Ticket to the Moon

Aston Villa: The Rise and Fall of a European Champion

Aston Villa's 1982 European Cup win in many ways was the most romantic in football history. And yet, set against the backdrop of English dominance in the competition it is widely a forgotten achievement. Having achieved promotion seven years earlier under the club's iconic manager Ron Saunders, Villa became unlikely First Division Champions in 1981. With steady progression being made in the European Cup in the following season, Saunders resigned suddenly and shockingly, citing a lack of support from the board and a lack of investment in a team he wanted to improve. Though Villa would proceed to the final and ultimately surprise Bayern Munich under the guidance of Tony Barton, the club would quickly slide back into the Second Division. For the first time, journalist and author Richard Sydenham details Villa's improbable rise and then it's sharp, dramatic fall through exclusive testimonies from the big movers and shakers, the managers, players and chairmen, including the notorious 'Deadly' Dough Ellis. By taking readers inside the boardroom, revealing through minutes who said what to whom at key meetings, Sydenham paints a vivid portrayal that covers more than 20-years of turbulent Midlands football history.