Game #3677
Aston Villa
Saturday, 6 February 1982
Lost
15th= (-1)
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
Division One
Attendance: 43,184
Manchester United
Old Trafford
Manchester United
4-1
Aston Villa (Champions)
Assist(s) | Andy Blair | 21' |
MATCH SUMMARY
David Geddis puts Villa ahead for the second successive match but despite the opposition creating nothing they go into the second half level before two goals in four minutes turn the game on its head and Villa fall back to 15th as startling news surrounds the club and Ron Saunders' future.
KEY MAN
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MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 6 February 1982
⚽ | 21’ Goal, 1-0, David Geddis, Assist by Andy Blair
🥅 | 45’ Goal, 1-1, (Manchester United), Kevin Moran
🕒 | HT Manchester United 1-1 Aston Villa
🥅 | 62’ Goal, 1-2, (Manchester United), Bryan Robson
🥅 | 66’ Goal, 1-3, (Manchester United), Steve Coppell
🥅 | 79’ Goal, 1-4, (Manchester United), Kevin Moran
🕒 | FT Manchester United 4-1 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Reigning Champions Villa lose for the sixth time in eight League games to make it six wins, seven draws and ten defeats after 23 games of their title defence.
As a result past the midway point of the season, Villa are nearly twenty points off the leaders, closer to the relegation places than a second successive League title.
Since losing to leaders Ipswich in October, Villa had won seven in all competitions, losing ten and drawing two.
With a successful title defence realistically if not mathematically impossible, and acrimony behind the scenes between board and manager, this fourth defeat in six proved to be Ron Saunders’ 393rd and final game in charge of Villa.
Saunders had proved a phenomenal manager of Villa, not just in his trophy achievements, but also from where the club had had to come in order to deliver those triumphs.
Although his predecessor Vic Crowe is due huge credit for creating a platform upon which Saunders could build, few expected two Cup wins, let alone a League title but a win rate of 46% between 1974-75 and 1981-82 duly delivered.
Although a contractual disagreement - as unnecessary as it was overstated - was the driving force behind his departure, perhaps even Saunders thought success in Europe was beyond him and his team’s current form. But with a quarter round tie already secured, Saunders was to leave ahead of one of Villa’s greatest achievements, having set Villa on the way to European glory under his assistant and successor, Tony Barton.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1980-81
Manchester United
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: ❌
Last Trophy: 1976-77
FIXTURE HISTORY
Manchester United
Previous 5 vs. United: 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1981-82 |
Matchday | #36 |
League Match | #23 |
Manager Game | #395 |
Saturday, 6 February 1982
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Ron Saunders | 🏴 | Birkenhead, 1974-1982
Referee: Ken Redfern | 🏴 | Whitley Bay, 1978-1993
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-2
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
FT Score: 🟥 1-4
Last 5: 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥
MANAGERIAL RECORD
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME
🕒 395 | 🟩 | 181 🟨 | 106 🟥 109 | 1.64
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
ALL THE MATCHES LED BY:
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Ken Redfern | 🏴 | Whitley Bay, 1978-1993
Previous 5:
Last Match:
Cards: None
ALL THE MATCHES REFEREED BY:
CARDS
Villa
None
Manchester United
None
TEAM NEWS
Allan Evans, Dennis Mortimer and Terry Bullivant replace Tony Morley, Brendan Ormsby and Gary Shelton.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.89 |
Oldest Player |
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 | 34.01 |
Youngest Player |
M Colin Gibson | 🏴 | 21.85 |
MANAGER
Ron Saunders | 🏴 |
Aston Villa
GK Jimmy Rimmer | 🏴 |
RB Kenny Swain | 🏴 |
CB Allan Evans | 🏴 |
M Colin Gibson | 🏴 |
M Andy Blair | 🏴 | 🔥 |
M Des Bremner | 🏴 |
M Terry Bullivant | 🏴 |
M Dennis Mortimer | 🏴 |
M Gordon Cowans | 🏴 |
CF Peter Withe | 🏴 |
CF David Geddis | 🏴 | ⚽ |
MANAGER
Ron Atkinson | 🏴 |
Manchester United
GK Gary Bailey | 🏴 |
LB Arthur Albiston | 🏴 |
CB Martin Buchan | 🏴 |
CB Kevin Moran | 🇮🇪 | ⚽ | ⚽ |
RB John Gidman (ex) | 🏴 |
RB Mike Duxbury | 🏴 |
M Steve Coppell | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Ray Wilkins | 🏴 |
M Bryan Robson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
CF Frank Stapleton | 🇮🇪 |
CF Garry Birtles | 🏴 | 🔁 |
Not necessarily indicative of the actual matchday formation
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CF Garry Birtles | 🏴 | (CF Scott McGarvey | 🏴 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
RB Gary Williams | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
None
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 10/12
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
LEAGUE TABLE
MATCHDAY PROGRAMME
MATCHDAY QUOTES
RON SAUNDERS' future as manager of Aston Villa was placed in some doubt yesterday with a readjustment of his contract. Previously it had stated that he would always be entitled to three years' compensation on dismissal, now the club have invoked a clause under which Saunders’ contract will end three years from the receipt of an official letter this week.
Daily Mirror, Saturday, 6 February 1982
---
"Without a shadow of doubt the amendment does that [weakens his position with Villa].
"I have always wanted spend the rest of my career with Villa but the odds appear to against that now.
"That is now in jeopardy for the odds appear to be stacked against me."
Ron Saunders.
---
"This is in no way a vote no confidence. In fact I and rather surprised that it has been taken as that.
“As a businessman I do not like roll-over contracts going on for ever.
"With the present situation in football and taking into account the recession I do like to know what our liabilities are.
”Nothing was further from our thoughts [than a vote of no confidence]. He [Saunders] is very good manager and has done very well. [Appointed manager in the summer of 1974, Saunders took Villa up from the second Division and won the League Cup in his first season, qualified Villa for their first ever European campaigns, won the League Cup again and won the First Division championship last season.]
“We did say that, all things being equal, we would be quite willing to negotiate with him the at end of the three years.
“Obviously we think of these things and are reminded of them by the fans, but this not a vote of confidence.”
Ron Bendall.
---
"We had more or less done the job in the first half and should have been two or three up."
Ron Saunders, Saturday, 6 February 1982
---
"I suppose people will look at the result and think we were murdered.
"But we could have murdered them in the first half. In the end the chances went in for Villa United and not for us.”
Peter Withe, Saturday, 6 February 1982
---
“Striker Gary Shaw is one of the players Villa could be forced to sell to raise the money which manager Ron Saunders needs to strengthen his ailing side.
“Villa are nearly £1 million in debt. They say their financial situation is not critical.”
Daily Mirror, Tuesday, 9 February 1982
---
RON SAUNDERS, manager of English league champions Aston Villa, quote the club last night.
In a heated telephone argument with chairman Ron Bendall, Saunders terminated his contract saying:
“If I’m employed to run a football club, then I’m not going to be treated like an office boy.”
Wednesday, 10 February 1982
---
"Many things have been adding up in recent months and this is the final push in the back.
"I have now made up my mind that I want to move on. Mr. Saunders' decision is a complete shock.
“I honestly thought the boss would have sorted out this problem. He has been tremendous, although we have had our disagreements in the past.
"I don't feel comfortable here any more.”
Tony Morley helps the situation, Wednesday, 10 February 1982.
---
"I am going to spend the next four or five weeks contemplating my future.
“I don't know if I will stay in football. I'm just going to have a rest, see a few relations and friends and possibly take a holiday.
"I have a few friends in most sports.
“Who knows, I might even open a sports centre."
Ron Saunders.
---
"As far as I am concerned there is no way the club is liable to pay compensation."
Chairman Ron Bendall.
----
Triumphs cost money and a season's wage bill of £1,026,329 provided the millstone when Sanders sought his Board’s agreement to buy new players to strengthen his squad.
Wednesday, 10 February 1982.
---
“We are in no hurry [to appoint a successor to Saunders].
“We have a very good squad of players who know what is expected of them and I trust they will continue to play with a professional approach.”
Chairman Ron Bendall.
---
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Reach PLC. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)