1971β72 season | |
---|---|
Chairman | Doug Ellis |
Manager | Vic Crowe |
Stadium | Villa Park |
Third Division | 1st |
FA Cup | First round |
League Cup | Fourth round |
The 1971β72 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 Β£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 1971β72 season, scoring 14 goals as the club secured the Third Division title with a five-point margin over Brighton & Hove Albion. [4] Debut Appearances included Brian Little (247), Chris Nicholl (210), Ian Ross (175), Jimmy Cumbes (157), Tommy Hughes (16), and Malcolm Beard (6). [5] 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. [6]
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 |