Former Villa title-winning keeper Jimmy Rimmer dead at 78

Aston Villa’s 1981 First Division title-winning goalkeeper Jimmy Rimmer has died at the age of 78.

Rimmer was ever-present as Villa were crowned champions of England, in the forerunner of the Premier League.

But he is best remembered for being forced off with a neck injury after only nine minutes as the team won the European Cup the following year, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final in Rotterdam.

It was the second time he watched his side in a European Cup final, having been on the bench 14 years earlier when Manchester United beat Benfica at Wembley.

“Aston Villa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of European Cup winner Jimmy Rimmer, who has died at the age of 78,” the Birmingham club said in a statement issued Friday.

“The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Jimmy’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.

“Rimmer was one of the finest goalkeepers of his generation, and arguably one of the unluckiest when it came to big occasions. Despite collecting two European Cup winner’s medals, he wasn’t on the pitch at the end of either final.”

A one-cap England international, Rimmer was replaced in the Rotterdam final by understudy Nigel Spink, who kept a clean sheet as Peter Withe scored the second-half winner to see Villa crowned champions of Europe for the first and so far only time.

Spink became Villa’s first-choice goalkeeper, with Rimmer sold to Swansea a year later in 1983, having made more than 200 appearances for the club.

Rimmer began his career at United but struggled to displace Old Trafford great Alex Stepney, and was sold to Arsenal in 1974 before joining Villa three years later.