Villa lose for the 8th time in their last 9 Premier League fixtures under Ron Atkinson to remain in 19th place of 22 teams in a season where the bottom four would be relegated to Division One. 

Villa fall behind within ten minutes, recover to be leading by 38’ before Andy Townsend is sent off two minutes later. Being down to ten men didn’t stop Villa opening up a 3-1 lead shortly after half time before a bizarre incident as referee David Elleray - never a subtle individual - sends Townsend off for a second time as the midfielder tried to take a seat with the substitutes. That proved the trigger for the fightback as Wimbledon scored three including a last minute winner to condemn Villa to an eighth defeat in nine Premier League games under Ron Atkinson.

Even so few expected what was to happen next as Chairman Herbert Douglas Ellis exacted a long simmering revenge for what he saw as the dismissive and flippant attitude to the his embarrassing pomposity and sacked Ron Atkinson. In doing so Ellis could only reference results, avoiding mentioning the continued high standards of performance even during the fallow period following Villa’s famous victory over Inter Milan just weeks before.

Atkinson’s departure was predictably far from universally welcomed and the charismatic boss still had plenty of credit left from his Premier League Runners Up achievement in 1992-93 and League Cup win in 1993-94. Atkinson’s team however was showing its age and results were increasingly concerning. Although a shame for his reign to end this way, Atkinson is fondly remembered. 

Andy Townsend is sent off TWICE on his 66th appearance in a Villa shirt to make it W30 D13 L23, 5 Goals, 9 Assists, 10 Bookings and 2 Red Cards at a rate of a card every 5.50 games so far in his Villa career.

Kevin Richardson appears as a substitute for the first time in his Villa career after 171 starts.

Future Villa midfielder Øyvind Leonhardsen scores Wimbledon’s 89’ winner.