When we talk about historic significance, there aren’t numerous teams in the world who can be as successful as Aston Villa. Alongside being one of the most storied soccer clubs in Britain, Villa are the earliest settlers of the Football League – the top level in the country up until it was replaced by the Premier League was formed in 1992. In the beginning, Villa was one of the most reliable teams in English football with a string of First Division, FA Cup and League Cup titles. Villa is also among the five English clubs that have been awarded the European Cup/Champions league title.
History
The Birmingham situated Aston Villa was founded in 1874 by four cricketers affiliated with the church. The club soon would include football and rugby sections and football, with the latter being for those who were seeking activities to fill their winter months. The club was formed around a year prior to the rival city club Birmingham City (named Small Heath Alliance until 1905).
The year was 1885 and the president of the club, William McGregor, realized that there was a need to keep fans engaged in the game. Along with 11 other top English clubs at the time, Villa founded the Football League in 1888. Under the direction of George Ramsay they quickly proved to be the most dominant team during the Victorian period, winning 5 First Division titles and three FA Cups before the turn century.
As football gained popularity in the country, however, other clubs began to become contenders to the throne. But, Villa remained a powerhouse and, after winning the FA Cup in 1905, they followed that up in 1905 with their sixth First Division title in 1910. Following an additional two FA Cup victory in 1913 The club’s golden age was over with the advent in the First World War.
A new age after the golden years
Although Villa had begun the post-war era by winning an additional FA Cup in 1920, it was soon apparent that their best times were over. After a prolonged decline The club was then relegated into the Second Division in 1936, for the first time in their history. They did not win a trophy until 1957 , following an infamous win against their rivals the Busby Babes in the FA Cup final. It was in 1961 that Villa made their mark on the trophy cabinet by winning the first League Cup.
After a low point for the club, being relegated into the Third Division in 1970 – Villa began a new chapter with the appointment of Ron Saunders as coach. They returned in the First Division by 1975, in the same year that saw them win a second League Cup. With Saunders ability to recognize the best players and his well-known “no-nonsense” approach to coaching the team, Villa’s run of excellent performances continued into the 80s. After the League Cup victory in 1977 and an unanticipated First Division title in 1981, Villa won their first and only European Cup in 1982 by surprising the favourites Bayern Munich in the Final. One of the heros was reserve goalie Nigel Spink that replaced Jimmy Rimmer in the early stages in the match , and made incredible saves. The final victory was not achieved with Ron Saunders as the coach. A few months prior, following an argument over the chair Ron Bendall at a time the team was experiencing a negative trend in the league, Ron Saunders had decided to quit the team.
The Premier League era has been marked by both ups and downs for Villa They were placed second in 1993, and at the lowest of the table in the year 2016. They won two additional League Cups in 1994 and 1996.