Aston Villa 1982 European Cup winners celebrated at theatre show: cast, plot, tickets and more
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
It’s the 40 year anniversary of Aston Villa’s historic European Cup win over Bayern Munich.
In 1982, the Villa lifted the most prestigious prize in all of club football and it’s a memory that fans have treasured and yet longed for more of ever since.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAnd now Aston Villa fans will get to see the joy of the club’s European success transferred onto the stage in a comedy production about the historic 1982 win.
The show, called Would You Bet Against Us? , is currently on at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and is running until June 4.
Here’s what you need to know about the show


What is Would You Bet Against Us about?
The show is a comic and moving celebration of Aston Villa’s greatest triumph.
Villa remain one of only five English teams to win the biggest prize in club football – yet no one thought they stood a chance.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe play follows 16-year-old Paul and how Villa’s European journey impacts his life back home.
Around the corner in Birmingham, Paul’s geography teacher tells him he would amount to absolutely nothing.
Aston Villa were complete underdogs. So was Paul…
Would You Bet Against Us? marks the 40th anniversary of an iconic event for Villa and for Paul.
Created by The Rep and renowned storytellersTold by an Idiot and written by Brummie and life-time Aston Villa fan Paul Hunter, it’s a show about challenging expectations and proving people wrong.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe production is an uplifting show and features a mix of acting, dancing, puppetry, chanting, ball skills.
Who is in the show?
The performers include Lori Hopkins, Paul Hunter, Heather Lai, and Kyll Thomas-Cole.


What’s been said about the production?
The reviews for Would you bet against us? have been favourable so far.
Awarding the show five stars, the Midlands Arts Magazine said: “This is an innovative, slick, five-star production which is a must see”.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdStage Talk said in its review: “An underdog story we can all get behind, football fans or not.”
And in its four star review, West End Best Friends, wrote: “A great night’s entertainment, and you don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy and appreciate it”.
How can I get tickets?
You can buy tickets on the Birmingham rep theatre website, here.
A message from the editor:
Thank you for reading. BirminghamWorld is Birmingham’s latest news website, championing everything that is great about our city - reporting on news, lifestyle and sport. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.