A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

 

Image Credit- Aston Villa.

The 1981–1982 European Cup season concluded with the 1982 European Cup final on May 26, 1982. Aston Villa, the winners of the Football League First Division, took on Bayern Munich, the winners of the Bundesliga, at De Kuip in Rotterdam. Without a question, Barton's team was a significant underdog in the championship game. Although they hadn't won the trophy since 1976, Bayern Munich was still considered the favorite despite England's stellar recent record in the competition (Liverpool and Nottingham Forest had won the trophy in the previous five years). The Germans had players of the caliber of Klaus Augenthaler, Paul Breitner, and two-time European Footballer of the Year in Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. 

Jimmy Rimmer, the goalkeeper for Aston Villa, sustained a recurrent shoulder injury ten minutes into the match. Nigel Spink, who took his place, went on to make his second appearance for the team in the first team. Much was made of his performance, which kept Bayern from scoring throughout the game, and many believe he has what it takes to be Villa's starting goalkeeper for the next ten seasons.

Peter Withe was the only goal scorer of the game who scored the decider in the 67th minute of the game. With three minutes remaining, Bayern did manage to score, but the goal was called back for offside. Just before the finish of the game, Villa managed to put the ball in the net once again, but this goal was also disallowed. Brian Moore's analysis of the winning goal is shown on a huge banner that spans Villa Park's Doug Ellis Stand: "Williams and Shaw were getting ready to go left. Tony Morley has a good ball in play. Oh, that's right, it really is! Peter Withe is here."

Villa received invitations to the European Cup, European Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup for the upcoming season because they were the reigning European champions. They lost to Juventus in the quarterfinals of their European Cup defense. They defeated Barcelona 3-1 overall to win the Super Cup, but they were defeated 2-0 by the Uruguayan team Peñarol in the Tokyo, Japan, Intercontinental Cup.

Barton had left the club by 1984, and things were getting out of hand. It's amazing to consider that Villa would be relegated only five years after their historic victory. It's even more bizarre to think that some of its more seasoned supporters will be able to claim to have experienced everything, from Rotherham to Rotterdam, come season one. Still, at least they had those recollections of Villa's conquest of Europe.