Aston Villa Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former player Dick Edwards.
The thoughts of everyone at the club are with his family and friends at this extremely difficult time.
Born in Kirkby-in-Ashfield in November 1942, Edwards joined Villa from Mansfield Town for £30,000 in March 1968, being signed by Tommy Cummings, who had also been his boss at Field Mill. He made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Blackpool at Bloomfield Road.
The following season, he played all but two of the club’s Second Division games, scoring two goals - ironically on consecutive Saturdays. His first was in a 4-2 defeat at Crystal Palace, a few days after Cummings was sacked, and his second was in a 2-1 home win against Norwich City on the day new boss Tommy Docherty took charge of the team for the first time.
He was an integral member of the team as Villa battled their way to safety, and also played in four FA Cup ties, including the famous 2-1 fourth-round replay victory over First Division Southampton in front of 59,084.
The last of his 67 appearances was in a 5-3 home setback by Portsmouth in February 1970, by which time Docherty had been dismissed and Villa were on their way to relegation to the Third Division for the first time.
Edwards, who subsequently played for Torquay United and Notts County, later forged a career as a country singer, recording several albums and singles with his sons Dan and Matt as The Edwards Boys. One of his songs even made No.2 in the American country charts.
Rest in Peace.
