Game #2641
Aston Villa
17-9-16, 43 PTS
Saturday, 29 April 1961


Won
9th (-)
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟩
Division One
Sheffield Wednesday
23-12-7, 58 PTS
Villa Park
Attendance: 26,034
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
Aston Villa
4-1

Sheffield Wednesday

Assist(s) | Johnny Dixon | 5' | Harry Burrows | 27' |
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park


MATCH TIMELINE
Saturday, 29 April 1961
🟢 | 1' Debut, Charlie Aitken
⚽ | 5' Goal, 1-0, Gerry Hitchens, Assist by Johnny Dixon
⚽ | 27' Goal, 2-0, Bobby Thomson, Assist by Harry Burrows
🥅 | 42' Goal, 2-1, (Sheffield Wednesday), Billy Griffin
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
⚽ | 68' Goal, 3-1, Gerry Hitchens
⚽ | 70' Goal, 4-1, Johnny Dixon
💥 | 70' Pitch invasion celebrating Johnny Dixon's goal interrupts play
🚑 | 70' Player retires from field of play with injury, Johnny Dixon
🚑 | 72' Player returns to field of play, Johnny Dixon
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 4-1 Sheffield Wednesday
Match Statistics
Not recorded
Goal ⚽, Assist 🔥, Goal Conceded 🥅, Injury 🚑, Booking 🟨, Sending off 🟥, Comment 🗒️, ❗ Villa Chance,❗❗Huge Villa Chance, 💥 Opposition action, 🎥 VAR, 🆘 Referee error, ❌ Missed pen, disallowed goal, player retires from field of play, 🟢 Debut, 🔴 Final appearance, 🕒 Half time, Full time, 🔁 Substitution
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

ON THIS DAY
Saturday, 29 April 1961
Incredible scenes at Villa Park as Joe Mercer names Villa great in Johnny Dixon who proceeds to create a goal in 5 minutes, score himself and cause a mass pitch invasion in celebration. Villa could have lost 0-10 and it would still be one of the greatest occasions in the club's illistrious history. Villa end the League season 9th with just one more scheduled game left to play - the League Cup semi final replay in three days time.
Joe Mercer's Villa's play their twelfth game in thirty six days to make it seventeen wins, nine draws and sixteen defeats in forty two games following their return to the top flight. Villa’s first season back in division one after a season away was an unqualified success and a typical Mercer campaign with a series of excellent runs occasionally punctured by losing form. The season still promised more as further games remained as Villa were still competing in the inaugural League Cup whose addition to the calendar had caused significant fixture congestion that Mercer’s men admirably dealt with. A ninth placed finish on their return to the top flight was no mean feat but it also signalled the end of one of the greatest ever Villa players. Legendary Villa captain, Johnny Dixon, made his only appearance of the season and final appearance for Villa aged 37. Dixon had distinguished himself thought his playing career with Villa that spanned from 1945-46 to 1960-61 during which time he made 437 appearances whilst scoring 144 goals, and winning the 1957 FA Cup. As one legend departed the field however another entered as left back Charlie Aitken made his Villa debut aged 19 after moving from Edinburgh Thistle in August 1959.
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

DEBUT APPEARANCES
🟢 LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 | #488 | Youth team promotion
FINAL APPEARANCES
🔴 F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 | 1946-61 🕒 430 | ✅ 430 | 🔁 (-) | ⚽ 144 | 🔥 64 | 🇺 - | #396 |
Seasons | 🕒 Games | ✅ Starts (🔁 Subs) | ⚽ Goals | 🔥 Assists | 🇺 Unused | Player Number |
Aston Villa
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1956-57
Sheffield Wednesday


League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1934–35
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
FIXTURE DETAILS


Season | 1960-61 |
Matchday | #56 |
League Match | #42 |
Manager Game | #131 |
Saturday, 29 April 1961
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🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
MATCH SUMMARY


Manager: Joe Mercer | 🏴 | Ellesmere Port, 1958-1964
Referee: J. S. McLoughlin | 🏴 | Manchester, 1955-1961
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 2-1
FT Result: 🟩 Won
FT Score: 🟩 4-1
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟩
MANAGERIAL RECORD

Joe Mercer | 🏴 | 1958-1964
🕒 128 | 🟩 | 61 🟨 30 🟥 37 | 1.66
Villa Career Form:
Top 6
Games 🕒, Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Points per Game
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: J. S. McLoughlin | 🏴 | Manchester, 1955-1961
VAR PROFILE (from 2021)
CARDS

None
CARDS

None
Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Notably poor performance 🆘, Cards 🟨 Booking, Cards 🟥 Sending off, Disallowed ❌ Goal disallowed, ⚽ Penalty for, 🥅 Penalty against, ❌ Penalty Disallowed
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

TEAM NEWS
TEAM STATS
Legendary Villa captain Johnny Dixon is poignantly handed his first start of the season for his final appearance as another future Villa great, Charlie Aitken, makes his debut.
John Neal also returns to the line up as Gordon Lee, Stan Lynn and Ron Wylie drop out.
Starting XI Average Age
| 26.93 |
Oldest Player |
F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 | 37.41 |
Youngest Player |
LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 | 19.01 |
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
MANAGER
Joe Mercer | 🏴 | 1958-1964

Aston Villa
GK Nigel Sims | 🏴 |
FB John Neal | 🏴 |
LB Charlie Aitken | 🏴 | 🟢 |
CB Jimmy Dugdale | 🏴 |
M Alan Deakin | 🏴 |
M Vic Crowe | 🏴 |
W Jimmy MacEwan | 🏴 |
W Harry Burrows | 🏴 | 🔥 |
F Gerry Hitchens | 🏴 | ⚽ | ⚽ |
F Johnny Dixon | 🏴 | 🔥 | ⚽ | 🚑 | 🔴 |
F Bobby Thomson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
MANAGER
Harry Catterick | 🏴 |

Sheffield Wednesday
GK Ron Springett | 🏴 |
LB Don Megson | 🏴 |
CB Peter Swan | 🏴 |
RB Peter Johnson | 🏴 |
M Tom McAnearney | 🏴 |
M Tony Kay | 🏴 |
W Alan Finney | 🏴 |
F Billy Griffin | 🏴 | ⚽ |
F Johnny Fantham | 🏴 |
F Bobby Craig | 🏴 |
CF Keith Ellis | 🏴 |
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Permitted in Period

🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions permitted in period
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

No Substitutions Permitted in Period
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

MATCHDAY SQUAD BIOGRAPHIES
STARTING XI
SUBSTITUTES
Player | 🕒 | 🔁 | ⚽ | 🔥 | 🟩 | 🟨 | 🟥 | 🥅 | ⛔ | Yellow | Red |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UNUSED
Player | 🇺 |
---|---|
Games 🕒, Starts ✅, Substitute 🔁, Goals ⚽, Assists 🔥, Won 🟩, Drew 🟨, Lost 🟥, Conceded 🥅, Clean Sheets ⛔, Unused Substitute 🇺
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
SQUAD STATS

Villa XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
SQUAD STATS

Wednesday XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 11/11
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
MATCHDAY SQUAD

MATCHDAY SQUAD

🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park
UNAVAILABLE

Injury | 1 |
F Peter McParland | 🇬🇧 |
UNAVAILABLE

Not Recorded
LEAGUE TABLE



MATCHDAY PROGRAMME



🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park


MATCH QUOTES
🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park


MATCH REPORTS
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Reach PLC. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)









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🟩 29 Apr 1961, Villa 4-1 Wednesday, Villa Park

