1971–72 Aston Villa F.C. season
1971–72 season | |
---|---|
Chairman | ![]() |
Manager | ![]() |
Stadium | Villa Park |
Third Division | 1st |
FA Cup | First round |
League Cup | Fourth round |
The 1971–72 English football season was Villa's 73rd season in the Football League, this season playing in the Football League Third Division. Under manager Vic Crowe[1] Aston Villa won promotion to the Second Division as champions with a record 70 points, and thus ended their two-year spell in the Third Division. By the end of the decade they would be firmly re-established as a First Division club.
In July 1971, Ray Graydon secured a £50,000 move from third division Bristol Rovers, with captain Brian Godfrey moving in the opposite direction.[2][3] Graydon missed just one of Villa's 46 league games in the 1971–72 season, scoring 14 goals as the club secured the Third Division title with a five-point margin over Brighton & Hove Albion.[4]
Willie Anderson's contribution included scoring a career high fifteen goals in all competitions with eight coming from penalties, helping him gain a reputation as a penalty taker specialist.[5]
Third Division
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aston Villa (C, P) | 46 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 85 | 32 | 2.656 | 70 | Promotion to the Second Division |
2 | Brighton & Hove Albion (P) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 82 | 47 | 1.745 | 65 | |
3 | Bournemouth | 46 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 73 | 37 | 1.973 | 62 | |
4 | Notts County | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 74 | 44 | 1.682 | 62 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
5 | Rotherham United | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 69 | 52 | 1.327 | 55 | |
6 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 75 | 56 | 1.339 | 54 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 51 | 41 | 1.244 | 50 | |
8 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 74 | 64 | 1.156 | 50 | |
9 | Walsall | 46 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 62 | 57 | 1.088 | 48 | |
10 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 54 | 57 | 0.947 | 47 | |
11 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 45 | |
12 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 73 | 65 | 1.123 | 44 | |
13 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 57 | 57 | 1.000 | 44 | |
14 | Swansea City | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 46 | 59 | 0.780 | 44 | |
15 | Port Vale | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 43 | 59 | 0.729 | 41 | |
16 | Wrexham | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 40 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
17 | Halifax Town | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 48 | 61 | 0.787 | 38 | |
18 | Rochdale | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 83 | 0.687 | 37 | |
19 | York City | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 57 | 66 | 0.864 | 36 | |
20 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 50 | 71 | 0.704 | 36 | |
21 | Mansfield Town (R) | 46 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 41 | 63 | 0.651 | 36 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |
22 | Barnsley (R) | 46 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 32 | 64 | 0.500 | 36 | |
23 | Torquay United (R) | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 69 | 0.594 | 32 | |
24 | Bradford City (R) | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 45 | 77 | 0.584 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Diary
- 20 November 1971: As a third division club Villa were required to compete in the first round joined those non-league clubs having come through the qualifying rounds.[6] Villa were knocked out by Fourth Division Southend.
- 31 March 1972: Third Division table-toppers Aston Villa pull away from A.F.C. Bournemouth.[7]
References
- ^ Saunders chosen as Aston Villa's new manager, 5 June 1974, The Times, Issue: 59107
- ^ "Ray Graydon treasures his Aston Villa memories". Birmingham Mail. 27 February 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "ABOUT Ray Graydon". www.lerwill-life.org.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Abbott, Colin. "Villan on the Spot: Ray Graydon". www.avfc.co.uk. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Kendrick, Mat (6 October 2017). "These are the Aston Villa wingers you loved watching". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
- ^ "FA Cup Trivia". The Football Association. 16 May 2003. Archived from the original on 6 January 2004.
- ^ "Leeds lose chance of going to top". The Herald. Glasgow. 1 April 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
External links
- AVFC History: 1971-72 season