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History of Aston Villa - The Story Part 1.
The Story of Aston Villa - Part 1.
The Story of Aston Villa - Part 2.
The Story of Aston Villa - Part 3.
Aston Villa F.C are known as one of the biggest football clubs in english football history and of course the most successful club in the Midlands. Avillafan.com have put in a lot of work and research so we can now tell you the history of this great club.
How it all started
Aston Villa F.C was formed by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel, in Aston Birmingham in March 1874. Members of the cricket team at the time were looking at ways to stay fit during the winter months and decided to have a go at the new sport football. The four founders of Aston Villa were Jack Hughes, Frederick Matthews, Walter Price and William Scattergood.
And now we are off
Aston Brook St. Mary's Rugby team were the first ever opposition for Villa, and part of the conditions the first half was played under rugby rules, then the second under football rules. At half time Villa managed to keep the game at 0-0, and then went onto win the game 1-0 after a second half goal from Jack Hughes.
Six years later in 1880 Aston Villa secured there first ever competition - The Birmingham Challenge Cup.
English football became professional in 1885. The club then went on to win it's first ever FA Cup in 1887. Aston Villa were one of the first twelve clubs to compete in the first ever professional football league, and finished runners-up in the first season.
Villa went onto win there first ever league championship in the 1893-94 season and this began Villa's 'Golden Age' and by the start of the first world war they had one the league on six occasions and the FA Cup five times, including a spectacular league and cup double in 1896-97 - something which was not repeated for another sixty years.
At the time Villa would average attendances of around 25,000 when FA Cup finals were only attracting 20,000 and its peak. |
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The move to Villa Park
Villa attracted such good crowds in the 1890's that a new ground was needed.
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The league and FA Cup holders recently played at Wilson Road (Birchfields), and moved to Perry Barr in 1878 which was there home up until 1897.
In that year, Villa's financial secretary at the time, Frederick Rinder negotiated the purchase of there current home ground, Villa Park. However, it was originally called the Aston Lower Grounds and didn't change name to Villa park until a number of years later.
Villa Park is now a respected stadium around europe and is rated at 4-star by Uefa. Aston Villa have been told it can rise to a 5-star if there capacity rise's to a minimum of 50,000. |
The Years of 1900 - 1980
After the world war Villa remained a major force in football and collected there sixth FA Cup in 1920. The the club began to decline, with the worlds biggest and most successful football club getting relegated to the second division 1936. One of the reasons for Villa's relegation was there shocking defence - they conceded 110 league goals that season.
In the 1940-1950's Villa's main aim was to establish themselves once again as one of the major force's in world football, however could only be described as a average team. Although in 1957, Aston Villa went on a amazing run in the FA Cup where they managed to beat Manchester United in the final. This was Villa's first trophy for 37 years! |
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However, Villa only managed to 14th in the league the following season. The club was then relegated in 1959 following the sacking of Eric Houghton. The following season Villa bounced back up after being crowned Second division champions in 1960.
The 'Mercers Minors' nickname then came about after Joe Mercer managed to win the league cup and finish in a respectable position that season with an exciting nucleus of youth players.
In the 1960's Villa continued to struggle, five of there board members were over the age on 70, coaching was still done the same way it had been done over the past 40 years, and Villa had a nonexistent scouting system. The board then went on to sell the clubs two most valuable players, Phil Woosnam and Tony Hately. Villa then went on to get relegated for a third time.
After being relegated Villa then went on to struggle in the second division, and then protests began by fans to get the board sacked. Then when Villa went bottom of the league the board sacked Tommy Cummings, and within a few more weeks the whole board had resigned. The club was then brought by Pat Matthews and he brought in his own team, Doug Ellis as chairman and Tommy Docherty as manager.
After just one year in charge Tommy Docherty was replaced by Vic Crowe. However, Crowe was unable to prevent Villa from being relegated to the old Third division.
In the 1971-72, with the only way up for Aston Villa they went on a surprising run in the league cup, beating Manchester Utd in the Semi-Finals, before losing to Tottenham in the final. They also went on to win the league as Third division champions that season.
The club so very nearly managed to complete two successful promotion campaigns but only managed to finish third in the Second division. The following season Villa struggled once again and Doug Ellis had no alternative but to sack Vic Crowe. He replaced him with Ron Saunders. Go to Part 2
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