Aston Villa football club (The Villans)

Aston Villa Football Club was founded in 1874 and is based in the city of Birmingham.

They started playing at Villa Park in 1897, a stadium which was often used to host FA Cup Semi-finals.

Founder members of the Football League in 1888, in 1982 Villa became one of few English clubs to have won the European Cup when, under the management of Tony Barton, they defeated Bayern Munich in the Final.

Aston Villa have also won both the First Division and the FA Cup seven times each.

In 2006, long term chairman Doug Ellis sold the club to American Randy Lerner. The takeover cost the American entrepreneur an estimated ?62.6 million.

Unfortunately, Villa lost their status as ever-present members of the Premier League in 2016 when they were relegated for the first time since 1987.

Home ground history:

Wilson Road, Aston Park and Aston Lower Grounds - 1874

Wellington Road in Perry Barr - 1876

Villa Park - 1897