Game #3380
Aston Villa
9-14-14, 32 PTS
Saturday, 3 April 1976
Lost
18th (-)
Last 5: 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟥
Division One
Attendance: 46,251
Birmingham City
St Andrew's
11-6-19, 28 PTS
Villa remain winless in seven as they suffer the indignity of defeat to neighbours Birmingham who still need points to secure safety from relegation as they sit four points behind Ron Saunders’ side in 19th place.
Birmingham City
3-2
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Chris Nicholl | 40' |
KEY MAN
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 3 April 1976
🥅 | 18’ Goal, 0-1, (Birmingham City), Terry Hibbitt
⚽ | 40’ Goal, 1-1, Andy Gray, Assist by Chris Nicholl
🕒 | HT Birmingham City 1-1 Aston Villa
🥅 | 58’ Goal, 1-2, (Birmingham City), Kenny Burns
⚽ | 74’ Goal, 2-2, Ray Graydon (pen)
🥅 | 84’ Goal, 2-3, (Birmingham City), Trevor Francis
🕒 | FT Birmingham City 3-2 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa make it nine wins, fourteen draws and fourteen defeats in thirty seven League games following their return to the top flight. Meanwhile, Midfielder Chico Hamilton made his final appearance for Villa aged 25 before moving on to Sheffield United in July 1976. Chico played for Villa between 1969-70 and 1975-76 making 250 appearances and scoring 48 goals.
Aston Villa
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1974-75
Birmingham City
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: 🏆
Last Trophy: 1962-63
FIXTURE HISTORY
Birmingham City
Previous 5 vs. Birmingham: 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟩 🟩
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1975-76 |
Matchday | #43 |
League Match | #37 |
Manager Game | #98 |
Saturday, 3 April 1976
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Clive White | 🏴 | Harrow, 1973-1983
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 1-1
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
FT Score: 🟥 2-3
Last 5: 🟨 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟥
MANAGERIAL RECORD
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME
🕒 98 | 🟩 | 43 🟨 | 27 🟥 28 | 1.59
Career Form:
Top 8
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Clive White | 🏴 | Harrow, 1973-1983
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
Clive White
CARDS
Villa
None
Birmingham City
None
TEAM NEWS
Ron Saunders names an unchanged line up.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.34 |
Oldest Player |
CB Chris Nicholl | 🇬🇧 | 29.50 |
Youngest Player |
CF Andy Gray | 🏴 | 20.36 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
Willie Bell | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK John Burridge | 🏴 |
FB John Robson | 🏴 |
CB Chris Nicholl | 🇬🇧 | 🔥 |
CB Ian Ross | 🏴 |
RB John Gidman | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
M Chico Hamilton | 🏴 | 🔴 |
W Ray Graydon | 🏴 | ⚽ |
W Frank Carrodus | 🏴 |
F Brian Little | 🏴 |
CF Andy Gray | 🏴 | ⚽ |
Birmingham City
GK Dave Latchford | 🏴 |
LB Tony Want | 🏴 |
LB Archie Styles | 🏴 |
CB Kenny Burns | 🏴 | ⚽ |
CB Joe Gallagher | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Jimmy Calderwood | 🏴 |
M Gary Emmanuel | 🏴 |
M Terry Hibbitt | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Howard Kendall | 🏴 |
F Andy Needham | 🏴 |
CF Trevor Francis | 🏴 | ⚽ |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CB Joe Gallagher | 🏴 | (CF Bob Hatton | 🏴 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
LB Bobby McDonald | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 3 |
CF Keith Leonard | 🏴 |
LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 |
F John Deehan | 🏴 |
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
🔴 M Chico Hamilton | 🏴 |
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME
MATCHDAY QUOTES
“They were only upfield twice in the second half.
“We had so much of the ball that my goalkeeper John Burridge was catching cold.”
Ron Saunders.
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 5 April 1976
In the end it came down to commitment: Birmingham City beat Aston Villa 3-2 at St. Andrew’s because they had more men who desperately wanted to win.
Villa played the better, more pleasing football, and looked the team with a brighter future, but players like Chris Nicholl, Andy Gray, lan Robson, Frank Carrodus and Dennis Mortimer were sometimes let down by others.
Blues, on the other hand, had everybody battling and while a draw or Villa victory would have been a fair result on the run of play Blues deserved a reward for their effort.
Nobody typified this more than Howard Kendall, who splashed his skill with sweat and had the satisfaction of making his team’s 84th minute winner which was flicked into the net by Trevor Francis.
It was a dramatic end to a superb derby, a match which was intense. fluctuating and thrilling.
Blues led three times, through Terry Hibbitt, his first goal for the club. Kenny Burns, back after suspension and in the attack, and finally, Francis.
Villa equalised first through the courageous Gray and secondly through a Ray Graydon penalty. On Saturday it looked harsh but watching it on television yesterday confirmed to me that referee Clive White was correct. Joe Gallagher’s foot shot out and brought down Graydon after the ball had gone.
It was a game of many chances. far more than are usual in derbies.
Andy Needham hugely miskicked the chance to make a name for himself from six yards out; Chico Hamilton was four yards nearer the goal when he missed his opportunity.
Those were the best but there were others as both defences showed their failings.
Blues. at least, had excuses with Gallagher struggling with a back injury and Archie Styles suffering from a groin strain.
Villa’s manager, Ron Saunders. summed up his team’s patchwork display by wondering how Blues could win when “they were only upfield twice in the second half.” adding:
“We had so much of the ball that my goalkeeper. John Burridge was catching cold.”
Then he answered himself by saying that his team “gave” Blues three goals, an unspoken admission that it must be strengthened if Villa are to get anywhere near the top next season.
But at least Villa showed with players like Gray, John Gidman, Brian Little, John Burridge and Mortimer they can only improve whereas Blues showed just how difficult their manager Willie Bell’s task will be next season whether they are relegated or not. He has no money apparently, or at least not enough, and in attack only the abiding brilliance of Francis. He wants away., of course, and after scoring the goal which seems likely to keep Blues in the First Division he deserves his transfer. It may be irreverent but I couldn’t help thinking what a good forward line Francis, Gray and Little would make.
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)