Game #3498
Saturday, 26 August 1978
Attendance: 23,493
Lost
Division One
6th (-5)
Bristol City
WLWWL
Ashton Gate
Villa are accused of complacency as the League leaders fall to a shock defeat at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City
1-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
HT Bristol City 0-0 Aston Villa
72’ Goal, 0-1, (Bristol City)
77’ Sub off, Gary Shelton, Sub on, Gary Shaw DEBUT
FT Bristol City 0-1 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Ron Saunders' Villa lose for the first time this season as Gary Shaw made his Villa debut aged 16 after joining from school football in July 1977.
Aston Villa
Bristol City
League Champions: ❌
FA Cup Winners: ❌
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: ❌
FIXTURE HISTORY
Bristol City
Previous 5 vs. Bristol City: | 🟩 | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟨 | 🟩 |
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1978-79 |
Matchday | #3 |
League Match | #3 |
Manager Game | #216 |
Saturday, 26 August 1978
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Trevor Spencer | 🏴 | Salisbury, 1971-1985
Kick off: 3.00pm
FT Result | Lost |
FT Score | 0-1 |
Last 5 Games | WLWWL |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Trevor Spencer | 🏴 | Salisbury, 1971-1985
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Ron Saunders names an unchanged line up.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 24.54 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 30.56 |
Youngest Player |
M Gordon Cowans | 19.84 |
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 |
M John Gregory |
W Frank Carrodus |
F Brian Little |
Bristol City
Shaw, Gillies, Rodgers (g), Hunter, Whitehead, Tainton, Sweeney, Mann, Pritchard, Royle, Ritchie. Manager: Alan Dicks.
SUBSTITUTES
F Gary Shaw for M Gary Shelton | 77' |
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
“We were pretty awful and in fact we were luckily that City only put one goal past us. If it hadn’t been for Jimmy Rimmer in goal then we would have been finished by half-time.”
Ron Saunders.
*Birmingham Daily Post*
Monday, 28 August 1978
Aston Villa manager Ron Saunders attributed his side’s surprisingly poor performance against Bristol City on Saturday to complacency after last Wednesday’s outstanding victory over Spurs at White Hart Lane.
“We were pretty awful” he said “and in fact we were luckily that City only put one goal past us. If it hadn’t been for Jimmy Rimmer in goal then we would have been finished by half-time.
“Hopefully we can learn something from this. If you are going to be a good side then you have to. It’s all part of the team’s education.”
It is baffling that a team of Villa’s undoubted ability can be so erratic. Complacency is a deadly disease as Villa found out to their cost last season.
Admittedly, they were handicapped by a series of injuries, but their start to the season was marred by it. If they are to be successful in the League, and there’s every reason to suggest that they will, then it’s the bread and butter games like this one that they have to win.
City were not that good but their manager, Alan Dickes, had done his homework. He watched Villa’s 4-1 annihilation of Spurs and had planned accordingly.
“Villa have a tremendous spirit and competitive attitude,” he said “After watching them last Wednesday I realised we has to march their aggression and not allow them any space.”
And this is just that City did. Veteran Norman Hunter, renowned for the effectiveness of his defensive craft, blunted Villa’s attack while the City midfield out manoeuvred their Midland counterparts.
The West Country pair of strikers, Tom Ritchie and Joe Royle, were a continual threat, but it was left to City defender, David Rodgers, to score the winning goal after a series of quick saves by Rimmer.
He headed home a free kick by Don Gillies in the 72nd minute.