By David Gold
October 25 – The Aston Villa team which won the European Cup in 1982 is to be inducted into the National Football Museum’s Hall of Fame later this month.
Their European Cup triumph came against all the odds as Aston Villa were languishing in mid-table in the old Division One at the time of their victory over Bayern Munich in the final of the competition.
Their success owed much to a young Nigel Spink, who pulled off a succession of remarkable saves to prevent a dominant Bayern Munich side claiming victory.
They will join six other teams in the Hall of Fame at the museum, including the1966 England World Cup winners and the 1968 Manchester United side.
Members of the team will be part of 600 guests at the club’s stadium Villa Park on Thursday (October 27), including Ron Saunders, the manager who led the team to the League title but resigned before the European Cup final in Rotterdam.
His replacement, Tony Barton, who guided the team to the remarkable triumph, died in 1993, but some of the key players in his team such as Peter Withe (pictured), who scored the only goal, Denis Mortimer and Gary Shaw will be in attendance.
The selection panel responsible for their selection to the Hall of Fame is led by Sir Bobby Charlton, and also includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Gordon Taylor and Mark Lawrenson.
Fans will have the opportunity to meet and mingle with the European Cup winning squad, and National Football Museum director Kevin Moore said: “This team will become just one of seven honoured in our Hall of Fame.
“We are delighted to be able to recognise the team’s achievement in this way and it will be very special to see these players back together at Villa Park once again.
“For any Villa fan this team is the benchmark for the club’s success, a success they achieved against all odds and very much as underdogs that year.
“It is only right that we celebrate and honour them in this way.”
The National Football Museum will reopen in Manchester in 2012, where future induction ceremonies will be held.
More than 140,000 objects are featured in their unique collection, including a shirt from the first ever international match played in 1872, the world’s oldest football team FC Sheffield and Diego Maradona’s shirt from the match against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter final, where he scored what is widely considered to be the greatest goal of all time, as well as the infamous “Hand of God” goal.
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