Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup Winning Team

[Deodato]

I was reading up on the career of Ron Saunders who sadly passed away, thinking the highlight would have been getting Villa the European Cup. Turns out he had moved on before the final, with Tony Barton (who?) taking the team to European glory and beating Bayern Munich.

 

Looking at the team sheet, there was four Scots in the squad and I ain't heard of any of them. Any veterans on JKB remember this team and the Scots who played for them. Stepping back - if English clubs kept the European Cup for six years, Scots must have been all over those finals. Forrest had at least four, Liverpool at least five and Villa had three in the first team. Grateful for any recollections on McNaught, Evans, Bremner (not that one) and Blair. 

 

Deodato

[martoon]

I was 14 and a fan of a Hearts horror show at the time, so perhaps not the best judge, but Villa's EC win seemed awfy low key. Maybe it was because the English champions always won it at the time so it seemed normal?

 

Nevertheless, amazing that they won the title in 1981, with 14 men apparently, then followed it up a year later with the EC. 

[Enzo Chiefo]

Des Bremner came from Hibs. I was 12 back then and remember it being a glorious time for British clubs in Europe. Notts Forest and Liverpool won the European Cup more than once, Villa in 1982. Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup in 83 and Dundee Utd were cheated out of a place in the European Cup Final the following year before beating Barcelona home and away a few years later. Not to mention our own achievement in beating Bayern Munich at Tynie in the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. Great days back then - a fantastic decade.

[Bridge of Djoum]

Evans and Bremner were/are players I was aware of. The goalkeeping story in that final is sheer boys own stuff. Secured Villa’s status as a big club, which they still are. Sleeping giant really, as well as Forest. 

[benny]

Did any of the four get capped

Spinks played after Rimmer got injured in the warm up

 

[Deodato]

5 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

Des Bremner came from Hibs. I was 12 back then and remember it being a glorious time for British clubs in Europe. Notts Forest and Liverpool won the European Cup more than once, Villa in 1982. Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup in 83 and Dundee Utd were cheated out of a place in the European Cup Final the following year before beating Barcelona home and away a few years later. Not to mention our own achievement in beating Bayern Munich at Tynie in the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. Great days back then - a fantastic decade.

Seriously? Do the Hibees make a big deal of this or is it lost in the long grass that one of their own lifted the greatest trophy in club football. Agree with other posters, it seems sooo low key that they achieved this. 

[Bridge of Djoum]

4 minutes ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

Des Bremner came from Hibs. I was 12 back then and remember it being a glorious time for British clubs in Europe. Notts Forest and Liverpool won the European Cup more than once, Villa in 1982. Aberdeen won the Cup Winners Cup in 83 and Dundee Utd were cheated out of a place in the European Cup Final the following year before beating Barcelona home and away a few years later. Not to mention our own achievement in beating Bayern Munich at Tynie in the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup. Great days back then - a fantastic decade.

Great post, mate. Really were heady days for British clubs. People don’t realize just how much Heysel set back English clubs. They’ve made up for it since in a sense, mainly financial but still, the late 70’s early 80’s was football at its best and purest. 

[Fozzyonthefence]

2 minutes ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

Evans and Bremner were/are players I was aware of. The goalkeeping story in that final is sheer boys own stuff. Secured Villa’s status as a big club, which they still are. Sleeping giant really, as well as Forest. 

Villa were always a big club, Forest have never been a big club in English terms.

[Bridge of Djoum]

Just now, Deodato said:

Seriously? Do the Hibees make a big deal of this or is it lost in the long grass that one of their own lifted the greatest trophy in club football. Agree with other posters, it seems sooo low key that they achieved this. 

They are still obsessed with floodlights, mate. 

[Bridge of Djoum]

1 minute ago, Fozzyonthefence said:

Villa were always a big club, Forest have never been a big club in English terms.

2 European trophies and great teams under Clough might disagree there, pal. I get that their history was limited before then but they deserve their place among the greats of English football. 

[Fozzyonthefence]

21 minutes ago, Deodato said:

An all English / Scottish team, even the subs - changed days indeed!  I can’t remember Andy Blair at all, not sure if he got much first team action?  I remember the names of all the starting 11 except Gary Williams.

[Fozzyonthefence]

1 minute ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

2 European trophies and great teams under Clough might disagree there, pal. I get that their history was limited before then but they deserve their place among the greats of English football. 

Still not a “big” club. A successful one, maybe. The English Dundee Utd.

[Bridge of Djoum]

1 minute ago, Fozzyonthefence said:

Still not a “big” club. A successful one, maybe. The English Dundee Utd.

Aye, fair point, Foz lad. 

 

Maybe im just romantatisizing on a time I really loved the game. European cup, muddy pitches, socks at the ankles. 

 

Still... looking at the EPL right now... bigger than Burnley,  Southampton, Norwich, Leicester, Sheffield United, Palace, Brighton, Bournemouth, Watford. Maybe even West Ham. 

 

Good argument that in the championship.. Leeds, Wednesday, Birmingham, have a claim, too. Forest, IMO are a big club. Big support, 

proper fans. Great city, too. 

[martoon]

I've seen Des Bremner, playing for Hibs, under those fabulous floodlights.

 

A legendary night.

 

Hibs 1 Arbroath 2, 1977, Scottish Cup. Went with a Hibby mate and his dad. Des Bremner was a standout as he was very ugly and stood as close as poss to the shy line every time an Arbroath player took one. 

 

My first experience of Hibs, flair and swashbuckling. 

 

Loved it. 

 

 

[Lemongrab]

23 minutes ago, benny said:

Did any of the four get capped

Spinks played after Rimmer got injured in the warm up

 

Of the four only Evans (4) and Bremner (1) were capped. None of them played for a certain two teams though.

[davemclaren]

Peter Withe. Man of many clubs and great player. 

[Deodato]

17 minutes ago, martoon said:

I've seen Des Bremner, playing for Hibs, under those fabulous floodlights.

 

A legendary night.

 

Hibs 1 Arbroath 2, 1977, Scottish Cup. Went with a Hibby mate and his dad. Des Bremner was a standout as he was very ugly and stood as close as poss to the shy line every time an Arbroath player took one. 

 

My first experience of Hibs, flair and swashbuckling. 

 

Loved it. 

 

 

 

Great post. What's the deal with these floodlights? I know the pitch was on an infamous slope but was the lighting pokey too?

 

[Footballfirst]

There's a raft of English clubs that have won European Trophies some of which will have been forgotten:

 

Champions League/European Cup: Manchester Utd., Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Chelsea.

Cup Winners Cup: Tottenham, West Ham, Manchester City, Chelsea, Everton, Manchester Utd, Arsenal

EL/ Uefa Cup/IC Fairs Cup: Leeds Utd, Newcastle, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool Ipswich, Chelsea, Manchester Utd. 

[Jingle Bells]

Remember Bremner scoring a double against us at Tynie but we fought back for a two all draw, season 76/77?.

Apart from that he was notable for having mutant like eyebrows.

[martoon]

1 hour ago, Deodato said:

 

Great post. What's the deal with these floodlights? I know the pitch was on an infamous slope but was the lighting pokey too?

 

 

Don't disrespect those floodlights, Deodato. They shone a light on that part of the world like never before. 

 

Trophies, derby wins...daft stuff like that means nothing to them. It's all about the big lightbulbs, trailblazing, flair and swashbuckling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ri Alban]

Peter Withe was the man, what I player.

 

As Villa, they should be ever Scots, English team.

[geomac]

3 hours ago, Deodato said:

I was reading up on the career of Ron Saunders who sadly passed away, thinking the highlight would have been getting Villa the European Cup. Turns out he had moved on before the final, with Tony Barton (who?) taking the team to European glory and beating Bayern Munich.

 

Looking at the team sheet, there was four Scots in the squad and I ain't heard of any of them. Any veterans on JKB remember this team and the Scots who played for them. Stepping back - if English clubs kept the European Cup for six years, Scots must have been all over those finals. Forrest had at least four, Liverpool at least five and Villa had three in the first team. Grateful for any recollections on McNaught, Evans, Bremner (not that one) and Blair. 

 

Deodato

 

McNaught & Evans were a couple of big Fifers and Bremner an Ex Hibee.  I remember Shaw and Morley as cracking wingers, Withe as top centre forward and Mortimer and Cowans as class midfeileders. I can't recall Andy Blair?

 

 

 

[jake]

7 hours ago, Fozzyonthefence said:

An all English / Scottish team, even the subs - changed days indeed!  I can’t remember Andy Blair at all, not sure if he got much first team action?  I remember the names of all the starting 11 except Gary Williams.

In those days every top English side in Europe had a backbone of Scottish players.

Or so it seemed.

Aston Villa less so .

Des Bremner was a quality midfielder.

Had some cracking players our nation in those days.

[Enzo Chiefo]

7 hours ago, davemclaren said:

Peter Withe. Man of many clubs and great player. 

He must have got a European Cup winners medal with Forest too then?? 

 

[Enzo Chiefo]

7 hours ago, Lemongrab said:

Of the four only Evans (4) and Bremner (1) were capped. None of them played for a certain two teams though.

And to think that John McGovern, a Scot, lifted the European Cup with Forest twice and never got capped either. 

[Enzo Chiefo]

7 hours ago, Bridge of Djoum said:

Great post, mate. Really were heady days for British clubs. People don’t realize just how much Heysel set back English clubs. They’ve made up for it since in a sense, mainly financial but still, the late 70’s early 80’s was football at its best and purest. 

Yes, I agree mate, it really was football at it's best and purest. The Heysel point is an interesting one because, without that tragedy and subsequent ban for English clubs, the Souness revolution at Ibrox and the exodus of top players north may not have happened.  Not so quickly anyway. Then the subsequent spending race to try and compete that affected so many clubs, ourselves included. 

[Allowayjambo1874]

Little bit of trivia in that Jimmy Rimmer has two European Cup winners medals but only played a total of 9 mins in the two finals. 

 

Similar to Steve Banks who has 3 Scottish cup winning medals and never actually played in a final. 

 

 

[Glencoejambo]

9 hours ago, Deodato said:

I was reading up on the career of Ron Saunders who sadly passed away, thinking the highlight would have been getting Villa the European Cup. Turns out he had moved on before the final, with Tony Barton (who?) taking the team to European glory and beating Bayern Munich.

 

Looking at the team sheet, there was four Scots in the squad and I ain't heard of any of them. Any veterans on JKB remember this team and the Scots who played for them. Stepping back - if English clubs kept the European Cup for six years, Scots must have been all over those finals. Forrest had at least four, Liverpool at least five and Villa had three in the first team. Grateful for any recollections on McNaught, Evans, Bremner (not that one) and Blair. 

 

Deodato

Incredible what that team achieved with such a small squad. How were they able to do it and how did Hearts get thru 85/86 with such a small squad??

Nowadays it's not a case of injuries but how many!!

[i8hibsh]

No big names and not many International caps. Good club and outstanding achievement. No blank chequebook success in those days.

Edited December 9, 2019 by i8hibsh

[A robust centre forward]

I went to watch them the season after in the quarter final at Villa Park against the eventual finalists, Juventus. Many of the previous years cup team played that night. Alun Evans was signed as a youngster from the pars and McNaught eventually ended up at his home town team, Raith Rovers.

The atmosphere at Villa Park on European nights back then was something else, better than Anfield

[davemclaren]

2 hours ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

He must have got a European Cup winners medal with Forest too then?? 

 

Think he left Forest the season before they won it. 

[Cheile]

7 hours ago, martoon said:

 

Don't disrespect those floodlights, Deodato. They shone a light on that part of the world like never before. 

 

Trophies, derby wins...daft stuff like that means nothing to them. It's all about the big lightbulbs, trailblazing, flair and swashbuckling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You forgot to mention that they taught the Brazilians how to play football.

Edited December 9, 2019 by Cheile

[John Findlay]

I was 19 at the time and was otherwise engaged in the South Atlantic. Tony Barton was the Villa manager taking over from Ron after he had a fallout with then Villa chairman, deadly Doug Ellis. Bayern Munich, battered them in the final but couldn't get past a young goalkeeper called Nigel Spinks. Who like Fraser Forster yesterday, had the game of his life.

[jonnothejambo]

10 hours ago, Deodato said:

Seriously? Do the Hibees make a big deal of this or is it lost in the long grass that one of their own lifted the greatest trophy in club football. Agree with other posters, it seems sooo low key that they achieved this. 

 

Des Bremner was a very good player who initially played in the Hibs team after John Brownlie, another very good player, broke his leg. 

 

I think he then became a midfielder ??

[martoon]

3 hours ago, Cheile said:

 

You forgot to mention that they taught the Brazilians how to play football.

 

Three defeats in an early '50's tour, one throwaway remark by a coach and boom...Hibs discovered Brazil. 

[Heres Rixxy]

6 hours ago, Enzo Chiefo said:

And to think that John McGovern, a Scot, lifted the European Cup with Forest twice and never got capped either. 

 

Quite incredible, when you think about the chasm of quality we have in that position this generation.

[NANOJAMBO]

14 hours ago, Deodato said:

I was reading up on the career of Ron Saunders who sadly passed away, thinking the highlight would have been getting Villa the European Cup. Turns out he had moved on before the final, with Tony Barton (who?) taking the team to European glory and beating Bayern Munich.

 

Looking at the team sheet, there was four Scots in the squad and I ain't heard of any of them. Any veterans on JKB remember this team and the Scots who played for them. Stepping back - if English clubs kept the European Cup for six years, Scots must have been all over those finals. Forrest had at least four, Liverpool at least five and Villa had three in the first team. Grateful for any recollections on McNaught, Evans, Bremner (not that one) and Blair. 

 

Deodato

I remember seeing Evans  play in Scotland before his Villa days - Dunfermline?  My uncle was mates with Evans . Bremner was a decent player in a decent Hibs side. McNaught was an old school CH who signed from Everton . I dont recall Blair at all. 

 

Interesting story about that team. Doug Ellis sold the club just before Villa won it. He then bought it back shortly after but he couldnt stomach the fact it didnt happen on his watch. So he refused to have any pics of the occasion around the club. 

[Deodato]

17 minutes ago, NANOJAMBO said:

Interesting story about that team. Doug Ellis sold the club just before Villa won it. He then bought it back shortly after but he couldnt stomach the fact it didnt happen on his watch. So he refused to have any pics of the occasion around the club. 

 

That may explain why so little is known about this remarkable achievement - thanks!

 

 

[cheetah]

 

Here's Des 

[Guess The Crowd]

5 hours ago, jonnothejambo said:

 

Des Bremner was a very good player who initially played in the Hibs team after John Brownlie, another very good player, broke his leg. 

 

I think he then became a midfielder ??

 

He was a very good player, yes. To add a completely useless piece of trivia, he came from Aberchirder in Banffshire.

 

More importantly, he was always the trickiest answer in a good old trivia question - name all the players who have played for Hearts or Hibs and have also won a European Cup winners medal. The others were quite easy - weren’t they? 

[Debut 4]

I read ages ago about Villa’s Scottish connection. Read about how they took their colours from Rangers and Hearts in a “did you know?” piece at the end of an article in a Four Four Two. 

 

Formed in 1874, Scot William

McGregor turned them professional and Alex Massie played for them.

 

 https://www.90min.com/posts/3138869-a-historical-look-into-aston-villa-s-scottish-roots

 

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by Debut 4

[martoon]

8 minutes ago, Debut 4 said:

I read ages ago about Villa’s Scottish connection. Read about how they took their colours from Rangers and Hearts in a “did you know?” piece at the end of an article in a Four Four Two. 

 

Formed in 1874, Scot William

McGregor turned them professional and Alex Massie played for them.

 

 https://www.90min.com/posts/3138869-a-historical-look-into-aston-villa-s-scottish-roots

 

 

 

"Hearts of Midlothian".

 

Ignorant git.

[Tommy Brown]

Like other posters, Andy Blair has thrown me completely.

Don't recall him at all.

[Bridge of Djoum]

3 hours ago, cheetah said:

 

Here's Des 

Makes Davie Dodds look like a ride.

[Bridge of Djoum]

I remember Gary Shaw very well, that distinctive blond mop. Excellent player.