Author : Adam Admin | Created : 2021-07-15 17:11:00

Aston Villa

---

Aston Villa is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham and draws a large amount of support from all over the Midlands.

History of the club

Aston Villa Football Club was founded by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel, namely Jack Hughes, Walter Price, Frederick Matthews and William Scattergood in 1874, making them one of the oldest football clubs in England. The team’s first game was unlike any other, as they played against the Aston Brook St Mary’s Rugby team. It was agreed that the first half of the game would be played with the rules of Rugby, and the second half would be played with the Association Rules.

In 1876, Aston Villa achieved the status as one of the best football teams in the Midlands and moved to the Wellington Road grounds.

In 1880, Aston Villa won the Birmingham Senior Cup, their first official honour. At this point, they were under the captaincy of Scotsman George Ramsay. They then went on to be one of the five English football clubs in 1981-82 to win the European Cup.

The team won their first FA Cup in 1887. They were also one of the founding members of the Football League in 1888, which they went on to win in the First Division seven times, and was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992. Aston Villa continues to grow in their success, winning the FA Cup seven times, the European (EUFA) Super Cup once and the League Cup five times.

The rampant lion is the traditional club badge, along with a kit that consists of sky blue socks, white shorts and a claret shirt with sky blue sleeves.

Owners

As a result of new legislation which was created to systematise the Association of Football leagues, due to the number of professional teams and players growing significantly, the first shares in Aston Villa were not introduced until the end of the 19th century. The shares were distributed amongst investors, as it was a rule for all FA teams at the time. This only lasted until the 1960s whereby Doug Ellis, the chairman, purchased the majority of shares, who soon became the majority shareholder from 1982 to 2006.

In August 2006, Randy Lerner, the National Football League’s Cleveland Browns owner, had agreed to take over the club for £62.6 million and completely replaced the board, and appointed himself as chairman. In May 2014, Randy Lerner put the club up for sale, at approximately £200 million. It was taken over in May 2016 by Chinese businessman Xia Jiantong for £76 million. The club then became a part of the Recon Group’s Sport, Leisure and Tourism division. The club fell into financial difficulties when they did not secure the 2017-18 Premier League promotion, which prompted new investors Nassef Sawiris, the owner of the NSWE group and billionaire Wes Eden, to make an investment of the controlling stake in the club. It was at this point Sawiris became the club chairman. In 2019, it had been found that Recon’s Group minority had been bought out.

Stadium

From 1874-1876, Aston Villa played at Aston Park, which was their first home ground. The team then moved to Wellington Road from 1876-1897.

Aston Villa now plays at Villa Park, which has been named one of the biggest football stadiums in the English Midlands and has achieved the status of the eighth largest stadium in England. Villa Park has hosted 55 semi-finals, which makes it the most used ground in the FA Cup semi-final history and was the first ground in England to host international football in three different centuries.

Cups won

Domestic League Titles

Aston Villa has won 7 championships in the First Division / Premier League in the following years:

• 1893–94

• 1895–96

• 1896–97

• 1898–99

• 1899–1900

• 1909–10

• 1980–81

Aston Villa has won 2 championships in the Second Division / First Division in the following years:

• 1937-38

• 1959-60

Aston Villa won 1 championship in the Third Division / Second Division / League One in 1971-72.

Football Association (FA) Cup

Aston Villa won the FA cup 7 times in the following years:

• 1886–87

• 1894–95

• 1896–97

• 1904–05

• 1912–13

• 1919–20

• 1956–57

League Cup / English Footbal League (EFL) Cup

Aston Villa won the League Cup / EFL Cup 5 times in the following years:

• 1960–61

• 1974–75

• 1976–77

• 1993–94

• 1995–96

FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield

Aston Villa won the FA Charity Shield / FA Community Shield on 1 occasion, in 1981.

Sheriff of London Charity Shield

Aston Villa won the Sheriff of London Charity Shield on 2 occasions, in the following years:

• 1899

• 1901

European Cup / UEFA Champions League

Aston Villa won the European Cup / UEFA Champions League on 1 occasion, in 1981-82.

European Super Cup / UEFA Super Cup

Aston Villa won the European Super Cup / UEFA Super Cup on 1 occasion, in 1982.

Intertoto Cup

Aston Villa won the Intertoto Cup on 1 occasion, in 2001.

Current squad

1. Emiliano Martinez

2. Matty Cash

3. Matt Targett

4. Ezri Konsa

5. Tyrone Mings

6. Douglas Luiz

7. John McGinn

8. Morgan Sanson

9. Wesley (on loan)

10. Emiliano Buendia

11. Ollie Watkins

12. Jed Steer

13. 
    

14. Conor Hourihane (on loan)

15. Bertrand Traore

16. Axel Tuanzebe

17. Trezeguet

18. Ashley Young

19. Marvelous Nakamba

20. Danny Ings

21. Anwar El Ghazi

22. 
    
23. 
    

24. Frederic Guilbert (on loan)

25. 
    
26. 
    
27. 
    

28. Hajduk Split (on loan)

29. 
    

30. Kortney Hause

31. Leon Bailey

32. Jaden Philogene-Bidace

33. Carney Chukwuemeka

34. Tyreik Wright (on loan)

35. Cameron Archer

36. 
    

37. Mungo Bridge (on loan)

38. 
    

39. Keinan Davis

40. 
    

41. Jacob Ramsey

42. Arjan Raikhy (on loan)

43. Brad Young (on loan)

Akos Onodi (on loan)

Kaine Kelser Hayden (on loan)

Dominic Revan (on loan)

Grimsby Town (on loan)

Finn Azaz (on loan)

Louie Barry (on loan)

Indiana Vassilev (on loan)

Biggest transfers

Emiliano Buendia - £33 million rising to £38 million (from Norwich City, June 2021)

Leon Bailey - £30 million (from Bayer Leverkusen, August 2021)

Ollie Watkins - £28 million rising to £33 million (from Brentford, September 2020)

Danny Ings - £25 million rising to £30 million (from Southampton, August 2021)

Wesley - £22 million (from Club Brugge, June 2019)

Top Goalscorers

Gabriel Agbonlahor Retired - 86

Dwight Yorke Retired - 73

Juan Pablo Ángel Retired - 62

Dion Dublin Retired - 57

Tony Hateley - 53