Villa, participating in one of three first division games on Friday night, are well beaten by Blackpool at Bloomfield Road after the adopt a shoot on sight policy following Villa 'keeper Geoff Sidebottom's injury in the 7th minute. Sidebottom bravely remains on the pitch and is only replaced on 85' with 19 year old defender John Sleeuwenhoek taking over goalkeeping duties. Villa face Everton on Monday with Sidebottom unlikely to be available.

Joe Mercer's Villa lose successive games for the first time since November and fail to score for the fifth time in the last eight as they are beaten at Bloomfield Road. Villa, in trying circumstances, have now lost by four goals to nil in two of their last four away League games. As a result Villa make it twelve wins, seven draws and nine defeats in twenty eight division one games so far this season as a campaign of such promise continues to falter.