Game #3372
Saturday, 14 February 1976
Attendance: 21,152
Lost
Division One
17th (-)
Sheffield United
DDLLL
Bramall Lane
Villa suffer a shock defeat to bottom side Sheffield United as they lose on the road again, this time to a side cut adrift at the bottom of the table, fourteen points behind Ron Saunders’ men.
Sheffield United
2-1
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Not recorded
KEY MAN
Ron Saunders, defended claims that Villa weren't attacking enough in their latest defeat on the road to bottom side Sheffield United, Saturday, 14 February 1976.
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
19’ Goal, 1-0, Ray Graydon
45’ Goal, 1-1, (Sheffield United), Powell
HT Sheffield United 1-1 Aston Villa
57’ Goal, 1-2, (Sheffield United), Coop
Sub off, John Deehan, Sub on, Chico Hamilton
FT Sheffield United 2-1 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa make it eight wins, nine draws and twelve defeats in twenty nine League games following their return to the top flight. Meanwhile, Frank Pimblett made his final appearance for Villa aged 18 before moving to Stockport County in July 1976. Pimblett played for Villa between 1974-75 and 1975-76 making 11 appearances.
Aston Villa
Sheffield United
League Champions: 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1924–25
FIXTURE HISTORY
Sheffield United
Previous 5 vs. Sheffield United: | 🟩 | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟩 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1975-76 |
Matchday | #35 |
League Match | #29 |
Manager Game | #90 |
Saturday, 14 February 1976
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: David Richardson | 🏴 | Blackburn, 1972-1985
Kick off: 3.00pm
FT Result | Lost |
FT Score | 1-2 |
Last 5 Games | DDLLL |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: David Richardson | 🏴 | Blackburn, 1972-1985
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards:
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Chris Nicholl, John Deehan and Bobby McDonald replace John Overton, Andy Gray and Chico Hamilton.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.58 |
Oldest Player |
CB Chris Nicholl | 29.36 |
Youngest Player |
F John Deehan | 18.54 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Ron Saunders
Aston Villa
GK John Burridge |
LB Bobby McDonald |
CB Chris Nicholl |
CB Ian Ross |
FB John Robson |
RB John Gidman |
M Leighton Phillips |
M Frank Pimblett |
W Ray Graydon |
W Frank Carrodus |
F John Deehan |
Sheffield United
Brown, Garner, Flynn. Colquhoun, Ludlam, Franks, Speight, Bradford, McGeady, Guthrie (g), Woodward (g). Manager: Jimmy Sirrell.
SUBSTITUTES
M Chico Hamilton for F John Deehan |
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 5 |
CF Keith Leonard |
F Brian Little |
M Dennis Mortimer |
LB Charlie Aitken |
CF Andy Gray |
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] didn’t seem to move until Woodward’s shot was past him and he or Chris Nicholl should have stopped Guthrie getting in his header.
“We would have been five or six up at half time if we had stuck all our chances away.
“[Leighton] Phillips was sweeping up in front of the back four and we were pushing the full-backs forward continually. And how can you say we were too negative when we created so many chance’s?”
Ron Saunders.
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 16 February 1976
Aston Villa’s 2-1 defeat by Sheffield United on Saturday was not the happiest of starts to goalkeeper John Burridge’s wedding weekend.
The £100,000 signing from Blackpool could be faulted for both the Sheffield goals. First he was deceived by Alan Woodward’s curling angled drive seconds before half -time and then was caught in no - man’s land when Chris Guthrie headed the winner after 57 minutes.
“He didn’t seem to move until Woodward’s shot was past him and he or Chris Nicholl should have stopped Guthrie getting in his header.” said Villa manager Ron Saunders, who believes that Burridge’s marriage will make a world of difference to the goalkeeper since it will mean he can settle in the Midlands.
But it would be unfair to saddle Burridge with the full responsibility for the defeat.
Indeed, Saunders was far more angry about what was happening at the other end of the pitch.
“We would have been five or six up at half - time if we had stuck all our chances away,” he complained.
Yet everything pointed to Villa’s first away win of the season after Ray Graydon had put them in front after 19 minutes, then they seemed to treat the very mediocre Sheffield with too much respect.
With only John Deehan and Graydon up front and Leighton Phillips withdrawn into a very defensive role, Villa’s line-up was almost 5-3-2 and that kind of cautious approach allowed United the freedom they didn’t deserve.
But Saunders would not agree that his team were not positive enough. “Phillips was sweeping up in front of the back four and we were pushing the full-backs forward continually. And how can you say we were too negative when we created so many chance’s?” he asked.
It was significant, however, that when Phillips moved into more attacking positions later in the game Villa looked a more dangerous proposition and the excellent Bobby McDonald almost earned them a point several times now that he had the freedom to attack.
Sheffield never made it easy with their approach, which was based on fear, desperation and an agonising offside trap which must have caught Villa well over 20 times.