1878–79 Aston Villa F.C. season

Early history of Aston Villa F.C. Aston Villa records and statistics Aston Villa 1878–79 1877–78 1879–80 The 1878–79 English football season was Aston Villa's 5th season, ten years before the creation of the Football League, and the year before the Football Club's first entry into the FA Cup draw. Originally team captains would consult each other in order to resolve any dispute on the pitch. This role was now delegated to an umpire. Each team would bring their own partisan umpire allowing the team captains to concentrate on the game. The Aston Villa Cricket Club commenced its season on 19 April with a victory over an all-England team.Cricket, Birmingham Daily Post, 21 April 1879, p6 In June 1879, Birchfield Harriers held their first annual athletics meeting at the Aston Lower Grounds, attended by 4,000 despite the unfavourable weather. Villa's Tommy Pank placed first in the final heat of the one-mile bicycle handicap. Under captain George Ramsay, the six man Aston Villa Football Club lost to West Bromwich Gymnastics Club in the tug of war competition.Athletic Sports at Aston Lower Grounds, Birmingham Daily Post, 23 June 1879, p8 Birmingham Senior Cup 1878–79 Birmingham Senior Cup Aston Unity Aston Villa Trinity Ground location L In the 1878–79 first round of the Birmingham Senior Cup, Aston Unity beat Villa in the in front of a crowd of 1,700 at the Trinity Ground.Aston Unity v Aston Villa Birmingham Evening Mail 4 November 1878 2 Friendlies 19 October 1878 Aston Villa 4–0 Rushall Rovers Wellington Road Perry Barr w Football, Walsall Observer, 26 October 1878, p4 26 October 1878 Aston Villa Shrewsbury Engineers Wellington Road Perry Barr Football, Birmingham Evening Mail, 25 October 1878, p1 16 November 1878 Aston Villa 2–1 West Bromwich Wellington Road Perry Barr W Football, Birmingham Evening Mail, 18 November 1878, p2 23 November 1878 The Birmingham Club 1–2 Aston Villa Aston Lower Grounds Aston W Football, Birmingham Evening Mail, 25 November 1878, p2 7 December 1878 Aston Villa 2–0 Sneiton Wanderers Wellington Road Perry Barr W Football, The Guardian Journal, 11 December 1878, p7 27 December 1878 Stoke Aston Villa Stoke Grand Football Match, The Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser, 21 December 1878, p1 4 January 1879 Rushall Rovers Aston Villa Walsall Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette 1 January 1879, p4 11 January 1879 West Bromwich 0–2 Aston Villa West Bromwich w Football, Birmingham Evening Mail, 15 January 1879, p3 18 January 1879 Sheffield Heeley Aston Villa Sheffield Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette 14 January 1879, p4 20 January 1879 Aston Villa 1–2 Queens Park 2nd C.Hughes Wellington Road Perry Barr l Football Fixtures for 1878-79, The Guardian Journal 8 October 1878, p7 The morning of the match it was reported that the snow had been cleared from the pitch.Grand Football Match Birmingham Gazette, 20 January 1879, p1 Despite this, the match was played in several inches of snow Aston Villa v Queens Park Sheffield and Rotherham Independent, 21 January 1879, p8Football, Birmingham Daily Post, 21 January 1879, p7 25 January 1879 Aston Villa 2–0 The Birmingham Club Wellington Road Perry Barr w Football Fixtures Birmingham Gazette 22 January 1879, p4 Aston Villa v Birmingham Club, Birmingham Gazette, 27 January 1879, p3 1 February 1879 Aston Villa 0–0 St George's Wellington Road Perry Barr d Football Fixtures Birmingham Gazette 28 January 1879, p4 Aston Villa v St George's, Birmingham Gazette 4 February 1879, p2 8 February 1879 Sneiton Wanderers 2–4 Aston Villa Meadows Ground Nottingham w Victory in the rain.Football, Birmingham Daily Post, 10 February 1879, p7 22 February 1879 Aston Villa 8–0 Arcadians Wellington Road Perry Barr w Football, Birmingham Gazette, 25 February 1879, p4 1 March 1879 Wednesbury Old Athletic Aston Villa Wednesbury w Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette, 26 February 1879, p4 1 March 1879 Shrewsbury Engineers Aston Villa Shrewsbury 1 March 1879 Aston Villa 2nd 5–0 Sutton Coldfield Wellington Road Perry Barr w Football, Birmingham Evening Mail, 3 March 1879, p3 8 March 1879 Aston Villa Sheffield Heeley Wellington Road Perry Barr Football Fixtures, Birmingham Evening Mail, 4 March 1879, p3 15 March 1879 Aston Villa The Birmingham Club 2nd Wellington Road Perry Barr Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette, 11 March 1879, p3 22 March 1879 Stafford Road 0–1 Aston Villa Wolverhampton w Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette, 20 March 1879, p3Football Birmingham Evening Mail, 24 March 1879, p3 29 March 1879 Aston Villa Saltley College Wellington Road Perry Barr Football Fixtures, Birmingham Gazette, 26 March 1879, p4 5 April 1879 Aston Villa 3–0 Wednesbury Old Athletic Wellington Road Perry Barr w Football, Birmingham Gazette, 10 April 1879, p3 3 May 1879 Aston Villa 1–1 Stoke Stoke d Football, Evening Sentinel, 2 May 1879, p3 Players Archie Hunter signed for Villa in August 1878. Hunter later recalled in his memoirs; Aston Villa to me as a club that had come rapidly to the fore and asked me to become a member of it. I hesitated for some time, but at last my friend told me that a "brother Scot," Mr. George Ramsay, was the Villa captain and that decided me. Mr. Ramsay was a Glasgow man and had exerted himself very considerably to bring the Villa team into the front rank. 20px 30px Archie Hunter Triumphs of the Football Field Archie Hunter, Triumphs of the Football Field References Category:Aston Villa F.C. seasons Category:1878–79 in English football