Game #3459
Aston Villa
6-3-4, 15 PTS

Saturday, 29 October 1977
8th= (+1)
Last 5: ๐ฉ ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฉ
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
FB Gordon Smith | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
RB John Gidman | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Leighton Phillips | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ |
M Alex Cropley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | โฝ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ฅ |
W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F Brian Little | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ฅ |
CF Andy Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | โฝ |
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982

Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
None
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Trophy Record
European Cup / Champions League: โ
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Matchday Squad
Goalkeepers
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Defenders
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Full Backs
FB Gordon Smith | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
RB John Gidman | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Midfielders
M Leighton Phillips | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ |
M Alex Cropley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Wingers
W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Forwards
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F Brian Little | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Andy Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Unavailable
Injury | 1 |
FB John Robson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Team News
Ron Saunders names an unchanged line up.
Team Stats
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.98 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 29.74 |
Youngest Player |
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 20.24 |
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None
On This Day
Centre forward Andy Gray ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ โฝ scores his eleventh of the season and sixth โฝ in ๐ seven games before dropping back into defence to execute some crucial tackles to prevent a second half Manchester United comeback.
Ron Saunders' ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ Villa go five games unbeaten in the league to make it ๐ฉ six wins, ๐จ three draws and ๐ฅ four defeats in ๐ thirteen division one games this season.
Midfielder Alex Cropley ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ scores his โฝ 5th goal in a Villa shirt on his ๐ 58th appearance.
Starting XI

Won
2-1
๐ฉ 29 Oct 1977, Villa 2-1 United, Villa Park
Scorer(s) | Andy Gray | 31' | Alex Cropley | 40' |
Assist(s) | Brian Little | 31' | Dennis Mortimer | 40' |
Match Timeline
โฝ | 31โ Goal, 1-0, Andy Gray, Assist by Brian Little
โฝ | 40โ Goal, 2-0, Alex Cropley, Assist by Dennis Mortimer
๐ | HT Aston Villa 2-0 Manchester United
๐ฅ
| 83โ Goal, 2-1, (Manchester United), Jimmy Nicholl
๐ | FT Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United
Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #18 |
League Match | #13 |
Manager Game | #177 |
Saturday, 29 October 1977
Match Record
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Tony Glasson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Salisbury, 1974-1983
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: ๐ฉ 2-0
FT Result: ๐ฉ Won
FT Score: ๐ฉ 2-1
Last 5: ๐ฉ ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฉ
Officials
Referee: Tony Glasson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Salisbury, 1974-1983
Linesmen: W. C. Harvey (Redditch); H. Taylor (Leicester)
Previous 5 vs. United: ๐ฅ ๐ฉ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ ๐ฅ
Head to Head
Total ๐ 103 | ๐ฉ 39 | ๐จ 17 | ๐ฅ 47 | โฝ 170 | ๐ฅ
191 |
League ๐ 91 | ๐ฉ 36 | ๐จ 16 | ๐ฅ 39 | โฝ 155 | ๐ฅ
163 |
FA Cup ๐ 8 | ๐ฉ 2 | ๐จ 0 | ๐ฅ 6 | โฝ 11 | ๐ฅ
20 |
League Cup ๐ 3 | ๐ฉ 1 | ๐จ 1 | ๐ฅ 1 | โฝ 4 | ๐ฅ
4 |
Other ๐ 1 | ๐ฉ 0 | ๐จ 0 | ๐ฅ 1 | โฝ 0 | ๐ฅ
4 |
Home ๐ 50 | ๐ฉ 28 | ๐จ 9 | ๐ฅ 13 | โฝ 116 | ๐ฅ
78 |
Away ๐ 52 | ๐ฉ 10 | ๐จ 8 | ๐ฅ 34 | โฝ 52 | ๐ฅ
112 |
Neutral ๐ 1 | ๐ฉ 1 | ๐จ 0 | ๐ฅ 0 | โฝ 2 | ๐ฅ
1 |
Match Stats
Not recorded
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
๐ 177 | ๐ฉ | 87 ๐จ | 44 ๐ฅ 46 | 1.72
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
What they Said
โI could see Martin Buchan pushing up all the time and when United scored their first goal it looked very desperate for us.
โI was not acting under instructions from manager Ron Saunders.
โBut having watched a 2-0 lead reduced I didn't want to see us throwing two points away.
โI think I am back to my best form now and at last I am free from injury.
"I know people have said I will not score as many goals this season but I aim to prove them wrong.
"If I can maintain a good scoring rate it must improve my chances of playing for Scotland again.
"I let down Scotland and myself last year when I was sent off in Czechoslovakia. I have had to sit back and watch them qualify for the World Cup finals and I know that to get back into the squad could be the hardest thing in the world."
Andy Gray.
Division One
Manchester United
5-2-5, 12 PTS
Villa Park
Attendance: 39,144
GK Alex Stepney | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
LB Arthur Albiston | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
LB Stewart Houston | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
CB Martin Buchan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
RB Jimmy Nicholl | ๐ฌ๐ง | โฝ |
W Chris McGrath | ๐ฌ๐ง |
W Gordon Hill | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
M Steve Coppell | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Sammy McIlroy | ๐ฌ๐ง |
M David McCreery | ๐ฌ๐ง |
CF Stuart Pearson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Dave Sexton | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
๐ | W Gordon Hill | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | (M Ashley Grimes | ๐ฎ๐ช |)
Unused Substitutes
None
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
None
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
None
Opposition Trophy Record
European Cup / Champions League: ๐
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐
League Cup Winners: โ
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Opposition Matchday Squad
Goalkeepers
GK Alex Stepney | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Defenders
CB Martin Buchan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Full Backs
LB Arthur Albiston | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
LB Stewart Houston | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
RB Jimmy Nicholl | ๐ฌ๐ง |
Midfiedlers
M Ashley Grimes | ๐ฎ๐ช |
M Steve Coppell | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Sammy McIlroy | ๐ฌ๐ง |
M David McCreery | ๐ฌ๐ง |
Wingers
W Chris McGrath | ๐ฌ๐ง |
W Gordon Hill | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
Forwards
CF Stuart Pearson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Opposition Unavailable
Not Recorded
League Table
1977-78
Playing Squad





















































