games in Villa colours. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, Villa were relegated to the Third Division at the end of the 1969–70 season for the first time in the club's history. He managed to play and Captain Villa at Wembley in the 1970–71 League Cup Final against Tottenham Hotspur while they were still a Third Division side, but finished on the Runners-up side. Villa also just missed out on promotion, finishing in fourth place in the League. He joined Bristol Rovers from Aston Villa for £35,000 and Ray Graydon in part-exchange in September 1971. At Eastville he became an immediate inspiration to a young, developing Rovers team. One early highlight was a hat trick in a 7–1 home win over Bradford City. In the 1972–73 pre-season Watney Cup tournament Brian was a member of the team that beat Sheffield United in the final 7–6 on penalties, after the game finished scoreless in front of 19,768 spectators. Brian Godfrey also played his part in Rovers famous 2–1 victory at Old Trafford over Manchester United in a third round League Cup replay, the United team including the likes of Bobby Charlton, George Best and Brian Kidd. He helped Bristol Rovers to sixth and fifth places in the Third Division in consecutive seasons. They reached the fifth round of the League Cup in 1971–72 after beating three Second Division teams in Sunderland, Charlton Athletic and Queens Park Rangers before losing to First Division opponents and eventual winners Stoke City. In total, Godfrey scored 16 goals in 81 league games for Rovers, prior to joining Newport County for £10,000 in June 1973 and becoming County's record signing at the time. From 1973 to 1974 he was ever-present in the County side making 46 league appearances and scoring 7 goals, including a hat trick against Workington in a 4–0 home win. Godfrey was selected in the 1974 Fourth Division PFA Team of the Year. He left Newport at the end of the 1974–75 season having scored 18 goals in a total of 118 appearances for the club. He then had a short spell in the North American Soccer League during the summer of 1975 as captain of the expansion team Portland Timbers, leading the club to the NASL league final. After that, Godfrey tried his hand in management for the first time, joining Bath City in July 1976. As a player-manager he guided Bath to fourth