1979–80 Aston Villa F.C. season
ClubAston Villa
Season1979–80
ManagerRon Saunders
Chairman(1) Harry Kartz
(2) Ron Bendall
StadiumVilla Park
LeagueFirst Division
League result7th
Cup 1FA Cup
Cup1 resultSixth round
Cup 2League Cup
Cup2 resultThird round
League topscorer
Gary Shaw (9)
Season topscorer
Gary Shaw (12)
Highest attendance41,660 vs Liverpool (8 December 1979)
Lowest attendance15,319 vs Middlesbrough (19 March 1980)
Prevseason1978–79
Nextseason1980–81
Main article: History of Aston Villa F.C. (1961–present)

The 1979–80 English football season was Aston Villa's 81st season in the Football League and their 5th consecutive season in the top division.

There were debut appearances for Nigel Spink (361), Des Bremner (174), Tony Morley (137), David Geddis (47), Eamonn Deacy (33), Terry Donovan (24), Terry Bullivant (12), Mike Pejic (10), Noel Blake (4) and Robert Hopkins (3).[1] On 8 September 1979, the national transfer record fee was broken for the second time in four days when Wolverhampton Wanderers pay almost £1,500,000 for Villa's Scotland striker Andy Gray.[2] In October John Gidman was sold to Everton for £650,000 (2013: £) in a deal which saw left back Pat Heard (24) move the other way at a valuation of £150,000.[3] Heard would make nine appearances in his first season at Villa Park.[4]

3 May 1980: Liverpool clinch the league title in their penultimate league game of the season by beating Aston Villa 4–1 at Anfield.[5]

First Division

Main article: 1979–80 Football League#First Division

Results summary

Results by round

League Cup

Main article: 1979–80 Football League Cup

FA Cup

Main article: 1979–80 FA Cup

Squad

First team squad

As of end of the season.[6][7]

NameNationalityPosition (s)Date of birth (age)Signed from
Goalkeepers
Jimmy RimmerGK3 May 1980Arsenal
Nigel SpinkGK3 May 1980Chelmsford City
Defenders
Brendon OrmsbyCB3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Allan EvansCB3 May 1980Dunfermline Athletic
Ken McNaughtCB3 May 1980Everton
Mark JonesRB3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Noel BlakeCB3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Eamonn DeacyLB3 May 1980Galway United
Colin GibsonLB3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Mike PejicLB3 May 1980Everton
Pat HeardLB3 May 1980Everton
Kenny SwainRB3 May 1980Chelsea
Gary WilliamsRB3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Midfielders
Ivor LintonMF3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Gary SheltonMF3 May 1980Walsall
Alex CropleyMF3 May 1980Hibernian
Lee JenkinsMF3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Dennis MortimerCM3 May 1980Coventry City
Des BremnerCM3 May 1980Hibernian
Gordon CowansCM3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Terry BullivantCM3 May 1980Fulham
Tony MorleyLW3 May 1980Burnley
Forwards
Gary ShawSS3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Brian LittleCF3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy
Terry DonovanCF3 May 1980Grimsby Town
David GeddisCF3 May 1980Ipswich Town
Joe WardCF3 May 1980Clyde
Robert HopkinsCF3 May 1980Aston Villa Academy

Transfers

In

PosPlayerTransferred FromFeeDateSource
LWTony MorleyBurnley£220,0001 June 1979[8]
CFTerry DonovanGrimsby Town£90,0001 August 1979[8]
CMDes BremnerHibernian£275,0001 September 1979[8]
LBMike PejicEverton£225,0001 September 1979[8]
CFDavid GeddisIpswich Town£300,0001 September 1979[8]
LBPat HeardEverton£150,0001 October 1979[8]
CMTerry BullivantFulham£220,0001 November 1979[8]

Out

PosPlayerTransferred ToFeeDateSource
CMJohn GregoryBrighton & Hove Albion£300,00030 June 1979[8]
CMTommy CraigSwansea City£150,00030 June 1979[8]
CBDave EvansHalifax Town£22,00030 June 1979[8]
CFJohn DeehanWest Bromwich Albion£500,0001 September 1979[8]
CFAndy GrayWolverhampton Wanderers£1,469,0001 September 1979[8]
RBJohn GidmanEverton£650,0001 October 1979[8]
LWFrank CarrodusWrexham£70,0001 December 1979[8]

Statistics

Appearances and goals

As of end of season[9]

|}

Goalscorers

As of end of season.[9]

RnkPosPlayerFirst DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal
1FWGary Shaw91212
2DFAllan Evans100010
3MFGordon Cowans6107
4FWBrian Little5106
MFDennis Mortimer6006
6FWTerry Donovan2305
7MFDes Bremner3003
FWDavid Geddis3003
MFTony Morley3003
10DFColin Gibson2002
11FWRobert Hopkins1001
DFKen McNaught1001
DFKenny Swain0011
Own Goals3003
TOTALS546363

Clean sheets

As of end of season.[9]

RnkPosPlayerFirst DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal
1GKJimmy Rimmer122216
TOTALS122216

Overall

As of end of season.[9]

Games played51 (42 First Division, 5 FA Cup, 4 Football League Cup)
Games won19 (16 First Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 Football League Cup)
Games drawn17 (14 First Division, 2 FA Cup, 1 Football League Cup)
Games lost15 (12 First Division, 1 FA Cup, 2 Football League Cup)
Goals scored62 (51 First Division, 8 FA Cup, 3 Football League Cup)
Goals conceded61 (50 First Division, 5 FA Cup, 6 Football League Cup)
Goal difference+1 (+1 First Division, +3 FA Cup, −3 Football League Cup)
Clean sheets16 (12 First Division, 2 FA Cup, 2 Football League Cup)
Best result(s)W 3–0 (H) v Southampton – First Division – 6 October 1979
W 3–0 (H) v Coventry City – First Division – 19 December 1979
W 4–1 (H) v Cambridge United – FA Cup – 30 January 1980
Worst result(s)L 3–0 (H) v Manchester United – First Division – 8 September 1979
L 4–1 (A) v Everton – Football League Cup – 9 October 1979
L 4–1 (A) v Liverpool – First Division – 3 May 1980
Most appearancesGordon Cowans with 52 appearances
Top scorer(s)Gary Shaw (12 goals)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Aston Villa's Seasons". AVFC History
  2. ^ "www.thewolvessite.co.uk". Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  3. ^ The Guardian, Clough apology to directors, 19 October 1979
  4. ^ "Pat Heard Career statistics". Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  5. ^ "www.liverweb.org.uk". Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  6. ^ "All Aston Villa football club players: 1980". 11v11.com. 11v11. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  7. ^ "The Squads". avfchistory.co.uk. AVFCHistory. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "Transfers". avfchistory.co.uk. AVFCHistory. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  9. ^ "1979-80 season squad statistics". 11v11. Retrieved 26 September 2024.