Aston Villa

Aston Villa was founded in 1874. The club was one of the founding members of the Football League in 1888. They have called Villa Park home since 1897. Villa Park was the first stadium to host England internationals in three different centuries and it has hosted more FA Cup semi-finals than any other ground.

The Villans are the fourth most successful club in England; domestically they have won seven first division titles, seven FA Cups and five League Cups. Their 1980-81 League title success was their first League title since 1910 and their latest to date. However, their greatest success was winning the European Cup in 1982. The Birmingham side faced off against Bavarian giants Bayern Munich and thanks to a 67th minute Peter Withe goal they managed to hold on to record their most famous victory to date.

Villa Park has been the home to many great players. Peter Withe deserves another mention; not only did his goal win them the European Cup, but his 20 goals in the 1980-81 season helped fire Villa to their first title in 70 years.  

Goalkeeper Nigel Spink is revered in Birmingham thanks to his heroics in that European Cup Final. Five minutes into the final, first choice 'keeper Jimmy Rimmer injured his shoulder and was forced off. Enter Nigel Spink, a player with just a solitary Villa appearance to his name. Spink played the game of his life, making a string of fine saves and keeping a clean sheet, thus immortalising himself to the Villa faithful. 

Trinidadian forward Dwight Yorke mesmerised the fans at Villa Park in the 90s and helped the club win the League Cup in 1996. The forward scored 73 goals for the club before moving to Manchester United for £12.6million in 1998. In more recent years, Gareth Barry, James Milner, Gabriel Agbonlahor, and Olof Mellberg have all impressed.

Villa play in the "Second City derby" against arch-rivals Birmingham City. The sides first clashed in the FA Cup in 1887 and have gone on to face each other 120 times, of which Villa have won 51 and Birmingham 38. Following Birmingham's relegation from the Premier League the side's biggest annual derby is against West Midlands neighbours West Bromwich Albion. In the eyes of many fans it's the derby against West Brom that matters most, due to the club's historic rivalry, as the two teams contested three FA Cup finals in the late-19th century. 

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