Game #3496
Saturday, 19 August 1978
Attendance: 43,922
Won
Division One
6th=
Wolverhampton Wanderers
WWWLW
Villa Park
Villa open the season with victory over Wolves as Andy Gray scores his 50th League goal before leaving the field injured.
Aston Villa
1-0
Wolves
Assist(s) | Gordon Smith | 60' |
KEY MAN
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
1’ Debut, Gary Shelton
HT Aston Villa 0-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
60’ Goal, 1-0, Andy Gray, Assist by Gordon Smith
Sub off, Andy Gray, Sub on, John Gidman
FT Aston Villa 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa open the season with a derby win over Wolves as midfielder Gary Shelton made his first start for Villa after making an unused substitute appearance in 1977-78. Shelton had moved from Walsall in January 1978 for a fee of £60,000. Centre forward Andy Gray scores his 50th League goal in the 60' to win it for Villa.
Aston Villa
Wolverhampton Wanderers
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Wolves: | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟨 | 🟩 | 🟥 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1978-79 |
Matchday | #1 |
League Match | #1 |
Manager Game | #214 |
Saturday, 19 August 1978
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Clive Thomas | 🏴 | Treorchy, 1966–1984
Kick off: 3.00pm
FT Result | Won |
FT Score | 1-0 |
Last 5 Games | WWWLW |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Clive Thomas | 🏴 | Treorchy, 1966–1984
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Ron Saunders hands Gary Shelton his debut.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.38 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 30.54 |
Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | 19.82 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Ron Saunders
Aston Villa
GK Jimmy Rimmer |
RB John Gidman |
CB Allan Evans |
CB Ken McNaught |
FB Gordon Smith |
M Gordon Cowans |
M Dennis Mortimer |
M Gary Shelton |
W Frank Carrodus |
CF Andy Gray |
F Brian Little |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Bradshaw, Hazell, Parkin, Palmer, McAlle, Carr, Daley, Daniel, Hibbitt, Eves (Bell), Rafferty. Manager: Cyril Chung.
SUBSTITUTES
M John Gregory for CF Andy Gray |
SUBSTITUTES
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Injury | 4 |
Alex Cropley |
Leighton Phillips |
John Deehan |
Tommy Craig |
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
PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 21 August 1978
Two centre forwards with plenty to prove provided the most memorable opening day moments as Aston Villa and Wolves endeavoured to overcome a stifling, steamy heat which almost suffocated the players and the game.
Scottish international Andy Gray scored his 50th league goal which gave Villa their narrow 1-0 win to remind watching Scotland manager, Ally MacLeod the he still the best man for the dark blue international shirt.
And Wolves lanky striker Norman Bell, a 69th minute substitute for Mel Eves, misses an open goal which would have given the Molineux men a point that nobody could have begrudged them.
Macleod will shortly have to select his side for the European Championship game against Austria in three weeks time, and the 22-year-old Villa Park goal-ace could not have chosen a better occasion to reach his half century.
Gray timed his 60th minute run perfectly to connect with full back Gordon Smith’s left wing cross and put it over the line before Bob Hazell and John McAlle realised the danger.
In the process Gray injured his thigh, and was soon pulled off. But manager Ron Saunders is confident that he will be fit for Wednesday’s game at Tottenham.
It was a different story for the luckless Bell who toe-ended a 76 minute equalising chance high over Villa’s crossbar from just five yards out with only goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer to beat.
Apart from Gray’s goal there was little else to get excited about in Villa’s display after Wolves had won territorial advantage in the first half with their unusual 3-5-2 formation.