Hitchens has moved to Italy. It was felt that we needed a personality to replace him – hence Derek Dougan from Blackburn Rovers.

Pre-season trial. Colours 3 Light Blues 2. Only two substitutions for the reserves at half-time. Our first sighting of Dougan and concern was expressed at the problems the first team had had in trying to beat the reserves.

For some reason Dougan felt he needed a gimmick to endear himself to the fans and so chose to appear totally bald for the opening day fixture at Everton. A la Yul Brynner in the King of Siam was then in vogue. This at least guaranteed full press exposure. As indeed did his performance. It may be that he had ‘previous’ with Everton the centre-half but he went out of his way to stay clear of him and played the Hidegutti role. But he was no Hidegutti. And there is some doubt as to whether it was all pre-planned or not because his colleagues seemed as confused as the 52,289 who where there.

Everton had little difficulty in winning. Bingham (42) after we failed to clear a free kick. Unlike Sidebottom, Dunlop did not get hand hands dirty throughout After the half-time mints had been tossed to the crowd Young (81) finally put us out of our misery.

Football League Cup final 1st leg Rotherham United 2 Aston Villa 0

Chelsea were next to show up at Villa Park for our first home game of the season. Minus Jimmy Greaves who is away on what became an abortive holiday in Milan proving that all is not milk and honey in Italy. But for Villa after a pathetic display at Everton and a near-disaster at Rotherham which may already have cost us the League Cup there is cause for instant panic. Burrows for McParland who was certainly dropped because he was to be seen playing for the reserves at Stoke City. Alan Baker for Wylie, ditto. Sleeuwenhoek for Dugdale, injured at Rotherham.

But this rejuvenated Villa took the lead after just seven minutes of constant attacking. Thomson (7). Definitely not what the 29,390 were expecting. That is until Tambling (24) restored equilibrium. But immediately after the restart Burrows scored with what was to become his signature method. Wham (46). Not what Chelsea were expecting and when MacEwan made it three towards the end (82) all was suddenly right with the world.

Only one blot on the horizon. We have to go to Molineux next and in only two days time. 31,703 saw a game dominated by two centre-forwards. When Farmer put them two nil up (10 & 30) we had that all too familiar feeling of here we go again, especially as the first came gift-wrapped. But between the two goals Harris, the Wolves left back sustained a broken leg.

Taking advantage of the afflicted the game swung in our favour until eventually Dougan opened his account (62 & 64) and a truce was called.

Bramall Lane and Dugdale is back, charged with keeping Derek Pace in check. Something which he successfully managed to do although that may have been more down to Sidebottom who followed up his display against Wolves with another match-saving performance. A brief spell of pinball football ended when Burrows pounced (42) before Dougan netted easily and we had successfully blunted the Blades in front of 21,336.

Football League Cup Final 2nd leg Aston Villa 3 Rotherham United 2 aet. Had the game finished as a draw we would have shared the trophy. But it was an event after the game which was to sour the celebrations. A car crash involving Thomson and Dougan resulting in the death of Malcolm Williams, the reporter on Villa matches for the Wolverhampton Express and Star.

The absence of Thomson and Dougan meant a reshuffled team for the visit of West Ham United and whatever fancy tactics they were playing this season. At half-time nil –nil 31,636 were unprepared for what happened next. Firstly Crowe netted in a thrice (45+). But Dick equalised before the cheering had died down (48). A thre- man move ended with McParland putting us ahead again but, as before, for less time than it takes to write about it. Scot (61).

Stunned by this unexpected turn of events we unexpectedly capitulated under the wiles of Woosnam. Dick (63) and Sealey (73) concluded a thoroughly miserable afternoon.

We then had to go fourth division Bradford City within eight days of winning the League Cup in order to defend it. Before proceeding to the game Villa officials and players attended the funeral of Malcolm Williams.

Given the unusual match preparation a few team changes were in order. Lynn and Aitken renewed their full-back partnership, Tindall replaced Baker and Wylie returned in place of O’Neill. Star in the Bradford firmament was Bronco Layne. Except the real star as it turned out was Webb who had the distinction of scoring an incredible hat track (56 77 & 89) after we were coasting to victory four goals ahead. MacEwan (13) Wylie (25 & 38) Burrows (52) Easy, easy! Wrong. Only 9,768 and very few of those Villa supporters.

Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park next where we might have hoped to see Dougan show how much they had missed him but, of course, we too had to miss him, still nursing his wounds. So McParland led the line. But there was always a feeling that McParland did not particularly like playing at centre-forward. Tindall opened his goalscoring account (11) and things seemed to be going our way at four o’clock. But then Lawther (55) showed the 15,611 that he was a fully capable successor to Dougan.

A fact which he proved ten minutes later (67) only for Burrows to prove instantly that he was a potential successor to McParland on the left wing (68). Everyone seemed happy as thing seemed to be drifting towards a draw. Everyone except England international Bryan Douglas that is. In true Matthews style he wove his way past three defenders (85) and at 2-3 we sensed it was game over. nly is wasn’t, not quite. As if to add insult to injury he repeated the dose. (88). It is best not to look at the league table.

Manchester United next, we feared the worse. It is one of the great imponderables how a team can go from looking like relegation candidates one game to looking like champions forty-eight hours later. From being slow handclapped one game to being cheered off the next. But then that team is Aston Villa.

It can’t have been the replacement of Neal for Lynn who had joined Birmingham City, Sleeuwenhoek for Dugdale or Ashe for MacEwan. Maybe Manchester United just brought out the best in us. All this is leading you to expect a famous victory but all I can report is a not so famous draw. McParland after a rare backheel by Wylie (38) might have been enough to bring home the points but Stiles with a fast shot put an end to that idea (42). Perhaps we could and should have won but 38,837 seemed happy enough to have missed out on an evening of Panorama.

Blackpool without Stanley Matthews is like the town without the illuminations. And the absence of the maestro may account for the result. Possibly not but it allowed Aitken freedom to roam and the chief beneficiaries were Burrows (6 & 60) and McParland (40, 76 & 87) all of them textbook goals. Only disappointment for the 31,711 was that it might have been more but they had just effectively seen the birth of the Mercer Minors.

While we were in good fettle it would have been nice to have shown up at Old Trafford in midweek but they took advantage of the new rule which enabled them to cancel matches if they had two or more players away on international duty. So we were obliged to face our nemesis next. Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. Unlike last season they were not carrying all before them and in fact were seven points adrift of Burnley and in ninth place only two points better off than we were.

But that did not mean that the result would be any different even though it was our defensive performance of the decade so far in the we restricted them to only a handful of shots. Sleeuwenhoek, more so than Dugdale had been, was a supreme exponent of the offside trap. But sadly just as the 38,099 were thinking we might have got away with a draw Dyson had us leaving the ground wondering just what we had to do to beat the Spurs.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were having a bad season when two days later saw them turn up in Aston in twenty-first place. Birmingham City were bottom. Perhaps Slogger was deemed exhausted but Dugdale returned. For a large and expectant Monday night crowd, 43,298, the game was more exciting than was usual against the Wolves, made more so when MacEwan scored a fine goal (11) and Wolves were made to go on the offensive but even so we held firm. 1-0.

FA Youth Cup 1st round Coventry City Youth 1 Aston Villa Youth 9.

Then it was back to London again on consecutive Saturdays. Fulham. By this time you will note a deficiency in train timings. That is because I was now travelling by car with Don Forster and Brian Tuby as mentioned in Father of the Revolution. Fulham turned out to be a let down. Especially for Alan Jones who made his debut at outside-left.

We were generally outwitted by England captain, Johnny Haynes. Although it did not help when hesitancy led to Leggat netting easily (40) but a typical MacEwan dribble saw us equalise (50) to boost the hopes of those of us amongst the 22,229. Only for Dugdale to be outwitted leading to Cook (71) spoiling things and Sims likewise when in his eagerness he sent a hurried free-kick meant for MacEwan but it went to Metchick instead (81).

Two days later and we were back in London again, this time to West Ham for the second round of the League Cup. The poor display at Fulham led to six team changes. We feared the loss of the cup. But wait! Expect the unexpected.

There was no reason to believe that that would be the case when aided by master tactician Woosnam West Ham had us in the run and Musgrove netted (27). But running is what we do best and McParland used his head to convert a corner (35) only for Burrows to later crash the ball home (44). Woosnam absented himself for ten minutes when he ran into a pitchside advertising sign but his return was not the signal to the 17,735 for a Hammers revival. Rather, we had two goals disallowed for offside only for Bond to divert a MacEwan shot into his own net (83) but our man deserved the credit.

After thirty years our annual fixture with the British Army is cancelled, not to be revived. No reason is given but doubtless it is the victim of the abolition of National Service three years earlier (I had actually been waiting for an overdue brown envelope when it was cancelled much to my relief).

Then we had been due to play Sheffield Wednesday but they saw fit to cancel the game on the spurious grounds of having three absentee internationals. The game was quickly rearranged for the Monday night. Wednesday did not benefit from having their full allocation back as playing one hundred miles per hour football McParland (13) hit a screamer past Springett to the delight of nearly all the 34,932. Then things eventually slowed down a bit but we were always in command. 1-0.

Meanwhile after twelve games Villa Reserves are top of the Central League and Stan Lynn goes and joins Satan City.

Then we too cross the city so to speak, to the Hawthorns to play managerless Albion. A return for McMorran before 39,071. Albion would have had an early penalty when Neal handled but somebody in stripes was offside. It was in keeping with the game when Jones deflected a shot from MacEwan (43) beyond the reach of Millington only for the centre-half to be charged with an own goal – but not by me. Credit where credit is due!

If the referee had saved us once he did not do so a second time and Jackson was allowed to run in and score (50). There was no slackening in pace or endeavour but nobody won, nobody lost. The league table is incredibly crowded. Seven clubs are covered by two points at the top and eleven teams by two points at the bottom.

Lord Mayor’s Charity Cup Birmingham City Youth 1 Aston Villa Youth 3.

It may seem an act of monumental stupidity to sell a top player to your opponents a few days before you were due to play them but that is what we had done and were duly punished for it. Get there early – but this time doing so meant seeing a goal by Harris (1) with the crowd, 49,532, still applauding their new capture Lynn. Inspired by their new, if temporary, captain Blues could do no wrong and it was no surprise though a mite disappointing, when Orritt (39) overdid the celebrations.

Smart work by Ashe, in for the injured MacEwan brought joy to the majority when he set up McParland for a neat header. (50). But joy in the Aston camp was short lived when Harris again (54) did what McParland had just done. Lynn knew too much to let Burrows off the hook and the game petered out.

The league table makes interesting reading
15th Villa P14 Pts 13
16th Wolves P15 Pts 13
17th Leicester P15 Pts 13
18th Blackburn P14 Pts 13
19th Sheff Utd P14 Pts 13
20th Birmingham P15 Pts 13
21st WBA P15 Pts 12
22nd Chelsea P15 Pts 8

FA Youth Cup 2nd round Leicester City Youth 1 Aston Villa Youth 4.

We then have to go to league leading Burnley with the predictable and inevitable result. Not least because they had two England internationals in their front rank Pointer and Connelly. It was the later who gave the 22,487 what they had expected to see after only two minutes and Robson who confirmed the worst (22). To add insult to injury, in attempting to clear his lines Deakin hooked the ball out of the reach of Sidebottom Blacklaw did not have much cause to get his gloves dirty. 0-3 means we are now nineteenth.

It is now November, the return leg of the Lord Mayor,s trophy is the victim of fog.

Arsenal, now 16th are not enjoying the best of seasons so 24,178 make their way to Villa Park not knowing quite what to expect. Most are in for a pleasant surprise. Although after Skirton had put the Gunners ahead with a simple header (42) the spectre of relegation dominated the chatter in the undercroft of the Trinity Road stand and the strong wind was not going to be in our favour.

But Burrows set the hearts a thumping with a crashing drive that left Kelsey helpless (60) Then Kelsey deserted his charge which enabled McParland with yet another header (76) had us thinking maybe it was Arsenal who were due for the chop. A view confirmed when Thomson put the finishing touches to a welcome triumph (88).

Ever keen to make good use of our floodlights, as a result of our visit to Russia earlier in the year Dynamo Kiev, at the time the Russian champions had been invited to Villa Park. he players had watched the game against Arsenal. It is debatable whether an attendance of 27.000 justified the ‘hard sell’ which had preceded the game. Continental opponents had a habit of being disappointing when it came to friendlies and probably this was no exception.

The game, such as it was, was ruined by the atrocious conditions and might well have been postponed in differing circumstances. Noteworthy was that the two teams entered the arena side by side. And that Fencott got to wear a first team jersey. Every goal, every game so I must report that O’Neill (32), McParland (80) and Basilevich (35) were the scorers.

Then it’s over the moors to Bolton in November. In keeping with the day and the surroundings, stagnation rules. Made more depressing by the fact that only 13,198 could be bothered. But these games have to be played. The dilemma, Sims or Sidebottom was never properly resolved and Sims was back between the posts. Just as well, although Sidebottom might have been just as good.

Either way neither would have made much difference when McAdams sneaked in to score from close range (13). Hopkinson had an easy time of it until on the hour Thomson, now playing centre-forward ended a three-man movement with a splendid goal. All goals are, of course, splendid so perhaps unexpected might be a better description. Fencott, on his league debut, was pleased with his part in it.

Ipswich Town, second division champions last season were now threatening to do the impossible by trying to follow that success by winning the first division. But as our meeting with them was in the League Cup rather than the league proper perhaps they would be more relaxed. But not a bit of it. In the true style of an ex-second division team they had mastered the art of building a brick wall ten yards inside their half.

Despite record numbers of corners all our huffing and puffing could not break that wall down. Worse, from just two excursions into our half Leadbetter (15) and Phillips (35) put them two ahead. But half-time reassessment led to Burrows (47) suggesting to the 22,541 that we were not going to surrender our trophy that easily. Eventually an Ipswich defender resorted to handball and Burrows duly obliged from the spot (74) setting up what we hoped, nay expected, would be a famous fightback victory.

But no! Within a thrice Aitken was adjudged to have handled (really?) by referee Tinkler and the cup was lost to a team which had had only four shots at goal all evening but scored from three of them.

Manchester City next with memories of the 5-1 thrashing we gave them just twelve months ago. But even though City began as if a repeat was on the cards and Burrows set the ball rolling with an unstoppable shot (14) and ditto McParland likewise (18) we struggled to add to our total. City pulled themselves together for the second stanza and created a certain amount of tension amongst the 26,617 when Dobing rounded Aitken (68). The traditional reminder from the terraces to the referee that time was up began prematurely but we managed to hold out.

Apart from one minor incident at Everton seasons ago I was never aware of any hostility towards we supporters at away grounds even though we mingled freely as there was no segregation. That was for later. But one ground I generally opted for safety in numbers was Filbert Street. I think because their supporters fancied themselves as ‘King of the Midlands’ and tacitly resented the appearance of those upstarts from the West.

But those upstarts from the west had the last laugh on this occasion as we went on to achieve our first victory in their bit of the east since Neville Chamberlin ruled the roost. Wylie, albeit an East Midlander from Nottingham, set we amongst the 22,611 cheering with a shot beyond Banks. (18). Dougan unexpectedly came back as a last-minute replacement for an injured Burrows. This seem to strike fear into the home defence and evading two tackles he too left Banks helpless.(66) A victory which astonishingly saw us rise to eighth in the table.

FA Youth Cup round 3 Aston Villa Youth 12 (twelve) Port Vale 1.

Second place Ipswich came next for a league game this time. Both teams had two different personnel. At number nine they had Crawford back, at number nine we had Dougan back. If revenge for the cup defeat meant helping to deny Ipswich the league title and handing it to Burnley then revenge was never sweeter. As eighteen days ago it was all Villa from the off and precious little by Ipswich. The 31,924 had thoughts of another daylight robbery until McParland lobbed the ball over the advancing Bailey for 1-0 (30).

Another fine move led to Bailey grovelling again as another shot by McParland left him staring at a rippling net. (48). Surely this was not a team that was going to win the league as shown when Thomson evaded what by then passed for a defence (82). We were now seventh and looking the more likely champions.

So much so that the following Saturday 34.939 came out to see the revitalised Villa. Busiest man on the field was referee Yates as infringements by an over zealous Everton defence increasingly incurred the wrath of the home fans. What football there was is contained in all of sixty seconds. That was the time between the two goals. Thomson for Villa from a training ground free kick (28) and then after a deceptive bounce deceived Sleeuwenhoek and reached an unmarked Collins (29).1-1.

Chelsea were bottom of the pile when were turned up at Stamford Bridge. Having left Snow Hill at 8.35 Paddington arr 11.00. (Fare 25/6 £1.27). Despite the icy cold wind defeat was the last thing on our minds. But defeat was what the 26,538 saw as our lacklustre forwards rarely troubled Bonetti after Bridges had troubled Sims with an easy score. (48). Unusually I came home on the newspaper having, as a cinema buff having spent the evening in the Regal Cinema, Chelsea. A very odd choice indeed.

As if the performance at Chelsea had not been bad enough we went one stage worse when our festive fixtures were due to take in Cardiff City home and away. Boxing Day on a frozen Ninian Park is best forgotten by all of the 18,394 who saw it. Except possibly Tapscott who couldn’t miss because he was offside, surely (67) and that was it. Four days later we were spared the return game at Villa Park when overnight snow meant an early cancellation such that Cardiff were spared a fruitless journey. Winter has arrived.

Position 9th P23 F34 A31 Pts23