ASTON VILLA skipper Dennis Mortimer and Norwich's striker Justin Fashanu were sent off amid disgraceful scenes today.

Villa's keeper Jimmy Rimmer was felled by a bottle in a riotous outburst which lasted seven minutes after an alleged butting offence by Fashanu on Ken McNaught.

Fashanu's dismissal was the result of an argument with the referee, who had originally showed him the yellow card. But Mortimer's was even more incredible. He argued strongly with referee Cox for awarding a penalty after a tackle by Pejic on Robson.

Football was forgotten when the crowd behind Rimmer went berserk after a succession of decisions had inflamed them. These started as early as the 23rd minute when Allan Evans header was adjudged to have gone over the line, continued when the referee disallowed a Robson shot a minute later for offside.

Then after Evans had been booked and Fashanu sent off, a bottle hit Rimmer on the neck and laid him out.

The goalkeeper refused to return to his goal and a raid of missiles landed on hm. Norwich manager John Bond and skipper Martin Peter, himself earlier booked for dissent, tried to calm the infuriated mob but it took seven minutes before this travesty was resumed.

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Monday, 3 December 1979
Birmingham Daily Post

​Shame the name of this game By GEOFFREY BEANE

​Soccer suffered another self-inflicted wound at Carrow Road on Saturday where the final curtain came down on disgraceful scenes both on and off the pitch and Kevin Bond scored last-gasp penalty which gave Norwich the 1-1 draw they really deserved.

In that last mindless 13 minutes. Justin Fashanu, Norwich's striker, and Dennis Mortimer, Aston Villa's captain, were sent off. Jimmy Rimmer and Allan Evans were struck by coins thrown from the terraces and the match was held up for nearly six minutes.

At first it appeared that Rimmer, stretched out on the turf with his hands covering his head, had been badly injured, but he later explained: "A couple of coins hit me on the neck so I went down and stayed there. I thought It was the safest place."

Fashanu was banished first, for a foul on Evans. and Mortimer for a remark he made to the linesman after the penalty had been awarded for a foul by Pejic on Robson.

Villa's manager, Ron Saunders, said afterwards: "If I appear to be calm and controlled I can assure you that I am putting on an act."

"Norwich got their penalty because a linesman flagged after the referee had waved play on with our players In possession. Dennis went over to speak to the linesman and the next thing we knew was that he had been sent off."

"However, I am not permitted to criticise the officials so there is nothing I can do about it, but you saw for yourselves that it was not the players or the fans who created the situation."

Fashanu said: "I didn't deliberately foul Evans, but what beats me is that up to that point in the game the referee had not said a word to me.

"It's the first time I have been sent off, but I think I must have a good case for an appeal."

John Bond. the Norwich manager, who is not usually wanting for a few hundred words of comment discreetly retired to the boardroom after the match.

Referee Tony Cox, of South Croydon, explained that he sent off Fashanu for treading on Evans and Mortimer for using abusive language to his linesman, and declined to go into details.

For Villa there was the consolation that they extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches in a game which was always sharply physical but did not get out of hand until the intervention of some eccentric officialdom.

They have now drawn six of their away fixtures and only Torquay can equal that in all the four divisions of the League.

Villa had taken the lead in the 23rd minute, soon after a surprise cross-shot by Bremner had hit a post with Keelan beaten.

But when Cowans took a leftwing corner, Evans rose high above two Norwich defenders to score a header. Bond headed the ball back into play but Mr. Cox had no hesitation in deciding that the ball had gone over the line and there was no Norwich protest.

Villa required and got a stalwart defensive display in the second half, however, when Norwich began to respond to the clamour of a crowd who had lost a good deal of their patience and finally played their part in bringing the proceedings to a shameful end.

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Saturday, 1 December 1979
Sports Argus

​Ellis on own in Villa row

​Aston Villa are not expected to name a new director to replace Eric Houghton until early in the New Year.

Houghton has announced that he will retire from the Villa board on December 31, to end a 50-year association with the club as player, manager and director.

He supported Doug Ellis in the recent Villa boardroom upheaval, and has decided to quit rather than face the possibility of being removed.

Houghton's departure is certain to throw even bigger question mark about the future of Ellis on the Board.

From the end of this year it will be Ellis alone against the Bendall family and chairman Harry Kartz.

It is Inevitable that whoever comes on to the Board will be an ally of the three directors, and put Ellis further out on a limb.

Ellis was not available for comment last night but may soon feel he is a hopeless situation. Although he claims to represent the small shareholders, that position might be taken away from him if there is a demand for a further extraordinary general meeting.

Soon after hearing of Houghton's intended resignation, Kartz said: "I have not yet been able to contact my fellow directors to decide the next move."

"However, we have a Board meeting a week on Monday and the whole matter will be discussed then."

"We have the powers to co-opt another person on to the Board, and the appointment would have to be confirmed at the next annual meeting."

"But it seems unlikely that anyone will be elected until the New Year."