Aston Villa. Two simple words
that mean so much to so
many people. Two words
that impressed Hollywood
megastar Tom Hanks so much
that he immediately declared himself a
supporter. When Hanks heard the name, it
conjured up images of Italy’s Amalfi Coast.
Hanks was immediately hooked on claret
and blue.
Witton can’t quite match the enchanting
charm of la bella Italia, but it has been
home to Aston Villa Football Club for
well over a century. During the course of
their illustrious history, Villa have become
a household name in English football.
Formed in 1874, the club’s rich heritage
features a host of honours — seven league
championships, seven FA Cup triumphs,
five League Cup victories and, best of all,
an unforgettable night of European Cup
glory against German giants Bayern Munich
in 1982. There was also a European
Super Cup victory over Barcelona the
following year, and Villa are also one of an
elite group of clubs to have achieved the
‘double’, winning both the league and FA
Cup in 1897. The club were instrumental
in the formation of the Football League in
1888, when committee member William
McGregor helped establish the new
competition. Villa were one of the founder
members, along with Wolves, West
Bromwich Albion, Everton, Preston North
End, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers,
Stoke City, Derby County, Burnley, Notts
County and Accrington.
Villa Park itself is steeped in history,
especially the former Trinity Road stand
which was officially opened by the Duke
of York in 1924. Its impressive £13m
replacement was also unveiled by
royalty, with Prince Charles performing
the official opening in 2001. This
all seems a long way from the
club’s humble beginnings.
Aston Villa came
into existence
because
four cricketers from the Villa Cross
Weslyan Chapel team decided they needed
something to occupy them during the
winter months. Their first match was a
strange affair, with the men challenging
local Aston Brook St. Mary’s rugby team.
The first half of the match was played with
an oval ball, under Rugby Union rules, and
a round ball was introduced during the
second half when the new Aston Villa
team demanded it.
Although Villa did not immediately
achieve national repute, it arrived in a
remarkable period between 1892 to 1905.
Villa won the First Division title five times
and reached the FA Cup Final four times,
taking the trophy on three occasions. This
heady period also included the ‘double’ in
1897, although the FA Cup presented to
them differed from the trophy they were
awarded two years earlier. That trophy had
been stolen from the shop window where
it was displayed, and never returned.
This tale has prompted years of mockery
at neighbouring club Birmingham City’s
expense; Villa have lost the FA Cup more
times than City have won it ...
The ‘double’ year, 1897, also heralded
the arrival of the club at their new home,
Villa Park, a venue that has maintained
its magnificent stature for more than a
century. Villa Park has hosted numerous FA
Cup semi-finals and international matches.
It also hosted numerous
matches
during the all-important 1966 World Cup,
as well as the European Championship of
1996 and the last ever Cup Winners Cup
final in 1999.
Although honours didn’t come quite as
regularly over the decade leading up to the
first world war, Villa won the Championship
again in 1910 and the FA Cup in 1913. In
the first season after the war, they returned
to their winning ways, lifting the Cup
once more in 1920. Four years later they
appeared in the second ever FA Cup Final
to be held at Wembley, although they lost
the title to Newcastle United that day. It
was another 33 years before Villa played
again beneath the famous twin towers,
although this time they beat Manchester
United to win the 1957 final.
Villa were pioneers of the League
Cup when it got under way in the 1960-
61 season, winning the inaugural trophy
and subsequently lifting it on four more
occasions—1975, 1977, 1994 and 1996.
Without doubt, the club’s most glorious
period was the early eighties. In 1981 they
became league champions for the first time
in 71 years, and a year later Peter Withe’s
winning goal in Rotterdam clinched a 1-0
victory over Bayern Munich in the European
Cup Final. More recently, Villa have moved
boldly into a new era, being taken over by
American businessman Randy Lerner in
2006 and appointing Martin O’Neill, one
of Europe’s most respected managers.
In his first season, O’Neill lifted the team
from 16th in the Barclays Premier League
to a respectable 11. Last season saw
further improvement, with Villa finishing
in the top six. Off the field, the club are
also actively building a relationship with
supporters. Villa want their fans to feel
part of the club, and were delighted to
introduce the giant flag that is unfurled
across the famous Holte End before
every home match. You want a
proud history? You want a
bright future? Look to
Villa Park.
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