Aston Villa are celebrating their 139th Birthday.
The Legend
Although there is no precise date, written or otherwise, in which Villa came to be, it is estimated that the club was founded in early 1874 – most likely, March. Legend tells of a meeting on a biting winter’s evening, in 1874, where four men from Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel cricket team congregated under a gas-light in Heathfield Road. These cricketers, Jack Hughes, Frederick Matthews, Walter Price, and William Scattergood, were in pursuit of something to occupy their time during winter. There, as spectators, they happened upon a spontaneous game of association football; inspiration struck, and they organized a club of their very own: Aston Villa. The “Aston” comes from the larger district of Aston; which, in turn, is derived from ‘Estone’, meaning East Hill. Prior to the claret-and-blue, Villa’s original uniform was deep red and blue, which were the colors of the founders’ old school.
The History
It is not known when, exactly, Villa played their first game; however, records indicate that Villa’s first match was against Aston Brook St. Mary’s Rugby Club. The rugby club only came to an agreement about playing when it was determined that rugby would be played for the first half, and association football for the second. Both sides fielded fifteen men, and Villa won the game with one goal, scored by founding member Jack Hughes.
As it turns out, 1876 was a big year for Aston Villa; they moved to their first ‘proper’ home: Perry Barr HQ. (Villa moved around a bit, temporarily occupying Wilson Road, Aston Park, Lower Aston Grounds Meadow, and Wellington Road, before settling into Villa Park – eighth largest stadium in England – in 1897.) George Burrell Ramsay, a Scottish import, joined one of Villa’s practice sessions. The Scotsman’s skills were so impressive that he was appointed captain; furthermore, he taught the Wesleyans how to play. Ramsay led them to their first trophy win – the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1880 – as well as their first run in the FA Cup that same year.
The formative years were very good to the Villa; they secured themselves as Premier League champions seven times: 1894, 1896, 1897, 1899, 1900, 1910, and, much later, in 1981. Early legends include Archie Hunter (whose headstone reads, “This monument is erected in loving memory of Archie Hunter, the famous captain of Aston Villa, by his football comrades and the club as a lasting tribute to his ability on the field and his sterling worth as a man”); there was also William McGregor, the founder and first Chairman of the Football League in 1888; Frederick Rinder, who pushed through a reform that resulted in great success for Villa. Joe Grierson carried Villa through their glory years; John Devey made his arrival in 1891 and captained two Cup winning teams and five League Champions in eight years. Before WWI, Sam Hardy joined Villa – and he is said to be one of the best-ever goalkeepers. Eric Houghton was involved with the team from 1929-1958, and made nearly 400 appearances and scored 170 goals; later, he was in charge when Villa won the FA Cup. Trevor Ford scored 61 goals in 128 Villa appearances from 1946-51.
The 1950s through 90s saw stunning football. There was Peter McParland (341 appearances and 120 goals!), as well as other notable players: Charlie Aitken, a left-back who performed brilliantly for Villa until his departure to New York in 1976. Peter Withe cost £500k – a club record at the time in 1980 – but was well worth the hefty price tag, as he was essential in to the club, and the reason why Villa took home the European Cup in 1982 against Bayern Munich. Dennis Mortimer, with the help of Peter Withe, was the first Aston Villa captain to hold up the European Cup. Gordon Cowans, who is now reserve team manager, was a member of the First Division Championship side, as well as European and Super Cup winners. Paul McGrath (or “God”) is said to be one of Ireland’s best exports, played some of his best football during his Villa days; with Villa, he was named PFA Player of the Year and helped defeat Manchester United in the 1993–94 Football League Cup.
The Villa
Overall, Villa have won twenty-one major honors. Adding to their impressive list of accomplishments is the fact that they have provided more England internationals than any other club: 71 to date. Recent Villa internationals are: Ashley Young, Gabby Agbonlahor, Emile Heskey, James Milner, Stephen Warnock, Darren Bent, and Stewart Downing. Certainly, all of these players have been “Prepared.” As such, it is said that Villa’s “Prepared” is a link to the Glasgow Rangers’ emblem (George Ramsay was a Glaswegian), which reads “Ready.” What has always been a constant, though, is the lion. Despite various modifications over the years, the Villa Lion is ever-present.
From its roaring beginning and onward, the club has certainly made its mark in English football. Let’s keep in mind, especially in the face of adversity, just how wonderful this team really is, and always has been. Certainly, Villa – now, often overlooked by those outside of the fan base – are truly deserving of props.
The Celebration
My personal fun tie to Aston Villa: I took every playwriting/dramatic literature class that my college offered. As such, I became a huge fan of Harold Pinter. In Pinter’s 1960 play, The Dumb Waiter, (which is amazing) there is a conversation between the two characters, Gus and Ben, about a visit to Birmingham. Gus gets excited about the possibility of going to see “the Villa” the next day, until Ben tells him that they are away from home. Gus recalls a prior visit to Villa Park and a match settled by a disputed penalty for the visiting team:
Ben: Didn’t touch him! What are you talking about? He laid him out flat!
Gus: Not the Villa. The Villa don’t play that sort of game.
Better, still, is the fact that playwright Martin McDonagh went on to make one of my favorite films, In Bruges, based on Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter.
So, Happy Birthday to Aston Villa, and may all of our wishes for this great club come true. AVL – join me in celebrating, and tell me: What’s been your favorite Villa moment?
I would also like to wish our very own Matt Turvey a very happy birthday; he celebrates another year tomorrow, 26 February.
The Author
