Aston Villa F.C.: Difference between revisions
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===2005-06: The end for O'Leary?=== |
===2005-06: The end for O'Leary?=== |
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David O'Leary's future at Villa Park was thrown into serious doubt due to Villa's dismal form in the 2005-06 season, which saw them caught up in a relegation battle |
David O'Leary's future at Villa Park was thrown into serious doubt due to Villa's dismal form in the 2005-06 season, which saw them caught up in a relegation battle. |
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==Club Honours== |
==Club Honours== |
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Revision as of 17:10, 23 April 2006
| Badge of Aston Villa | |||
| Full name | Aston Villa Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Villans | ||
| Founded | 1874 | ||
| Ground | Villa Park, Birmingham | ||
| Capacity | 43,500 | ||
| Chairman |  Doug Ellis | ||
| Manager |  David O'Leary | ||
| League | FA Premier League | ||
| 2004-05 | Premier League, 10th | ||
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- "Aston Villa" redirects here. For the French musical group, see Aston Villa (band).
Aston Villa Football Club play at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. They currently play in the Premier League. Aston Villa were founding members of the Football League in 1888 and of the Premier League in 1992. It is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in England.
History
Formation by Villa Cross Cricketers
Aston Villa Football Club was formed in March 1874 by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in Aston, Birmingham. Members of the Aston Villa cricket team were looking for a way to stay fit during the winter months and decided to adopt the new sport of football. The 'Four Founding Fathers' were Jack Hughes, Frederick Matthews, Walter Price and William Scattergood.
Aston Villa's first match was against the local Aston Brook St Mary's Rugby team and 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. Villa managed to hold St Mary's to a scoreless draw up to half time and in the second half won the historic affair by one goal, scored by Jack Hughes. Villa won their first honour, the Birmingham Challenge Cup in 1880, under the captaincy of Scotsman George Ramsay.
Rise to Prominence
The club won its first FA Cup in 1887, under the captaincy of another Scotsman, Archie Hunter. English football had become professional in 1885. However, the Scottish draper and director of Aston Villa, William McGregor had become frustrated with one-sided friendly matches and low attendances for all games but FA Cup ties. He saw that in order to keep interest in the game alive the top teams needed to play each other in a league much like American baseball teams did. So he wrote to the 12 leading clubs in England proposing the formation of a league. The reason the Football League was never called the English League is because McGregor intended Scottish and Welsh teams to join eventually. Welsh teams, most notably Cardiff City, did so but Scottish teams did not. Naturally, Aston Villa were one of the dozen teams that competed in the inaugural Football League in 1888 finishing runners-up.
Victorian and Edwardian Golden Age
It didn't take long for Villa to lift their first League Championship trophy, and this was achieved in 1893/94. This would signal the start of Aston Villa's 'Golden Age' and by the start of the First World War the club had won the League Championship six times and the FA Cup five times, including in 1896/97, a League and Cup Double, a feat which would not be repeated for more than 60 years. The captain during this era was John Devey. Villa attracted such big crowds that a new ground was needed. The club could regularly expect 25,000 people to attend home games, at a time when the FA Cup Final would attract only about 20,000. The League and FA Cup winners moved into their new stadium, the Aston Lower Grounds, in April 1897. It would be a number of years before the ground became officially known as Villa Park.
Footballing Giants of Inter-War Years
Although they remained a major force after the war, winning their sixth FA Cup in 1920, the club began a slow decline. This can be attributed in large part to a complacency which culminated in the unthinkable, the most famous and successful football club in the world being relegated to the Second Division in 1936. However, throughout the 1920's and into the 1930's the club had many fine international players (in 1933/34 Villa had no fewer than 14 full internationals) and continued to challenge for honours, Villa were FA Cup runners-up in 1924 and second in the League in 1931 and 1933. Throughout this period the Villa Park crowds were entertained with attacking football and goals galore, in season 1930/31 Tom 'Pongo' Waring scored 49 of Aston Villa's 128 league goals, however Villa were denied the title by the sensational Arsenal team of the 30's.
The Unthinkable Relegation
The club's decision to appoint their first manager coincided with relegation for the first time in 1935/36. This was largely due a dismal defensive record, they conceded 110 goals, 7 of them coming from Arsenal's Ted Drake in the infamous 1-7 defeat at Villa Park. However 'The Grand Old Man' of football was crowned Second Division Champions in 1937/38 under the guidance of Jimmy Hogan; Aston Villa were back where they belonged by the outbreak of The Second World War. Seven seasons were lost and many careers were finished due to the conflict and Aston Villa went about rebuilding the team under the guidance of former player, Alex Massie. The remainder of the 1940s and the 1950s saw Villa try to re-establish themselves as a top team. However, Villa could only be described as average during this period, although they had some good players and attendances were high. Season 1956/57 saw Villa go on an unexpected FA Cup run that would culminate in them defeating the 'Busby Babes' of Manchester United in the final. It was Aston Villa's first trophy for 37 years.
Mid-Century Mediocrity
However this success proved to be a false dawn with the team finishing 14th in the league the following season. Eric Houghton was sacked (after refusing to resign) when relegation loomed in 1958/59. His successor Joe Mercer was unable to prevent the club being relegated for the second time in 1959. Again a complacency had set in at the club, the famous Aston Villa had won the FA Cup for a record seventh time, this only served to fuel the belief that Villa were too good to go down. A return to the top flight was assured however in 1960 when Villa were crowned Second Division Champions. Season 1960/61 saw Villa win the inaugural League Cup and finish respectably in the league, this was achieved with an exciting nucleus of youth players who became known as 'Mercer's Minors'.
1960's: Decline and Fall
The slow decline continued throughout the 1960s due to a deep seated malaise; the club had failed to adapt to the new football reality, they had a non-existent scouting network, coaching was conducted in the same way as it had been 40 years earlier and the 5 man board contained 3 members over the age of 70. It was the board who decided that they couldn't refuse offers for their two most valuable players, Phil Woosnam and Tony Hateley. Without their goals Villa were in real trouble and were relegated for the third time, under manager Dick Taylor in 1967. The fans' calls for the board to resign became more and more urgent when Villa finished 16th in the Second Division in 1968. In a desperate attempt to avert total disaster, relegation to the Third Division, the manager, Tommy Cummings was given £200,000 to spend on new players, and with supporters boycotting Villa's home games in protest at the board, debts mounted. Events on the pitch came to a head in November 1968, with Villa lying at the bottom of Division Two; the board sacked Cummings and within weeks the entire board resigned due to overwhelming pressure from fans. After much speculation, control of the club was bought by London financier Pat Matthews, he also brought in Doug Ellis as chairman and Tommy Docherty as manager.
However, despite breathing new life into the club and initial success, Docherty was unable to lift the team out of the danger zone and he was sacked after just a year in charge. His successor Vic Crowe, was unable to prevent Aston Villa from being relegated to the Third Division for the first time in its history. Amazingly the following season Villa reached the League Cup final after beating Manchester United in the semi-final. They were eventually defeated in the final by two late Tottenham goals.
Crowe: Rising From the Ashes
The only way was up for Villa and in 1971/72 they were crowned Third Division champions at the end of a brilliant season. The team narrowly missed out on a second successive promotion when they finished third on their return to Second Division football in 1972/73. However the following season Villa struggled and Doug Ellis sacked Crowe replacing him with Ron Saunders.
Saunders: Back on Top
Aston Villa's centenary season provided the double success of a League Cup final victory over Norwich and promotion to the First Division after an absence of eight seasons in 1974/75. Villa were back and due to their League Cup success were in Europe for the first time. Although Villa were knocked out in the first round by Antwerp, Saunders was assembling a team that would go on to win the European Cup seven years later. Villa won the League Cup again in 1977 by beating Everton after two final replays. The following season saw Villa reach the quarter-final of the UEFA Cup where they held their own against Spanish giants, Barcelona. That night at the Nou Camp finally laid to rest the nightmare of the previous 10 years; Aston Villa were finally back amongst the footballing elite.
The 1980s was another mixed era in the history of Aston Villa Football Club, but it is most fondly remembered as a period in which the club scaled new heights as Champions of Europe. Villa won their first League Championship for 71 years, fighting off competition from Liverpool and Ipswich, in 1980-81 under the managership of Ron Saunders. It was a side brimming with talent such as midfield dynamo Gordon Cowans; skillful winger Tony Morley; Captain Dennis Mortimer; and the skrikeforce partnership of Peter Withe and local lad, Gary Shaw. To everyone's surprise, Saunders quit halfway through the 1981-82 season, (after falling out with the chairman), with Villa in the quarter final of the European Cup. He was replaced by his softly-spoken assistant manager Tony Barton.
Barton: European Glory
In May 1982, just three months after being appointed manager, Barton guided Villa to a 1-0 victory over Bayern Munich in the European Cup final in Rotterdam. While Peter Withe scored the winner in the 67th minute, the key player that night was Nigel Spink, the 23-year-old reserve goalkeeper who had only played one match for the club in five years since joining from Chelmsford City. First-choice keeper Jimmy Rimmer suffered a shoulder injury and was substituted after just 10 minutes. But Spink went on to make a number of fine saves in the game from the lethal Bayern strikeforce, which included Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Other key players in this Villa side included Des Bremner and Gordon Cowans. Barton remained in charge for two seasons after the European Cup triumph, and was sacked at the end of 1983-84 after Villa had finished tenth in the First Division. In came Shrewsbury manager Graham Turner as his successor.
Turner: Sliding Down the Table
Graham Turner was unable to reverse the decline at Aston Villa and his first two seasons at the helm brought disappointing bottom-half finishes. After a dismal start to the 1986-87 season he was sacked and replaced by Manchester City's Billy McNeill.
McNeill: Relegated Again
McNeill's reign at Villa Park was even more difficult and short lived than Turner's reign. He was unable to save Villa from relegation and they went down to the Second Division in bottom place, just five years after winning the European Cup. McNeill handed in his notice and moved to Celtic just after the end of the season. Chairman Doug Ellis persuaded Watford manager Graham Taylor to take over the reins and set about bringing good fortunes back to the club.
Taylor: Another Revival
Taylor's first season at Villa ended in automatic promotion as First Division runners-up, being pipped to the title by Millwall. A key player in the promotion-winning side was 22-year-old midfielder David Platt, a former Manchester United reserve who had been signed from Crewe Alexandra for £200,000 just after Taylor's arrival. Platt's impressive goalscoring record and Taylor's managerial know-how ensured that Villa avoided relegation in their first season back in the top flight, and the following season (1989-90) they emerged as surprise contenders for the title. For a few weeks during the second half of the season, Villa led the league but eventually finished in second place - nine points behind champions Liverpool. Taylor then departed for the England manager's job and was succeeded by Czech coach Jozef Venglos - the first foreign manager in the First Division.
Venglos: Setback
Jozef Venglos - the first foreign manager ever to take charge of an English top-flight club - spent one season as manager of Aston Villa (1990-91). He stepped down after they finished just two places above the First Division relegation zone and David Platt was sold to Italian side Bari for £5 million. Aston Villa's new manager was Ron Atkinson, who had achieved considerable success with West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United and more recently Sheffield Wednesday. Villa progressed to finish sixth in 1991-92 and book their place in the new Premier League.
Villa in the Premiership
1992-93: Title glory... almost
Atkinson spent heavily, making expensive additions to the squad including Earl Barrett, Dean Saunders, Andy Townsend, Dalian Atkinson, Kevin Richardson, Ray Houghton and Shaun Teale. The policy nearly paid off in 1993 when Aston Villa finished runners-up to Manchester United (Atkinson's old club) in the inaugural Premier League. During that season, the strike partnership of Saunders and Atkinson was an instant hit with the Villa Park faithfull and established itself as one of the most feared in the Premiership.
1993-94: Revenge over United in the Cup
Villa gained their revenge over United with a 3-1 League Cup final victory the following season (which prevented United from winning a unique domestic treble) to secure a second successive UEFA Cup campaign. It was fine compensation for Atkinson's men, who had finished tenth after a slump in league form.
1994-95: Atkinson out... Little in
Atkinson was sacked in November 1994 with Villa battling relegation, just 18 months after they had almost won the league.
Atkinson's successor Brian Little did well to keep a demoralised team in the Premiership and in the summer of 1995 reshaped the squad by selling most of the club's older players and buying in many younger players. New arrivals included Alan Wright, Gary Charles, Ian Taylor, Mark Draper, Savo Milosevic, Gareth Southgate and Tommy Johnson. Several home grown players were also progressing well, especially striker Dwight Yorke and defender Ugo Ehiogu.
1995-96: Another League Cup triumph
Aston Villa made huge progress in 1995-96 under Brian Little. They won the League Cup, reached the FA Cup semi finals and finished fourth in the Premiership. Dwight Yorke was now established as a world class striker and other players like Ugo Ehiogu and Gareth Southgate were already gaining international recognition.
1996-97: Another UEFA Cup place
Villa's form dipped slightly in 1996-97 and they finished fifth, but still qualified for the UEFA Cup.
1997-98: Another change of manager
Brian Little quit in February 1998 with Villa standing 15th in the Premiership, and his successor John Gregory, a former Aston Villa coach who had left to take charge of Wycombe Wanderers 18 months earlier, revitalised the club's fortunes and they finished seventh in the Premiership and qualified for the UEFA Cup; due to the progress of other teams in the top seven it was the first time that a seventh placed club has automatically qualified for the UEFA Cup.
1998-99: A false dawn
Despite the £12.6million sale of Dwight Yorke to Manchester United in August 1998, John Gregory had guided Aston Villa to the top of the Premiership by the middle of the 1998-99 season. New signings Paul Merson and Dion Dublin were proving to be worth the money, while 18-year-old defender Gareth Barry was easily the most competent young player in the Premiership that season. But Villa's form slipped during the final weeks and they finished sixth - not even enough for a UEFA Cup place.
1999-2000: Cup run
Villa reached the FA Cup final in 2000 (for the first time since 1957), but lost 1-0 to Chelsea in a poor game.
2000-01: More mediocrity
2000-01 saw Villa finish eighth in the Premiership, although they did eventually qualify for the UEFA Cup after a successful campaign in the Intertoto Cup over the summer of 2001.
2001-02: Taylor returns
Chairman Doug Ellis made a surprise decision to appoint Graham Taylor as manager for the second time after Gregory's sudden resignation in January 2002. Villa finished the 2001-02 season in eighth place, which was similar to most of their other Premiership finishes.
2002-03: Relegation battle
Taylor quit as manager for the second and final time after the end of the 2002-03 season. Villa had just finished 16th in the Premiership, loosing twice to arch rivals Birmingham City.Only their fine home form had saved them from relegation.
2003-04: A near miss
David O'Leary, who had taken Leeds United to the semi-finals of the 2000-01 Champions League, was drafted in as Taylor's replacement.
After a poor start to the season, O'Leary transformed the team's fortunes and by Spring 2004 they were in contention for a UEFA Champions League place. But a 2-0 home defeat against Manchester United saw them finish sixth in the Premiership and narrowly miss out on a UEFA Cup place. Nevertheless, such an improvement in league form reflected well on how David O'Leary had rejuvenated the club's fortunes.
2004-05: More frustration
Villa's chances of success in 2004-05 were ruined by a succession of injuries to key players, and they were unable finish higher than 10th in the final table.
2005 Close Season
Pacy striker Darius Vassell moved to Premiership side Manchester City on 27 July, 2005, for a reported fee of £2 million, and was replaced within a month by Euro 2004 Golden Boot winner Milan Baros, who arrived from Liverpool for a fee of £6.5 million (with a further £0.5 million dependent on appearances). Influential winger, Nolberto Solano left the club prior to the transfer deadline to return to Newcastle United. James Milner was a part of the transfer and is on loan at the club for the 2005/2006 season. Off the field the club's future is uncertain, elderly Chairman Doug Ellis is currently seeking to sell his stake due to growing infirmity.
2005-06: The end for O'Leary?
David O'Leary's future at Villa Park was thrown into serious doubt due to Villa's dismal form in the 2005-06 season, which saw them caught up in a relegation battle.
Club Honours
- European Cup 1982
- European Super Cup 1983
- Inter-Toto Cup 2001
- League Cup 1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996
- First Division Champions 1893-1894, 1895-1896, 1896-1897, 1898-1899, 1899-1900, 1909-1910, 1980-1981
- Second Division Champions 1937-1938, 1959-1960
- Third Division Champions 1971-1972
- FA Youth Cup 1972, 1980, 2002
Club Colours & Crest
The club colours are claret top with sky blue sleeves, white shorts with claret and blue trim, sky blue socks with claret and white trim. They were the original wearers of these famous colours and other teams, notably West Ham and Burnley, adopted the same colours. The 'Rampant Lion' has been a feature of Villa's crest since the late 1870's, it is believed to have been introduced by Villa legend George Ramsay.
Managers
| Secretary/Committee | Period |
|---|---|
| George Ramsay | Aug 1884 - May 1926 |
| W J Smith | August 1926 - May 1934 |
| Manager | Period |
| Jimmy McMullan | June 1934 - October 1935 |
| Jimmy Hogan | November 1936 - September 1939 |
| Alex Massie | August 1945 - August 1950 |
| George Martin | December 1950 - August 1953 |
| Eric Houghton | September 1953 - November 1958 |
| Joe Mercer | December 1958 - July 1964 |
| Dick Taylor | July 1964 - May 1967 |
| Tommy Cummings | July 1967 - November 1968 |
| Tommy Docherty | December 1968 - January 1970 |
| Vic Crowe | January 1970 - May 1974 |
| Ron Saunders | June 1974 - February 1982 |
| Tony Barton | February 1982 - June 1984 |
| Graham Turner | July 1984 - September 1986 |
| Billy McNeill | September 1986 - May 1987 |
| Graham Taylor | May 1987 - July 1990 |
| Jozef Venglos | July 1990 - May 1991 |
| Ron Atkinson | July 1991 - November 1994 |
| Brian Little | November 1994 - February 1998 |
| John Gregory | February 1998 - January 2002 |
| Graham Taylor | February 2002 - May 2003 |
| David O'Leary | May 2003 - Present |
Captains
| Captain | Period |
|---|---|
| George Ramsay | 1876 - 1884 |
| Archie Hunter | 1884 - 1891 |
| John Devey | 1891 - 1898 |
| Jimmy Crabtree | 1898 - 1902 |
| Howard Spencer | 1902 - 1906 |
| Joe Bache | 1906 - 1914 |
| Andy Ducut | 1919 - 1921 |
| Frank Moss | 1921 - 1927 |
| Billy Walker | 1927 - 1933 |
| Alec Talbot | 1933 - 1934 |
| Eric Houghton | 1934 - 1936 |
| Tom Griffiths | 1936 - 1937 |
| Alex Massie | 1937 - 1938 |
| George Cummings | 1938 - 1949 |
| Dicky Dorsett | 1949 - 1951 |
| Danny Blanchflower | 1951 - 1955 |
| Johnny Dixon | 1955 - 1959 |
| Vic Crowe | 1959 - 1964 |
| Alan Deakin | 1964 - 1966 |
| Charlie Aitken | 1966 - 1973 |
| Chris Nicholl | 1973 - 1974 |
| Ian Ross | 1974 - 1976 |
| Leighton Phillips & Chris Nicholl | 1976 - 1977 |
| Dennis Mortimer | 1977 - 1984 |
| Allan Evans | 1984 - 1989 |
| Paul McGrath | 1989 - 1992 |
| Kevin Richardson | 1992 - 1995 |
| Gareth Southgate | 1995 - 2000 |
| Steve Staunton & Paul Merson | 2000 - 2003 |
| Olof Mellberg | 2003 - present |
Current squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Players out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Greatest Players
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1880s
1890s
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
|
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
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1990s
2000s
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Appearance Records
| Name | Games | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charlie Aitken | 660 |
| 2 | Billy Walker | 531 |
| 3 | Gordon Cowans | 528 |
| 4 | Joe Bache | 474 |
| 5 | Allan Evans | 469 |
| 6 | Nigel Spink | 460 |
| 7 | Tommy Smart | 452 |
| 8 | Johnny Dixon | 430 |
| 9 | Dennis Mortimer | 406 |
| 10 | Billy George | 402 |
All Time Leading Goalscorers
| Name | Goals | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billy Walker | 244 |
| 2 | Harry Hampton | 242 |
| 3 | John Devey | 187 |
| 4 | Joe Bache | 185 |
| 5 | Eric Houghton | 170 |
| 6 | Tom 'Pongo' Waring | 167 |
| 7 | Johnny Dixon | 144 |
| 8 | Peter McParland | 120 |
| 9 | Billy Garraty | 112 |
| 10 | Dai Astley | 100 |
| 11 | Len Capewell | 100 |
| 12 | Dwight Yorke | 97 |
Season-By-Season Record
Trivia
- Aston Villa's current home venue is Villa Park having previously played at Aston Park (1874-1876) and Perry Barr (1876-1897). They have a training ground at Bodymoor Heath in north Warwickshire.
- Aston Villa is one of four English teams that have won the European Champions Cup. They did so in 1982 on May 26 in Rotterdam, beating Bayern Munich 1-0 thanks to Peter Withe's 67th minute goal.
- Aston Villa is one of an elite group of 7 clubs that has played in every Premiership season, They are: Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
- To date Aston Villa have spent 96 seasons in the top-flight, the only club to have spent longer in the top-flight being Everton, (103). As a result, Aston Villa versus Everton is the most played fixture in English top flight football - Villa's 4-1 defeat away at Goodison Park in March 2006 was the 182nd such match between the two clubs.
- Aston Villa has scored more FA Cup goals than any other club.
- Aston Villa has provided more England internationals than any other club, 63 to date.
- Aston Villa's 128 goals scored in season 1930/31 is not only a club record, it is also the record number of league goals scored by any team in the top flight.
- Villa Park was the first English ground to stage international football in three different centuries.
- In October 2005 Villa was approached by a consortium, thought to include the Irish property speculators Brian & Luke Comer, about a possible takeover which would value the club at around £64.4 million. Recent attempts however, have been dismissed.
Related Links
- Aston Villa F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- Official Aston Villa website
- list of media articles concerning Aston Villa
- Newsnow Latest Villa News
- Heroes and Villains The Villa Fanzine
- Aston Villa Supporters Trust
- John Lerwill's Aston Villa History
- St. Mary's Church, Handsworth Last resting place of William McGregor
- Villa Talk Unofficial site
- A Tribute to the European Cup winning side of 1982
- A Tribute to the One of the greatest Aston Villa Teams- The Perry Barr Pets
- The Lions Blog - just one of many Aston Villa Blog Football sites
- The Aston Villa Football Blog
- Aston Villa stadium location
- Aston Villa Football Chants
- Aston Villa - Premierleague.com
