Game #3226
Saturday, 17 March 1973
Attendance: 18,432
Won
Division Two
5th= (-)
Portsmouth
DLLLW
Villa Park
Sometimes in life it’s inevitable that you back the proverbial wrong horse, to do it repeatedly takes some doing but ‘supporter shareholders’ Dennis Barrett and Ken Dykes took it to new levels. Not content with backing the coup that brought the disaster of Herbert Douglas Ellis into power in 1968, they then petitioned to keep Tommy Docherty in post at the beginning of 1970 despite his reign having taken Villa to the brink of the third tier for the first time in history. Now though Messrs Barrett and Dykes saw fit to go one better and attempt to oust Vic Crowe and Ron Wylie from their posts. It hadn’t been a vintage season but a first season back in the second tier after two in the third was never likely to be a runaway success - especially after the latest coup of 1972 brought the parsimonious Ellis back to the chairmanship - but that was no barrier to the “experienced petitioners.” It failed of course and deservedly the pair became a figure of folly but when even Herbert Douglas Ellis asks you to stop for the sake of the club you really should know you are very, very much in the wrong. Meanwhile, Villa win for the first time in five to remain joint fifth with Fulham, eight points off second place.
Aston Villa
2-0
Portsmouth
Assist(s) | Ray Graydon | 10' | 21' |
KEY MAN
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
1’ Debut, Bobby McDonald
10’ Goal, 1-0, Geoff Vowden, Assist by Ray Graydon
21’ Goal, 2-0, Pat McMahon, Assist by Ray Graydon
HT Aston Villa 2-0 Portsmouth
FT Aston Villa 2-0 Portsmouth
ON THIS DAY
Vic Crowe's Villa win for the first time in five to make it fourteen wins, eleven draws and eight defeats in thirty three League games. Meanwhile, left back Bobby McDonald made his Villa debut aged 17 after joining from school football in June 1970.
Aston Villa
Portsmouth
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1949-50
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Portsmouth: | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟥 | 🟩 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1972-73 |
Matchday | #39 |
League Match | #33 |
Manager Game | #166 |
Saturday, 17 March 1973
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager | Vic Crowe |
Referee | Peter Baldwin, Middlesbrough |
FT Result | Won |
FT Score | 2-0 |
Last 5 Games | DLLLW |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Peter Baldwin | 🏴 | Cleveland, 1962-1974
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards:
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Bobby McDonald and Andy Lochhead replace Brian Little and Charlie Aitken.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.69 |
Oldest Player |
CF Andy Lochhead | 32.04 |
Youngest Player |
LB Bobby McDonald | 17.94 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Vic Crowe
Aston Villa
GK Jim Cumbes |
LB Bobby McDonald |
FB John Robson |
CB Chris Nicholl |
CB Fred Turnbull |
M Pat McMahon |
M Jimmy Brown |
W Ray Graydon |
F Alun Evans |
F Geoff Vowden |
CF Andy Lochhead |
Portsmouth
Wilkins, Hand, Wilson, Piper, Stephenson, Munks, Foggo (Collins), Reynolds, Hiron, Kellard, Jennings.
Manager: Ron Tindall.
SUBSTITUTES
None
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
M Chico Hamilton |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Mick Wright
John Gidman
Bruce Rioch
Ian Ross
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
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
“I don’t think it [Barrett and Dykes’ petition] deserves any comment.
“I just think it’s ridiculous.
“If you are bottom for three years then it would be fair, but we have had three progressive years.”
Vic Crowe.
“There is a certain lack of logic in this petition.
“I’ve got confidence in the manager and his assistant and I think they have done a good job.
“If they [Barrett and Dykes] think anybody could have taken Villa out of the Third Division I suggest they go to Bournemouth and look at the situation there..”
Brian Evans, Shareholder spokesman.
“It’s not going as well as one would have liked.”
Dennis Barrett
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 19 March 1973