2-1

John Burridge, who created a goalkeeping record for Blackpool last season, signed for Aston Villa before their game at Wolves last night, subject to a medical examination.

The clubs agreed terms of around £90,000 and Burridge, who is 23 years old and signed for Blackpool from Workington five years ago, should make his debut in Villa’s first derby match with Blues in the First Division for ten years.

He has made 140 appearances for Blackpool and was voted player of the year by the club supporters last season.

The reason was that he kept 21 “clean sheets” a club record.

The fee will clear the Second Division club’s debts.

Not surprisingly, Burridge is known for his consistency a quality which will be welcomed by the Villa supporters.

His arrival at Villa Park Is no surprise. Jim Cumbes was dropped after the club’s 4.1 UEFA Cup defeat by Antwerp while Jake Findlay did not look quite ready In the club’s 3-0 defeat at Liverpool.
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*Birmingham Daily Post”
Monday, 29 September 1975

Bruising local derby ends in controversy
Ross condemns Blues tackling
By RANDALL NORTHAM

Aston Villa’s captain, lan Ross, yesterday angrily criticised his fellow Scot and central defender, Kenny Burns, for an incident in Saturday’s bruising derby match with Birmingham City at Villa Park. The game left Villa with seven players needing treatment yesterday only four days before their return leg UEFA Cup match with Antwerp.

The tackle by Blues’ Burns on John Robson after 67 minutes earned him a booking from the referee Ralph Lee and a reprimand from Ross. “That was the worst tackle I’ve seen in a game in which I’ve been playing,” Ross said.

“If one of my players had done that I would have told him he shouldn’t be playing football and I wouldn’t have spoken to him for a week.

“I’ve played in Liverpool versus Everton derbies but they were not nearly as physical as my first Villa versus Blues derby.”

Burns answered: “I’m sorry if it seemed so bad to people watching. But I think the tackle looked worse than it was. That could be because the atmosphere was so tense and the way Robson rolled over.”

Robson took the incident philosophically. “I’m not angry. There’s no harm done. If my leg had been broken obviously I would be reacting differently.

“I don’t know yet whether I’ll be fit for Wednesday’s match but I shall continue having treatment.”

But Ross’s view was endorsed by Frank Carrodus, the veteran of derby games between Manchester City and United.

He said: “This was far tougher than those matches. I don’t think I was tackled once when I had the ball. It was always after it had gone.

“It was ridiculous. I’ve never had so many kicks and bruises. I don’t know which leg to limp on.”

Charlie Aitken, the only player involved in the last First Division derby ten years ago, added: “This was the most physical derby I’ve ever played in. You needed shin pads up to the waist.”

Villa’s manager, Ron Saunders was equally scathing: “They had two men who committed eight diabolical fouls between them. What went on out there was unbelievable.

Blues’ acting manager, Willie Bell refused to enter the controversy. He said yesterday: “After the game I had a word in with Burns. Obviously, at the time I spoke to him, he was emotionally involved and disappointed at losing the match.

“I will be seeing him in the morning to decide what action must be taken.”

The Villa fans in the crowd of 53,782, which provided record League receipts of £45,800, walked away muttering about the rebirth of the “Brummie Bashers.”

The foul count was 17 against Villa and 22 against Birmingham but Burns and Joe Gallagher committed 13 of those between them.

Surprisingly Burns was the only Blues player cautioned whereas both Chris Nicholl and Ray Graydon went into Lee’s book.

Did Bell make a blunder?

The questions the crestfallen Blues fans were asking at the weekend were: How much difference did Peter Withe’s injury make to their team and did acting manager Willie Bell commit a tactical boob with the substitution?

Withe limped out of the game after 43 minutes when Blues had been ahead through Trevor Francis’s goal in the 12th minute and Bell was forced to send on Garry Pendrey, a defender.

Bell decided to play 4-4-2 which while improving Birmingham’s midfield restricted the amount of room Francis was finding at the front.

Late in the game with Villa ahead Bell pushed Kenny Burns forward a move I felt he should have made while Blues were still one up. I do not feel that Withe’s absence was the factor which swung the match but if Birmingham had been able to continue to play with three at the front it might have been a different story. If the use of the substitute was a mistake Bell cannot be held responsible for the way which Blues played.

He has been in charge for only three matches it takes longer than that to change bad habits. And if he Is to be given more time he has to improve Birmingham’s manners as well as their method. They were or rather Burns and Joe Gallagher were unacceptably physical. On paper, player for player, Blues would appear to have a definite edge but there was no doubt on Saturday which was the better team. Villa, smaller and slimmer, blended together fat better.

Leonard missed

As Bell claimed, they did not create all that much, it is only fair to emphasise that they were missing the power and height of Keith Leonard. Frank Carrodus was an able deputy, but obviously a different type of player.

What a pulsating, thunderous game this was. The first derby in the First Division for ten years. It positively burst with action. The conditions helped one moment drenching rain, the next bright sunlight, an elemental panorama as if especially laid on for the occasion.

Blues, boosted by two successive victories, appeared to be well on the way to another when with 15 minutes of the first half remaining Villa began to swarm forward.

There was a brilliant save by Dave Latchford Blues’ best player to deny a rejuvenated Ray Graydon and so the pattern for the rest of the game was set.

Within a minute of the restart Latchford had made another wonderful save to stop Brian Little but he could do nothing when Chico Hamilton hammered John Robson’s header into the net.

Burns was booked for an horrendous foul on Robson and Graydon for a weak attempt at retaliation on Burns a few moments later.

It was a shame that the Football League did not provide a stronger referee than Ralph Lee for the match. He was not good enough and how he can justify booking Chris Nichol! and not Gallagher is beyond me.

Burns was barracked every time he touched the ball now and it was he who perpetrated the error which led to the winner. He could not control the ball, lost it to Little and was on his knees when the Villa striker curved the ball around Latchford for his first goal of the season.

I have the greatest admiration for Burns’ talent but I could feel no sympathy for him at the moment. There was time for Tony Want to clear off the line from Leighton Phillips before Francis swept through again only to be foiled by an outstanding save from John Burridge, who had looked worth every penny of the £90,000 Villa paid for him.