ASTON VILLA F.C.
Founded: 1874
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ASTON VILLA F.C. (Football Club)
Included Info: Brief History, Club/Stadium Info, Team Jersey & Much More...
BRIEF HISTORY of ASTON VILLA FOOTBALL CLUB
(reproduced from 'Wikipedia' pages)
Aston Villa Football Club was formed in March 1874, by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in
Handsworth which is now part of Birmingham. Aston Villa's first match was against the local Aston Brook
St Mary's Rugby team. As a condition of the match, the Villa side had to agree to play the first half
under rugby rules and the second half under football rules. After moving to the Wellington Road ground
in 1876, Villa soon established themselves as one of the best teams in the Midlands. The club won its
first FA Cup in 1887 with captain Archie Hunter becoming one of the game's first household names. Aston
Villa were one of the dozen teams that competed in the inaugural Football League in 1888. In 1897, the year
Villa won The Double, they moved into their present home, the Aston Lower Grounds. Supporters coined the
name "Villa Park"; no official declaration listed the ground as Villa Park.
Aston Villa won their sixth FA Cup in 1920, soon after though the club began a slow decline that led to Villa,
at the time one of the most famous and successful clubs in world football, being relegated in 1936 for the first
time to the Second Division. Like all English clubs, Villa lost seven seasons to the Second World War, and that
conflict brought several careers to a premature end. The team was rebuilt under the guidance of former player
Alex Massie for the remainder of the 1940s. Aston Villa's first trophy for 37 years came in the 1956–57 season
when another former Villa player, Eric Houghton led the club to a then record seventh FA Cup Final win, defeating
the 'Busby Babes' of Manchester United in the final. The team struggled in the league though and were relegated
two seasons later, due in large part to complacency. However, under the stewardship of manager Joe Mercer Villa
returned to the top-flight in 1960 as Second Division Champions. The following season Aston Villa became the
first team to win the Football League Cup.
New ownership could not prevent Villa being relegated to the Third Division for the first time at the end of
the 1969–70 season. However, Villa gradually began to recover under the management of former club captain
Vic Crowe. In the 1971–72 season they returned to the Second Division as Champions with a record 70 points.
In 1974, Ron Saunders was appointed manager. His brand of no-nonsense man-management proved effective, with
the club winning the League Cup the following season and, at the end of season 1974–75, he had taken them back
into the First Division. Villa were back among the elite as Saunders continued to mould a winning team. This
culminated in a seventh top-flight league title in 1980–81. Villa were one of the founding members of the
Premier League in 1992, and finished runners-up to Manchester United in the inaugural season. For the rest
of the Nineties however Villa went through three different managers and their league positions were inconsistent,
although they did win two League Cups and regularly achieved UEFA Cup qualification. Villa reached the FA Cup
final in 2000 but lost 1–0 to Chelsea in the last game to be played at the old Wembley Stadium.
Again Villa's league position continued to fluctuate under several different managers and things came to a head
in the summer of 2006 when David O'Leary left in acrimony. After 23 years as chairman and single biggest shareholder
(approximately 38%), Doug Ellis finally decided to sell his stake in Aston Villa due to ill-health. After much
speculation it was announced the club was to be bought by American businessman Randy Lerner, owner of NFL franchise
the Cleveland Browns. The arrival of a new owner in Lerner and of manager Martin O'Neill marked the start of a new
period of optimism at Villa Park and sweeping changes occurred throughout the club including a new badge, a new
kit sponsor and team changes in the summer of 2007. The first Cup final of the Lerner era came in 2010 when Villa
were beaten 2–1 in the League Cup Final. Villa made a second trip to Wembley in that season losing 3–0 to Chelsea
in the FA Cup semifinal. On 28 February 2012, the club announced a financial loss of £53.9 million. Lerner put
the club up for sale on 12 May 2014, with an estimated value of £200 million.
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CLUB FACTS & INFORMATION
| Official Name
| --
| Aston Villa F.C. |
| Club Nickname
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| The Villa |
| Year Founded
| --
| Nov. 1874 (142 years ago) |
| English County
| --
| West Midlands |
| Current Ground
| --
| Villa Park |
| Ground Location
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| Birmingham, England |
| Club's Owner
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| Recon Sports Limited |
| Club Chairman
| --
| Tony Jiantong Xia |
| Current Manager
| --
| Steve Bruce |
| Current League
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| Championship |
| Last Season
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| Championship, 13th place |
HOME COLORS
Claret & Sky Blue |
AWAY COLORS
Yellow & Black |
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INTERESTING STADIUM FACTS & INFORMATION
VILLA PARK
Trinity Road, Birmingham
West Midlands, B6-6HE England
OPENED: ......... 1897
SURFACE: ........ Desso GrassMaster
COST: .............. £16,733 (£25 mil)
CAPACITY: ...... 42,660
RECORD: ......... 76,588 (1946 vs Derby County)
OWNER: ........... Aston Villa F.C.
OPERATOR: ..... Aston Villa F.C.
FIELD SIZE: ..... 114 x 75 yards (104 x 68 meters)
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HOME JERSEY
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AWAY JERSEY
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Villa Park (Aston Villa) Seating Diagram
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ASTON VILLA STADIUM WALLPAPERS (Free Download)
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