Aston Villa’s resurgence under Unai Emery has put the club on the brink of Europe in what has turned into a surprisingly brilliant campaign.
Emery has been in charge of Villa for 21 Premier League matches since replacing Steven Gerrard as head coach just before the World Cup back in November 2022. The former Liverpool captain left Villa in 17th place in the league, but the Villa have enjoyed a remarkable upturn in form since Emery took over at Villa Park.
The former Arsenal gaffer has made a huge impact and massively turned the club’s fortunes around with them now they sitting fifth place in the table having won eight of their last ten league matches and are now on track for European football next season. Villa have established themsleves in England’s top division since getting promoted in 2019.
But it’s not been all been plain sailing for Villa in recent years. The club narrowly avoided relegation to back to the Championship in 2020 when the club finished in 17th place, and there were concerns at the start of this campaign with Villa initially languishing near the bottom of the table, but the fans have always stuck by the team.
The Villa faithful are some of the most loyal and dedicated in the country, so we’ve decided to take a look at some things you’ll definitely know if you support the club - incluidng some fan traditions.
Let’s take a look at 10 things you must have done if you really are a Villa fan.
1. Had pre-match drinks at The Holte pub or the Aston Tavern
It’s a fan tradition to have a few pre-match drinks before kick-off close to the ground. The Holte pub has previously been a fans’ favourite as has the Aston Tavern
2. Been in the away end on derby day
The Second City derby is one of the fiercest and most passionate in the country. There’s no love lost between the two sets of supporters on derby day, with bragging rights at stake. It’s the most important fixture in the football calendar when the two teams meet. The atmosphere in the St Andrew’s away end is always electric when the two teams meet, and Villa have had some great results in their neighbours’ back yard in recent years
3. Bragged about winning the European Cup
Villa are the only Midlands team to have won the European Cup. It’s something they’ve had over their local rivals for a long time and that certainly doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. Only six English clubs have won it, with Villa’s 1982 victory one of the finest days in the club’s history
4. Bragged about losing more FA Cups than Blues have won
Villa have won the FA Cup seven times, and they’ve even lost more FA Cup trophies than the Blues have actually won. After Villa won the cup in 1895, they actually lost it during the parade after it was stolen in Birmingham. The FA ordered Aston Villa and the city to replace the trophy. The club was fined 25 pounds for losing the trophy.