Permitted in Period
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions permitted in period
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Permitted in Period
SQUAD STATS
Villa XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
Wednesday XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 1 |
F Peter McParland | 🇬🇧 |
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
DEBUT APPEARANCES
🟢 LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 |
FINAL APPEARANCES
🔴 F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 |
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME
MATCHDAY QUOTES
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)