top of page

Game #3469

Saturday, 17 December 1977

Attendance: 14,999

Lost

Division One

11th= (-1)

Middlesbrough

LLDWL

Ayresome Park

Almost as if it was payback for Villa’s criticism and complaints against referee Jim Bent in the match against Albion that saw Alex Cropley suffer a double fracture to his left leg and the officials subject to widespread condemnation…. Villa, in their very next game have three booked and one sent off in an atmosphere of such injustice that the opposition, officials of the home side and local TV network come out in support of the wronged player.

Middlesbrough

1-0

Aston Villa

Assist(s) | None

KEY MAN

PREVIOUS MATCH

NEXT MATCH

MATCH TIMELINE

45’+ Booking, John Gidman, Foul
HT Middlesbrough 0-0 Aston Villa
72’ Sending off, John Gidman
72’ Booking, Andy Gray, Dissent
80’ Goal, 0-1, (Middlesbrough), Graeme Hedley
86’ Booking, Leighton Phillips, Foul
FT Middlesbrough 1-0 Aston Villa

ON THIS DAY

Ron Saunders' Villa have John Gidman sent off as they lose to regular bogey team Boro once again. As a result Villa make it eight wins, four draws and seven defeats in nineteen division one games this season.

Aston Villa

Middlesbrough

League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌

FIXTURE HISTORY

Middlesbrough

Previous 5 vs. Middlesbrough: | 🟨 | 🟩 | 🟥 | 🟩 | 🟥 |

FIXTURE DETAILS

Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #28 |
League Match | #19 |
Manager Game | #187 |
Saturday, 17 December 1977

MATCH SUMMARY

Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Arnold Challinor | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Maltby, 1977-1984
Kick off: 3.00pm
FT Result | Lost |
FT Score | 0-1 |
Last 5 Games | LLDWL |

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Arnold Challinor | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Maltby, 1977-1984 🆘
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None

CARDS

Villa

🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨

Middlesbrough

🟨

Arnold Challinor

TEAM NEWS

Gordon Cowans replaces Alex Cropley.

TEAM STATS

Starting XI Average Age
| 24.70 |

Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 29.87 |

Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | 19.15 |

MANAGER

MANAGER

Ron Saunders

Aston Villa

GK Jimmy Rimmer |
CB Ken McNaught |
FB Gordon Smith |
RB John Gidman |
M Leighton Phillips |
M Gordon Cowans |
M John Gregory |
M Dennis Mortimer |
W Frank Carrodus |
CF Andy Gray |
F Brian Little |

Middlesbrough

Cuff, Boam, Ramage, Bailey, Craggs, Ashcroft, McAndrew, Armstrong, Hedley (g), Cummins, Mills. Manager: John Neal

SUBSTITUTES

None

SUBSTITUTES

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

FB Mick Buttress |

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

SQUAD STATS

MATCHDAY SQUAD

SQUAD STATS

MATCHDAY SQUAD

UNAVAILABLE

Injury | 3 |
John Robson |
John Deehan |
Alex Cropley |

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

2021-22 Matchweek 38.jpg

PROGRAMME

Quotation Marks.png

MATCHDAY QUOTES

“The referee told me that he had sent Gidman off for deliberately chopping down and opponent from behind.

“I 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.

“I am sure you all saw if for yourselves.

“Some of the Middlesbrough officials were obviously incensed about it too, and they immediately offered to support my player.

“I have also watched a slow motion run of television film and I am sure it absolves Gidman.

“Tyne-Tees TV have offered to let me have a copy of the film to use in evidence.”

Ron Saunders.



“We shall back Villa up.”

John Neal, Middlesbrough manager.



“In neither case did I foul him [45’ and 72’].

“In the first instance he ran into me and I caught him with my elbow.

“In the second I played the ball in a tackle from the side, not from behind.”

John Gidman.

*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 19 December 1977