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.
5. Sang the Dwight Yorke chant
Yorke scored 231 goals for Villa during his eight year spell at the club. Villains still sing about the striker, chanting his name by changing the words to the theme of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. | Getty Images
6. Shown support for Stiliyan Petrov
In 2012, former Aston Villa captain Petrov was diagnosed with acute leukaemia, suspending his football career to undergo treatment which was successful. Petrov received support from across the football world, but especially from his fans at Villa Park and back home in Bulgaria | Getty Images
7. Enjoyed the Villa Park food
Villa fans will know all about the food at their home ground. And when it comes to food available at Premier League matches, you will want to head over to Villa Park to find the best food on offer. The club’s chicken tikka and chips for £8.00 has made its mark on the halftime snack scene - and was rated the best food in the Premier League by Betvictor | Getty Images
8. Bought a Heroes and Villains fanzine
The Villa fanzine, which was sold around the ground on match days, was first created in 1989 and has developed and grown online over the years. It’s provided Villa fans with their pre-match entertainment for years Photo: Nick Potts/PA