Joe Mercer's Villa's play their thirteenth game in thirty nine days to beat fourth placed Burnley in the Semi Final replay at Old Trafford for the inaugural League Cup. Such is the fixture congestion caused by the addition of, and success in, a new cup on the calendar that Villa have already played fifty seven games this season and are forced to postpone to the two legged final against second division Rotherham until the following season. Despite an often fabulous return to the top flight for Joe Mercer’s men a tragedy - in the footballing sense - struck as the peerless Gerry Hitchens made his final appearance for Villa aged just 26, before his record breaking move to Inter Milan in the close season for £60,000. Hitchens should never have needed to leave but sadly Villa cashed in and a rare talent was lost to the club and a legend in the mould of a Pongo Waring or Billy Walker left the Villa Park stage.