1976–77 Aston Villa F.C. season

The 1976–77 season was Aston Villa's 77th in the Football League and their second consecutive season in the top division.

Main article: History of Aston Villa F.C. (1961–present)

Aston Villa

1976–77 season
Chairman	Sir William Dugdale, Bt[1][2]
Manager	Ron Saunders
Stadium	Villa Park
First Division	4th
FA Cup	Sixth round
League Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Andy Gray (25) All: Andy Gray (29)
Average home league attendance	37,904
← 1975–76 1977–78 →

Second City Derby

33--26--24

← 1975–76 1977-78 →

Andy Gray and was joint winner of England's golden boot with Arsenal's Malcolm Macdonald in 1976–77. Gray's 29 goals helped Villa to a fourth-place finish and victory in the League Cup, and earned him the PFA Young Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards.^[3]

There were debut appearances for Gordon Smith (79), Alex Cropley (67), Charlie Young (11), Mick Buttress (3), David T Hughes (4) and Ivor Linton (27).^[4]

Diary of the season

31 Aug 1976: No fewer than nine teams are level on four points at the top of the First Division after three matches. Aston Villa lead on goal difference. Norwich City are the only team yet to register a point.^[5]

15 Dec 1976: Aston Villa beat Liverpool 5–1 in the League at Villa Park.^[5]

12 Mar 1977: The League Cup final ends in a 0–0 draw between Aston Villa and Everton at Wembley.^[6] Arsenal's 2–1 loss to Queens Park Rangers is their seventh consecutive League defeat, a club record.^[5][7]

16 Mar 1977: The Football League Cup final replay at Hillsborough ends in a 1–1 draw.^[6]

13 Apr 1977: The Football League Cup final is decided at the third attempt when Aston Villa beat Everton 3–2 in the second replay at Old Trafford.^[6] A last minute goal from Brian Little sends the trophy to Villa Park and prevents the possibility of a first-ever major English Cup Final penalty shoot-out.

16 May 1977: Ivor Linton made his debut in the First Division as a 17-year-old apprentice, as a substitute in a 1–0 home victory against Stoke City relegating the Potteries club.^[8] West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers win their last matches of the season to survive, and Bristol City keep their hopes alive by beating Liverpool 2–1. They go into their last match level on points with Coventry City and Sunderland.^[5]

Villa lost both games in the Second City derby.^[9]

League table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
2	Manchester City	42	21	14	7	60	34	+26	56	Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
3	Ipswich Town	42	22	8	12	66	39	+27	52
4	Aston Villa	42	22	7	13	76	50	+26	51
5	Newcastle United	42	18	13	11	64	49	+15	49
6	Manchester United	42	18	11	13	71	62	+9	47	Qualification for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round[lower-alpha 1]

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:

1. Manchester United qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup first round as the 1976–77 FA Cup winners.

Results

Aston Villa's score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Scorers
21 August 1976	West Ham United	H	4–0	Gray (2), Graydon (2)
25 August 1976	Manchester City	A	0–2
28 August 1976	Everton	A	2–0	Little, Lyons (own goal)
4 September 1976	Ipswich Town	H	5–2	Gray (3), Graydon, Little
11 September 1976	Queens Park Rangers	A	1–2	Gray
18 September 1976	Birmingham City	H	1–2	Gray
25 September 1976	Leicester City	H	2–0	Gray, Graydon
2 October 1976	Stoke City	A	0–1
16 October 1976	Sunderland	A	1–0	Cropley
20 October 1976	Arsenal	H	5–1	Gray (2), Graydon, Little, Mortimer
23 October 1976	Bristol City	H	3–1	Gidman, Graydon, Nicholl
30 October 1976	Liverpool	A	0–3
6 November 1976	Manchester United	H	3–2	Gray (2), Mortimer
10 November 1976	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–1	Mortimer
20 November 1976	Coventry City	H	2–2	Gidman, Gray
27 November 1976	Norwich City	A	1–1	Little
11 December 1976	Leeds United	A	3–1	Cropley, Gray (2)
15 December 1976	Liverpool	H	5–1	Deehan (2), Gray (2), Little
18 December 1976	Newcastle United	H	2–1	Deehan (2)
27 December 1976	Middlesbrough	A	2–3	Gray, Hughes
1 January 1977	Manchester United	A	0–2
22 January 1977	West Ham United	A	1–0	Gray
5 February 1977	Everton	H	2–0	Gray, Little
12 February 1977	Ipswich Town	A	0–1
2 March 1977	Derby County	H	4–0	Cowans, Gidman, Little, Mortimer
5 March 1977	Leicester City	A	1–1	Deehan
23 March 1977	Sunderland	H	4–1	Deehan (2), Gidman, Gray
2 April 1977	Bristol City	A	0–0
5 April 1977	Middlesbrough	H	1–0	Deehan
9 April 1977	Derby County	A	1–2	Little
16 April 1977	Coventry City	A	3–2	Cowans, Deehan, Little
20 April 1977	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2–1	Deehan, Little
23 April 1977	Norwich City	H	1–0	Little
25 April 1977	Arsenal	A	0–3
30 April 1977	Tottenham Hotspur	A	1–3	Deehan
4 May 1977	Manchester City	H	1–1	Little
7 May 1977	Leeds United	H	2–1	Cropley, Deehan
10 May 1977	Birmingham City	A	1–2	Deehan
14 May 1977	Newcastle United	A	2–3	Little (2)
16 May 1977	Stoke City	H	1–0	Gray
20 May 1977	Queens Park Rangers	H	1–1	Cowans
23 May 1977	West Bromwich Albion	H	4–0	Gray (3), Nicholl

Squad

All Aston Villa players: 1977 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player - GK  ENG John Burridge - DF  ENG John Robson - DF  SCO Gordon Smith - DF  WAL Leighton Phillips - DF  NIR Chris Nicholl - MF  ENG Dennis Mortimer - FW  ENG John Deehan - FW  ENG Brian Little - FW  SCO Andy Gray - MF  SCO Alex Cropley - MF  ENG Frank Carrodus

No. Pos. Nation Player - DF  ENG John Gidman - FW  ENG Ray Graydon - MF  ENG Gordon Cowans - DF  ENG Charlie Young - GK  SCO Jake Findlay - MF  ENG David Hughes - DF  ENG Keith Masefield - DF  ENG Mike Buttress - DF  ENG Ivor Linton - MF  ENG Steve Hunt

See also

• List of Aston Villa F.C. records and statistics

References

1. Dyer, Christopher (10 March 2022). "Dugdale, Sir William Stratford, second baronet". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.108089. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
2. "Former Villa chairman Bill Dugdale reveals battles with Doug Ellis". 18 May 2011.
3. Bishop, Rob (30 November 2018). "St Andy's Day". Aston Villa F.C. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
4. "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History.
5. Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 138. ISBN 1859832148.
6. Smailes, Gordon (2000). The Breedon Book of Football Records. Derby: Breedon Books. p. 256. ISBN 1859832148.
7. Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2011-2012. London: Headline. 2011. ISBN 9780755362318.
8. "Ivor Linton – Aston Villa FC". Football-Heroes.net. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
9. "All Aston Villa's Matches". AVFC History. Retrieved 6 August 2023.