August 16: Aston Villa Returns To First Division

Nike Mercurial IX

After an eight year exile that include a stint in the English third division, Aston Villa returned to the English First Division on this day in soccer history in 1975 and began a impressive march that would culminate with the seventh top-flight league title in 1980–81.

The following season Aston Villa won the European Cup final, now known as the UEFA Champions League, against Bayern Munich and added the European Super Cup title the next year.

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The success, however, were not immediate as Aston Villa feel to Leeds United 2-1 in their first match back in the First Division. The 46,000+ Villa Park faithful were given the dream start when Leighton Phillips scored the opener but Leeds’ Peter Lorimer knocked in a brace.

Villa survived relegation in the first season back and went on to great glory in the years to come under manager Ron Saunders.

Soccer Birthdays

1929 – Helmut Rahn, German footballer (d. 2003)
1935 – Andreas Stamatiadis, Greek footballer and coach
1971 – Stefan Klos, German footballer
1972 – Stan Lazaridis, Australian footballer
1974 – Iván Hurtado, Ecuadorian footballer
1975 – Didier Agathe, French footballer
1976 – Jonatan Johansson, Finnish footballer
1981 – Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguayan footballer
1982 – Joleon Lescott, English footballer
1987 – Evan Berger, Australian footballer