Circle the date, it happened, Wednesday, 8 May 1963. Villa record their first League win in twelve after eleven consecutive defeats. Just as mystifyingly the goals and confidence dried up, it reappeared as Villa are awarded three penalties, are three up at half time and squander a host of chances. Villa face Albion in three days - a side sitting just one place above Villa.

Joe Mercer's Villa end a record setting run of eleven successive League defeats by winning their first game in thirteen since beating neighbours Birmingham 4-0 on 16th March. Villa’s latest fixture is their twelfth in forty one days after their wildly interrupted season delivered the inevitable fixture list congestion in the final two months of the season. As a result, Villa make it thirteen wins, seven draws and eighteen defeats in thirty eight division one games so far this season as a campaign of such promise before the fixture interruption had come completely off the rails following a record for failure that no-one could or would have predicted. With four League games remaining, Villa remain clear of the relegation places despite their record breaking losing run to underline the form they had shown prior to the new year. Villa also have a two legged final in the League Cup to look forward to against a Birmingham side heading for relegation.