Billy McNeill's Villa lose for the second successive match as they are hammered by 16th place side Southampton. As a result, Villa now have just twelve wins in their last fifty nine League games losing twenty nine. Villa remain bottom of the table, three points off safety and three points off the relegation play off place with ten games left to play. Meanwhile, Phil Robinson made his Villa debut aged 20 after joining from school football in June 1983.

Billy McNeill's Villa lose for the fourth time in five games and now have fourteen wins in their last sixty eight League games losing thirty three. As a result Villa remain bottom of the table, nine points off safety and five points off the relegation play off place with one game to play and three points available. With relegation confirmed, Billy McNeill leaves his post after just forty two games having won just three in thirty one and losing seventeen. Meanwhile, the indefensible and utterly culpable Herbert Douglas Ellis, who had led Villa from the Champions of Europe to the second tier in just five seasons, decides now was the right point to scream: "It's time for action." Because of Ellis' continued folly, Villa would play in the second tier in 1987-88 and would do so with a new manager and without their better players as League and European Cup winning defender Gary Williams made his final appearance for Villa aged 26 before moving on to Leeds United in July 1987 for a fee of £250,000. Williams had played for Villa between 1978-79 and 1986-87 making 301 appearances and scoring twice. Also leaving would be centre back Paul Elliott who made his final appearance for Villa aged just 23 before moving on to Pisa in July 1987 for a fee of £400,000. Villa had signed Elliott just 18 months earlier for the same fee from Luton Town. Elliott played for Villa in 1985-86 and 1986-87 making 68 appearances and scoring 7 times. And goalkeeper Kevin Poole who made his final appearance for Villa aged 23 before moving on to Middlesbrough in August 1987 for a fee of £50,000. Poole played for Villa between 1984-85 and 1986-87 making 33 appearances.

Villa finished this most wretched of seasons relegated having won just three times in thirty two games, losing eighteen . Chairman Herbert Doug Ellis’ predictably disastrous policy of gutting the League and European Cup winning team and replacing it with lesser talents; his sale of players who performed well even in this fallow period; and his poor selection of managers, saw Villa fall to inevitable and all too predictable relegation to the second tier just five seasons after being crowned Champions of Europe. If anything summed this up any better it is hard to think than a record of fourteen wins in last sixty nine League games losing thirty three under Ellis’ men Graham Turner and Billy McNeill. In brighter news, left back Bernie Gallacher made his Villa debut aged 20 after joining from Perthshire County Schools (Paisley Boys) in March 1985. Whilst, midfielder Stuart Ritchie made his sole appearance for Villa as a substitute aged 18 after joining from Hampshire County Schools in May 1986. Ritchie left for Crewe Alexandra in June 1987. However Villa would face life in the second tier without left back Tony Dorigo who made his final appearance for Villa aged just 21 before being sold to Chelsea for a fee of £475,000. Dorigo had played for Villa between 1983-84 and 1986-87 making 133 appearances and scoring once. Centre forward Andy Gray made his final Villa appearance aged 31 before being sold to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of £8,000. Villa had bought Gray for his second spell with Villa two years earlier for a fee of £150,000. Gray played for Villa in two spells between 1975-76 and 1986-87 making 251 appearances and scoring 84 goals. Midfielder Phil Robinson made his final appearance for Villa aged 20 before moving on to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £5,000 in July 1987. Robinson had made his debut for Villa in the 1986-87 season and made 3 appearances, scoring once. Defender Dean Glover made his final appearance for Villa aged 23 before moving on to Middlesbrough for a fee of £50,000 in June 1987. Glover had played for Villa between 1983-84 and 1986-87 making 38 appearances and scoring twice.