Club Profile: Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham. The club currently plays in the Barclays Premier League. Known sometimes simply as Villa or by their nickname ‘The Lions’, the club has been playing in the top flight of English football for the majority of their history, since their formation in 1874. The home games are played at Villa Park, one of the finest stadiums in England, and the home ground of the club since 1897. The club has been present at historical moments in England football, like the formation of the Football League in 1888 and the Premier League in 1992.
The club is currently owned by Randy Lerner, who took over from Doug Ellis in 2006. Aston Villa has been one of the most successful entities in English football, lifting the league title on seven occasions, as well as seven F.A. Cups. Villa are one of the few English clubs to have won the European Cup too, which they lifted in the 1981-82 season, when they famously defeated Bayern Munich 1-0, thanks to a goal from Pete Withe in the 67th minute. That triumph remains Villa's only major achievement on the European stage, and in recent seasons they have struggled to even qualify for the UEFA Champions League, but a couple of appearances in the UEFA Cup have meant that the club has still had representation in Europe.
Aston Villa is one of those clubs who were very successful in the 19th century, almost completely dominating the football scene in England, but after the turn of the century, their dominance seemed to disappear. Six of their seven league titles came before 1910, and after that they managed to win once again in 1981. It has been more than five decades since their last F.A. Cup too, which they won in 1957, with their most recent trophy being the League Cup they won in 1996.
Due to their early success though, Aston Villa have a very large fan base and regularly attract some of the highest attendances in Premier League games. The biggest local rivalry the club has had has been with Birmingham City. The game played out between the two clubs is known as the 'Second City Derby' and is the fixture both sets of supporters look out for the most. The first derby game was played in 1879 and in recent times it has returned, after Birmingham City got promoted to the Premier League.
Last season, Aston Villa finished 6th under the ever impressive Martin O'Neill, who has been with the club since 2006. For long periods of the season, Villa had a realistic chance of grabbing fourth place, and with it a spot in the qualification phase of the UEFA Champions League, but like last season, their challenge faded away towards the end of the campaign. Sixth place is still a good achievement though, as it means Villa still qualify for Europe, playing in the Europa League next season.
There has been a lot of speculation linking Villa's best player last season, James Milner, with a move away from the club, but for now they still have his services. Along with the likes of Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor, Luke Young, Steve Sidwell, Curtis Davis and some others, there is a strong English presence in the Villa squad, which has been helpful in their progress towards the top of the table. Next season, the club will be hoping to secure the 4th spot yet again, and if a few additions are made in key areas, it should not be beyond Villa given how strong they already are.
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