Game #3469
Aston Villa
8-4-7, 20 PTS

Saturday, 17 December 1977
11th= (-1)
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
RB John Gidman | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐จ | ๐ฅ |
CB Ken McNaught | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
FB Gordon Smith | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Leighton Phillips | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ | ๐จ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M John Gregory | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
W Frank Carrodus | 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 | ๐จ |
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982

Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
LB Mick Buttress | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
๐จ John Gidman, Foul (14)
๐จ Andy Gray, Dissent (5)
๐จ Leighton Phillips, Foul (10)
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
๐ฅ John Gidman (2)
Trophy Record
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Matchday Squad
Unavailable
Injury | 3 |
FB John Robson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Alex Cropley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Team News
Gordon Cowans replaces Alex Cropley.
Team Stats
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.70 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 29.87 |
Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 19.15 |
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None
On This Day
A cynic would say it was payback for Villaโs criticism and complaints against referee Jim Bent in the match against Albion that saw midfielder Alex Cropley ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ suffer a double fracture to his left leg and the officials subject to widespread condemnationโฆ.
Villa, in their very next game have ๐จ three booked and ๐ฅ one sent off in an atmosphere of such injustice that the opposition team, officials and local TV network come out in support of the wronged player.
Villa make it ๐ฉ eight wins, ๐จ four draws and ๐ฅ seven defeats in ๐ nineteen division one games this season.
Right back John Gidman ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ makes is ๐ฅ sent off on his ๐ 175th appearance in a Villa shirt. It's Gidman's second sending off coming after his red card against Oldham three years earlier.
Starting XI

Lost
0-1
๐ฅ 17 Dec 1977, Villa 0-1 Boro, Ayresome
Scorer(s) | None
Assist(s) | None
Match Timeline
๐จ | 45โ Booking, John Gidman, Foul
๐ | HT Middlesbrough 0-0 Aston Villa
๐ฅ | 72โ Sending off, John Gidman, Innocuous foul
๐จ | 72โ Booking, Andy Gray, Dissent
๐ฅ
| 80โ Goal, 0-1, (Middlesbrough), Graeme Hedley
๐จ | 86โ Booking, Leighton Phillips, Foul
๐ | FT Middlesbrough 1-0 Aston Villa
Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #28 |
League Match | #19 |
Manager Game | #187 |
Saturday, 17 December 1977
Match Record
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Arnold Challinor | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Maltby, 1977-1984
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: ๐จ 0-0
FT Result: ๐ฅ Lost
FT Score: ๐ฅ 0-1
Last 5: ๐ฅ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ
Officials
Referee: Arnold Challinor | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Maltby, 1977-1984
Match Stats
Not recorded
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
๐ 187 | ๐ฉ | 90 ๐จ | 47 ๐ฅ 50 | 1.70
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
What they Said
โThe referee told me that he had sent Gidman off for deliberately chopping down and opponent from behind.
โI am not allowed to criticise his decisions, so all I can say is that Gidman is sick about it, insisting that he played the ball.
โI am sure you all saw if for yourselves.
โSome of the Middlesbrough officials were obviously incensed about it too, and they immediately offered to support my player.
โI have also watched a slow motion run of television film and I am sure it absolves Gidman.
โTyne-Tees TV have offered to let me have a copy of the film to use in evidence.โ
Ron Saunders.
โWe shall back Villa up.โ
John Neal, Middlesbrough manager.
โIn neither case did I foul him [45โ and 72โ].
โIn the first instance he ran into me and I caught him with my elbow.
โIn the second I played the ball in a tackle from the side, not from behind.โ
John Gidman.
Division One
Middlesbrough
6-6-8, 18 PTS
Ayresome Park
Attendance: 14,999
GK Pat Cuff | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
D Ian Bailey | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Stuart Boam | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Alan Ramage | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Billy Ashcroft | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Tony McAndrew | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
RB John Craggs | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M David Armstrong | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Graeme Hedley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
F Stan Cummins | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
F David Mills | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
John Neal | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
F Billy Woof | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Yellow Cards (Warnings, Cautions, Bookings)
๐จ
Red Cards (Ordered from Field of Play, Dismissals, Sendings Off)
๐ฅ John Gidman (2)
Opposition Trophy Record
League Champions: โ
FA Cup Winners: โ
League Cup Winners: โ
Last Trophy: โ
Opposition Matchday Squad
Opposition Unavailable
Not Recorded
League Table
1977-78
Playing Squad



































