Aston Villa won a new and unexpected admirer in Stoke manager Tony Waddington after this scintillating Midland derby between two clever teams pledging everything in the name of entertainment.

“How can people go on knocking football when you hare matches of this high standard?” he asked. “How can you be pessimistic about the game when you have great teams like Derby, West Ham, Manchester United and City and now Aston Villa?

“The marvellous thing is that there are so many good teams In the First Division who are learning that you don’t have to be negative and defend all the time. What a pity crowds generally are not turning up to watch.” he sighed.

Waddington the First Division’s longest serving manager and a confirmed advocate of the more subtle arts of soccer was almost ecstatic in his praise of Villa’s performance.

“They contributed to a magnificent game and on their second half showing we must be thankful that we only lost one point.” he said.

Certainly Villa’s display was Infinitely superior to anything I have seen from them away from Villa Park this season and on some counts they were desperately unlucky not to have notched their first away victory.

But, in fairness to Waddington’s elegant Stoke side, they really should have punished Villa’s casual-looking defence before the interval when Chris Nicholl, skipper lan Ross and John Robson played like total strangers.

Jimmy Greenhoff, Stoke’s best forward, had a shot kicked off the line by Ross and Geoff Salmons might well have scored against a less alert goalkeeper than the impressive John Burridge. But at half-time the score was 1-1 and so it remained after a tremendous Villa second-half fight-back in which 18-year-old striker John Deehan looked every inch an international in the making.

The strong running Deehan made Villa’s 17th minute goal with a powerful header from Chico Hamilton’s corner which was helped past goalkeeper Peter Shilton by Ray Graydon.

Greenhoff scored Stoke’s equaliser five minutes later after Jimmy Robertson’s shot had rebounded to him off an upright.

As it transpired that was to be Stoke’s only success, although Villa’s goal underwent several miraculous escapes.

But the outstanding memory of this classic game must be the emergence of young Deehan. who, on this occasion, did not have the assistance of injured striker Andy Gray.

Only a world-class reflex save from Shilton prevented him from scoring with yet another grand header after 52 minutes.
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*Birmingham Daily Post*
Tuesday, 9 December 1975

Marsh may move to Fulham

The man in the street must also be bewildered by the way football conducts its transfers.

After turning down three clubs, including Aston Villa, Rodney Marsh was hawking himself in Fulham yesterday.

The move could involve Tampa Bay Rowdies of the United States which shows that Marsh is more concerned with money than football, for didn’t he say when he visited Villa Park that he would be selling his soul if he moved to America?

But the likelihood is that Marsh would play for Fulham, his first professional club, in the winter and the Rowdies in the summer.

Just as confusing is the chase for 17-year-old Martin Murray from Dublin.

Several English clubs including Aston Villa, Coventry and Wolves are keen to sign the schoolboy, who plays for Home Farm.

Inducements such as £15,000 are reported to have been offered but at least Manchester United brought some dignity and sanity to the situation yesterday when they called off plans to sign Murray.