1968–69 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa

1968–69 season
Chairman	(1) Norman Smith (2) Doug Ellis
Manager	(1) Tommy Cummings (2) Tommy Docherty
Stadium	Villa Park
Second Division	18th
FA Cup	Fifth round
League Cup	Second round

The 1968–69 English football season was Aston Villa's 69th season in the Football League, this season playing in the Football League Second Division. Villa had been in decline for several years; the club had an ageing five-man board "who had failed to adapt to the new football reality". The club had neither developed a scouting network nor an effective coaching structure.

Events on the pitch came to a head in November 1968. With Villa lying at the bottom of Division Two, the board sacked Cummings. On 21 November 1968 the problems in the boardroom were highlighted when board member George Robinson resigned. Following his resignation, the board issued a statement: "[The board] would make available, by their resignation, such seats as new financial arrangements might require". Aston Villa F.C. was up for sale. After much speculation London financier Pat Matthews bought control of the club. He brought in local travel agent Doug Ellis as chair of the new board that was convened on 16 December 1968. Two days later Tommy Docherty was appointed as manager, his third club in six weeks, after his resignation from Rotherham United and a brief spell at Queens Park Rangers.

Second Division

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Derby County (C, P)	42	26	11	5	65	32	2.031	63	Promotion to the First Division
2	Crystal Palace (P)	42	22	12	8	70	47	1.489	56
3	Charlton Athletic	42	18	14	10	61	52	1.173	50
4	Middlesbrough	42	19	11	12	58	49	1.184	49
5	Cardiff City	42	20	7	15	67	54	1.241	47	Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
6	Huddersfield Town	42	17	12	13	53	46	1.152	46
7	Birmingham City	42	18	8	16	73	59	1.237	44
8	Blackpool	42	14	15	13	51	41	1.244	43
9	Sheffield United	42	16	11	15	61	50	1.220	43
10	Millwall	42	17	9	16	57	49	1.163	43
11	Hull City	42	13	16	13	59	52	1.135	42
12	Carlisle United	42	16	10	16	46	49	0.939	42
13	Norwich City	42	15	10	17	53	56	0.946	40
14	Preston North End	42	12	15	15	38	44	0.864	39
15	Portsmouth	42	12	14	16	58	58	1.000	38
16	Bristol City	42	11	16	15	46	53	0.868	38
17	Bolton Wanderers	42	12	14	16	55	67	0.821	38
18	Aston Villa	42	12	14	16	37	48	0.771	38
19	Blackburn Rovers	42	13	11	18	52	63	0.825	37
20	Oxford United	42	12	9	21	34	55	0.618	33
21	Bury (R)	42	11	8	23	51	80	0.638	30	Relegation to the Third Division
22	Fulham (R)	42	7	11	24	40	81	0.494	25

Source:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:

External links

• AVFC History: 1968-69 season