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Game #307

Monday, 22 March 1897

Attendance: 8,000

Won

Division One

1st

Bolton Wanderers

WWDWW

Wellington Road, Perry Barr

Charlie Athersmith opened the floodgates as reigning Champions Villa's second half performance puts Bolton to the sword and extend their lead at the top of the First Division table to 7 points and a game in hand over second placed Sheffield United.

Aston Villa (Champions)

6-2

Bolton Wanderers

Assists(s) | Not recorded

KEY MAN

Charlie Athersmith, opened the floodgates, Monday, 22 March 1897

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MATCH TIMELINE

[Exact timings not recorded]
17’ Goal, 0-1, (Bolton Wanderers)
Goal, 0-2, (Bolton Wanderers)
HT Aston Villa 0-2 Bolton Wanderers
62’ Goal, 1-2, Charlie Athersmith
67’ Goal, 2-2, Jack Reynolds
Goal, 3-2, Johnny Campbell, Assist by Steve Smith
72’ Goal, 4-2, Fred Wheldon
Goal, 5-2, Fred Wheldon
Goal, 6-2, Jack Devey
FT Aston Villa 6-2 Bolton Wanderers

ON THIS DAY

Reigning Champions Villa's second half performance puts Bolton to the sword and extend their lead at the top of the First Division table to 7 points and a game in hand over second placed Sheffield United.

Jeremiah Griffiths made his final appearance for Villa aged 24 before moving on to Bilston Town. Griffiths had made only 3 appearances
but each of those appearances came in a competition that Villa went on to win: the 1895-96 Football League season, the 1896-97 FA Cup and the 1896-97 Football League season.

Aston Villa

Bolton Wanderers

FIXTURE HISTORY

Bolton Wanderers

Previous 5 vs. Bolton: | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟨 |

FIXTURE DETAILS

Season | 1896-97 |
Matchday | #32 |
League Match | #26 |
Manager Game | #281 |
Monday, 22 March 1897

MATCH SUMMARY

Manager | George Ramsay led Management Committee |
FT Score | 6-2 |
FT Result | Won |
Last 5 Games | WWDWW |

MATCH OFFICIALS

CARDS

Villa

Bolton Wanderers

All the matches refereed by:

TEAM NEWS

Villa make two changes to the team that qualified for the FA Cup final last time out with Harry Wilkes retuning in goal for Jimmy Whitehouse and Steve Smith replacing Jack Cowan.

TEAM STATS

Starting XI Average Age
| 25.43 |

Oldest Player |
F Jack Devey | 30.26 |

Youngest Player |
FB Howard Spencer | 21.59 |

MANAGER

MANAGER

George Ramsay led Management Committee

Aston Villa

GK Harry Wilkes |
CB Jimmy Cowan |
FB Howard Spencer |
FB Albert Evans |
M Jack Reynolds |
M Jeremiah Griffiths |
W Steve Smith |
W Charlie Athersmith |
F Fred Wheldon |
F Johnny Campbell |
F Jack Devey |

Bolton Wanderers

SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period

SUBSTITUTES

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

SQUAD STATS

MATCHDAY SQUAD

SQUAD STATS

MATCHDAY SQUAD

UNAVAILABLE

Not recorded

UNAVAILABLE

Not Recorded

Player Abbreviations:

GK : Goalkeeper

LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back

CB, D : Centre Back, Defender

M, W : Midfielder. Winger

F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward

🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game

Symbols:

⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution

🟨 | Booking

🟥 | Sending off

🆘 | Poor refereeing performance

DEBUT APPEARANCES

FINAL APPEARANCES

MATCH STATS

Not recorded

TABLE

2021-22 Matchweek 38.jpg

PROGRAMME

Quotation Marks.png

MATCHDAY QUOTES

"Amidst great cheering the pressure was maintained, and from a centre by Smith, Campbell shot the third goal and put Villa ahead. Then Wheldon added another, four goals having been scored in ten minutes Wheldon got a fifth, and the Villa won as below. Result; ASTON VILLA 6 goals. BOLTON WANDERERS 2 goals."

*The Sheffield Independent*
Tuesday, 23 March 1897

LEAGUE.
DIVISION I.
VILLA v. BOLTON WANDERERS.

This League match was played yesterday at Perry Barr before 7,000 persons. Neither side was fully represented.

Bolton played downhill in the first half, but Villa had the most of the game.

Seventeen minutes from the start Spencer missed his kick and Jack scored for Bolton.

The game was subsequently well contested, and Sutcliffe gave a good display in goal. Jack scored for Bolton, and the interval score was Bolton Wanderers 2 goals, Aston Villa 0 goal.

Play was resumed in wind and rain, and the Villa pressed heavily.

After 17 minutes Athersmith scored, five minutes later Reynolds equalised.

Amidst great cheering the pressure was maintained, and from a centre by Smith, Campbell shot the third goal and put Villa ahead. Then Wheldon added another, four goals having been scored in ten minutes Wheldon got a fifth, and the Villa won as below. Result; ASTON VILLA 6 goals. BOLTON WANDERERS 2 goals.