Golden Goal: Aston Villa’s Peter Withe v Bayern Munich (May 1982)

Dalglish, Francis, Robertson and Kennedy. Not a group of solicitors, but a list of players who scored winners in European Cup finals between 1978 and 1981. A time when English clubs ruled Europe. After Liverpool’s 1977 triumph, four 1-0 wins continued England’s continental dominance. Yet there was more to come.The name of Peter Withe would soon be added to this merry band of players. But there is a lot of ground to cover before we arrive at the right boot/shin of the England centre forward at the De Kuip, Rotterdam. Someone has kindly covered the story of Aston Villa’s 1982 European Cup glory before. However, a recap may be useful.The smell of rotting fish in Iceland; the heroics of keeper Jimmy Rimmer and winger Tony Morley in Berlin; the small matter of title-winning manager Ron Saunders departing before the quarter-final against Dynamo Kyiv; a change of location from Kyiv to Simferopol; cockroaches in bread rolls; violence in Anderlecht that threatened Villa’s…