Aston Villa History
Aston Villa Football Club are one of the FA Premier League's oldest clubs: founded in 1874 at Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in Aston, Birmingham. Villa's first home was in Perry Barr, until they moved to their present ground of Villa Park. Initially some of the Aston Villa cricket team took to the then "new game" of football as a means of training & keeping fit in the closed season. Aston Villa bacame a professional club in 1885 and were Amongst the original members of the Football League in 1888 & finished runners up in that first season. William McGregor, a Scotsman & director of Aston Villa Football Club was a catalyst in the formation of the League, having written to the leading 12 clubs in the country to propose the foundation of the League. Villa were very successful the league's formative years, their first League Championship came in 1894.This would be followed by several titles and FA Cup triumphs, including a league and FA Cup Double triumph in 1897. In all 6 League titles and 5 FA Cups came home to Aston Villa Football Club before the onset of World War 1. Villa's dominance waned after the war and, although they won a sixth FA Cup in 1920, there was little silverware. Aston Villa still posessed players of undoubted quality, indeed many were capped Internationally, and they did still challenge for honours - FA Cup finalists in 1924 and League runners up in 1931 & 33. Villains fans bore witness to some excellent attacking football in this period, and in the 30/31 season 128 goals were scored, including an astounding 49 from the legendary goal macchine Pongo Waring. Still, they had to concede the silverware to the now legendary Arsenal side. Villa continued their decline and relegation to the Second Division followed in 1936, this was unthinkable at the time, but a huge total of 110 goals against in the season tells its own story. AVFC were not to be down for long, and became Second Division Champions in 1937/38 before the outbreak of The Second World War. After the war Aston Villa strived throughout the late 1940's and the 1950's to re-establish themselves as a top team. During this period, a well populated Villa Park would witness some good performances, without the regular challenge for honours that had previously been expexted. A high point came in 1957, when an FA Cup run & a defeat of the 'Busby Babes' of Manchester United in the final, would bring Aston Villa FC their first trophy for 37 years. This fleeting success was little comfort when AVFC were again relegated in 1959, the Villa side at that time being thought too good to go down. Second Division Champions again in 1960, Aston Villa were again in the top flight lead by Manager Joe Mercer, who brought further success, winning the first ever League Cup in 1961. Again, Villa were thought to have a talented, and exciting side tipped for further glory. This glory never came, and far worse was to follow for the Villains. Relegated again in 1967, Aston Villa FC was in a state of crisis when they finished 16th in the Second Division in 1968. The Villains fans were increasingly dissatisfied, and were increasing pressure on the board to resign - suporters even boycotted home games in protest. The board went, but so too Second Division status and unthinkably Aston Villa Football Club would start the 1970/71 season in the 3rd Division. Surprisingly, this season would see Villa reach the League Cup final losing to Tottenham Hotspur , after beating Manchester United in the semi-final. AVFC was now beginning to turn around and in 1971/72 they finished top of the Third Division with a side that seemed destined for a speedy return to the top flight. Villa almost made back to back promotions, but finished third in the Second Division in 1972/73. Aston Villa FC's centenary season in 1974 was to be celebrated with a double success. A League Cup final victory over Norwich City , was followed by promotion back to the First Division after eight years.The League cup triumph also brought Villa their first taste of European competition, but they were knocked out in the first round. Manager Ron Saunders set about the task of building an Aston Villa side that would go on to greater glories. The League Cup came back to Villa Park again in 1977 after a thrilling encounter with Everton which needed two replays to decide the eventual winners. In 1978 Villa would reach the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup and could finally claim to be back where they belonged. Saunders' Villa would now go on to win Division 1 in 1981, which was his swansong, as he resigned halfway through the next season allowing Tony Barton to take the helm. Just a few months later, his legacy would bring the biggest prize of all to Aston Villa football club - The European Cup in May 1982. This was a night of sheer excitement and fate, and anyone who remembers watching this game live will know why. Jimmy Rimmer, the experienced and talented Villa goalkeeper was injured badly enough to have to leave the field for good in only the 9th minute of the game. His heroic replacement came in the shape of young reserve keeper and unknown quantity Nigel Spink. Spink played a blinder, making save after save from a potent Bayern Munich strikeforce keeping Villa in the game. Gordon Cowans pulled the strings in midfield, and a single goal from Peter Withe would ensure the Cup. Barton was sacked in 1984, to be replaced by Shrewsbury Town's successful manager Graham Turner. He made little impact at Villa and was sacked in 1986 prior to the side finishing bottom of the First Division and being relegated.In 1987 AVFC chairman Doug Ellis appointed Graham Taylor as manager. Taylor had already worked minor miracles at Watford , and big things were expected of him. Aston Villa were promoted when they finished Second Division runners-up in 1988, but were almost relegated again the following season. In 1990, however, Taylor's Villa ran an excellent Liverpool FC side very close, to finish runners up in Division 1. Taylor would then go on to bigger, if not better, things as the England Team manager. Czech coach Jozef Venglos was installed, in what was a strange choice as the new manager of Aston Villa Football Club - this was the first instance of a foreign manager at a 1st division club, he did not last long. He was followed by Ron Atkinson who, along with a fat cheque book almost brought back the League title, finishing second to Man Utd in the Premier leagues first season. The next season brought the League Cup back to Villa with a final victory over United, so some revenge was exacted.Big Ron departed in 1994 as a struggling AVFC battled against relegation, to be replaced by Brian Little, who kept the team in the Premiership. Aston Villa's fortunes improved under Brian Little in 1995-96, they won the League Cup again, finished fourth in the Premiership and reached the FA Cup semi finals. Villa again threatened to produce the football that could grace the higher levels of the game, but outings in the UEFA Cup in 1996 and 1997, proved them lacking. When Little departed in 1998 relegation was again looking likely. John Gregory, who had managed Wycombe Wanderers , after a spell as coach at Aston Villa Football Club, was next to take charge and took the Villains to seventh in the Premiership and qualification for the UEFA Cup, where again they failed to impress. A 6th place finish in the Premiership in 1999 was adequate, but Villa were now obviously amongst the clubs where Premiership status was more important than a challenge to the title, now dominated by Man Utd & Arsenal. An FA cup final defeat to Chelsea in 2000 was the nearest thing to silverware in recent years. Following the departure of Gregory in 2002, Aston Villa FC like most Premiership clubs of the new era have failed to renew past glories. The coming and going of Graham Taylor as manager for a second time, followed by the appointment of David O'Leary has done little to indicate imminent silverware.
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