๐ฅ 7 Jan 1978, Villa 1-4 Everton, Goodison
Scorer(s) | Andy Gray | 42' |
Assist(s) | None
Fixture List
On This Day
Saturday, 7 January 1978
Ron Saunders' Villa are knocked out of the FA Cup after being resoundingly beaten at Goodison.
Leighton Phillips is sent off as trouble on and off the pitch dominates the headlines but look a little more closely and the real issue is the poor standard of refereeing that plagued football.
The problem was typified by the notorious but still FIFA nominated official Clive Thomas. Never far from controversy, Thomas awards a 25โ penalty to Everton after Duncan McKenzie โbrushed pastโ John Gregory.
Cue justified protests and a booking from the renowned thin skinned and self important official.
Television replays, which Thomas claimed would prove him right, did anything but. Yet the official continued his rule undaunted by his error sending off Leighton Phillips for a โgestureโ in the final minutes.
After the game, Thomas would justify his action on the basis of what looked very like personal pride, hardly the position an impartial referee should take, let alone the self-styled โcountryโs top officialโ.
Villa would have lost regardless of Thomasโ performance but something desperately needed to be done about the standard of officiating in 1978.
Last 5: ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐ฅ
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
๐ 192 | ๐ฉ | 91 ๐จ | 49 ๐ฅ 52 | 1.68
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
Game #3474
Match Record
Season | 1977-78 |
Matchday | #33 |
Manager Game | #192 |
Saturday, 7 January 1978
Game Record
Manager: Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Clive Thomas | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ | Treorchy, 1968โ1983
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: ๐ฅ 1-3
FT Result: ๐ฅ Lost
FT Score: ๐ฅ 1-4
Last 5: ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ ๐จ ๐ฅ
Head to Head
Previous 5 vs. Everton: ๐ฉ ๐จ ๐จ ๐ฉ ๐ฅ
Total ๐ 139 | ๐ฉ W54 (39% ) | ๐จ D30 | ๐บ(60% ) | ๐ฅ L55 (40% ) | โฝ 231 | ๐ฅ 236 | GD -5
Trophy Cabinet
Aston Villa
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
League Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
Last Trophy: 1976-77
Everton
League Champions: ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
FA Cup Winners: ๐๐๐
League Cup Winners: โ
Last Trophy: 1969-70
Squad News
Debut Appearances
None
Final Appearances
None
Match Timeline
๐ฅ
| 20โ Goal, 1-0, (Everton), Andy King
๐จ | 25โ Booking, Leighton Phillips, Dissent
๐ฅ
| 25โ Goal, 2-0, (Everton, pen), Trevor Ross
๐ฅ
| 40โ Goal, 3-0, (Everton), Duncan McKenzie
โฝ | 42โ Goal, 3-1, Andy Gray
๐ | HT Everton 3-1, Aston Villa
๐ฅ
| 58โ Goal, 4-1, (Everton), Bob Latchford
๐ | 58โ Sub off, Frank Carrodus, Sub on, John Deehan
๐ฅ | 87โ Sending off, Leighton Phillips, โGestureโ
๐ | FT Everton 4-1 Aston Villa
Officials
Referee: Clive Thomas | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ | Treorchy, 1968โ1983
Linesmen: A. R. Humpage (Market Drayton); R. F. Smith (Rugeley)
Officials
Referee Profile
VAR Profile (Post 2021)
Officials
Villa Bookings
๐จ Leighton Phillips, Dissent (11)
Villa Sendings Off
๐ฅ Leighton Phillips (2)
Opposition Bookings
None
Opposition Sendings Off
None
Match Stats
Not recorded
Line Up & Subs
Aston Villa
Ron Saunders | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 1974-1982
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 | ๐จ | ๐ฅ |
M John Gregory | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | ๐ |
F Brian Little | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Andy Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | โฝ |
Substitutes
๐ | F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | for W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | 58' |
Unused Substitutes
None
Everton
Gordon Lee (ex) | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
GK George Wood | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
LB Terry Darracott | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Mark Higgins | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Mick Lyons | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
LB Mike Pejic (ft) | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Martin Dobson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Andy King | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
M Trevor Ross | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ | โฝ |
M Dave Thomas | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Bob Latchford | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ | โฝ |
CF Duncan McKenzie | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Substitutes
No Substitutions Made
Unused Substitutes
D Dave Jones | ๐ด๓ ง ๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Team News
Aston Villa
Injury | 2 |
FB John Robson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Alex Cropley | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Frank Carrodus replaces John Deehan.
Everton
Not Recorded
Matchday Squads
Aston Villa
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 John Gregory | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Dennis Mortimer | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Gordon Cowans | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Wingers
W Frank Carrodus | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Forwards
F Brian Little | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Andy Gray | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
F John Deehan | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Everton
Goalkeepers
GK George Wood | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
Defenders
D Dave Jones | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Mark Higgins | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CB Mick Lyons | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Full Backs
LB Terry Darracott | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
LB Mike Pejic (ft) | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Midfielders
M Martin Dobson | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Andy King | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
M Trevor Ross | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ |
M Dave Thomas | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Forwards
CF Bob Latchford | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
CF Duncan McKenzie | ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ |
Match Media

What they Said
"How could I have turned a blind eye to Leighton Phillip's dissenting gesture? If I had done I could not have walked out of the ground an honest man."
Referee Clive Thomas.
Match Highlights
Team Selection
Goalkeeper
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Substitutes
None
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โฝ
๐ฅ
Sub 4
๐ฉ
๐จ
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None
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๐
โฝ
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Sub 2
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
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๐
โฝ
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Sub 3
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
None
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๐
โฝ
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Sub 5
๐ฉ
๐จ
๐ฅ
1977-78
First Team Squad
Matchday Programme




















