Game #3358
Saturday, 15 November 1975
Attendance: 51,682
Lost
Division One
13th= (-2)
Manchester United
LDLWL
Old Trafford
Villa, winless on the road this season, lose away again and where their League Cup match ended in undeserved defeat to Manchester United, this League rematch was the home side's from beginning to end as Villa slip to 13th.
Manchester United
2-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
18’ Goal, 0-1, (Manchester United), Steve Coppell
HT Manchester United 1-0 Aston Villa
55’ Goal, 0-2, (Manchester United), Sammy McIlroy
61’ Sub off, Frank Pimblett, Sub on, Leighton Phillips
FT Manchester United 2-0 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa make it five wins, five draws and seven defeats in seventeen League games following their return to the top flight.
Aston Villa
Manchester United
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1967-68
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Manchester United: | 🟨 | 🟩 | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟥 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1975-76 |
Matchday | #21 |
League Match | #17 |
Manager Game | #76 |
Saturday, 15 November 1975
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Clive Thomas | 🏴 | Treorchy, 1966–1984
Kick off: 3.00pm
FT Result | Lost |
FT Score | 0-2 |
Last 5 Games | LDLWL |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Clive Thomas | 🏴 | Treorchy, 1966–1984
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
CARDS
Villa
None
Manchester United
None
TEAM NEWS
Ron Saunders names an unchanged line up.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.82 |
Oldest Player |
LB Charlie Aitken | 33.56 |
Youngest Player |
F John Deehan | 18.29 |
MANAGER
Ron Saunders
MANAGER
Aston Villa
GK John Burridge |
FB John Robson |
RB John Gidman |
CB Chris Nicholl |
CB Ian Ross |
LB Charlie Aitken |
M Chico Hamilton |
M Frank Pimblett |
W Ray Graydon |
CF Andy Gray |
F John Deehan |
Manchester United
Roche, Nicholl, Greenhoff, Houston, Buchan, Hill, Coppell (g), Daly, McIlroy (g) (McCreery), Macari, Pearson. Manager: Tommy Docherty.
SUBSTITUTES
M Leighton Phillips for M Frank Pimblett | 61' |
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 3 |
Keith Leonard
Brian Little
Frank Carrodus
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
“He [John Burridge] played exceptionally well and did everything asked of him under difficult conditions.”
Ron Saunders.
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 17 November 1975
John Burridge, Aston Villa’s £100,000 goalkeeper saved his side from an even more humiliating defeat, but earned the praise of Manchester United’s fiercely partisan Old Trafford fans.
If it had not been for the 23 year-old goalkeeper’s ability and reflexes Villa might have received a more comprehensive hiding from Tommy Docherty’s rampant United.
Burridge made world-class saves from Steve Coppell, Sammy Mcllroy, Stuart Pearson and Lou Macari which was just as well because he could seldom rely on the defensive cover in front of him.
Ron Saunders. Villa’s manager, was afterwards full of praise for his goalkeeper: “He played exceptionally well and did everything asked of him under difficult conditions.” he said.
Saunders refrained from commenting publicly on the individual displays of several other members of his side, but the guilty ones can expect to be on the manager’s mat when they report for training today.
Burridge could not he blamed for the goals in the 18th and 55th minutes from the lively Coppell and the enterprising McIlroy. Both were gifted to them by slack defensive work.
Chris Nicholl and company had a wretched time trying to quell United’s eager attack in which the unselfish work of Pearson and the fine debut of £70,000 Gordon Hill from Millwall were the prominent features.
It was a pity that England manager Don Revie decided to stay at home instead of traveling to Old Trafford, he might have found Pearson’s form irresistible.
Pearson gave the sort of display that should make him an automatic selection for England’s vital European championship game in Portugal this Wednesday. But he will most probably miss the vote again.
John Gidman will have been thankful however, that Revie was not present. He was at fault with both goals giving McIlroy space and time to cross from the left for Coppell’s goal and then allowing the Irish international to wriggle past and score himself from close range.
Ironically Villa might well have had the game won in the first 15 minutes if Ray Graydon had shown anything of last season’s shooting power. He had four excellent chances, two of which he really should have put away, and he was unlucky when another attempt hit goalkeeper Paddy Roche on the shins.