The 2023/24 season has been a fabulous one for Aston Villa thus far and after 26 games they sit fourth in the table. With a five-point advantage over Spurs (who, admittedly, have played a game fewer), they have a great chance of qualifying for the Champions League. They have been a revelation since Unai Emery took over and the Spanish boss has even spoken of his dream of lifting the Champions League with the club.
Even the most optimistic of Villa fans may feel that is aiming just a little high but supporters will certainly feel that silverware is a possibility in the years ahead, whilst qualifying for next season’s Champions League would certainly bring a lot of fun (and, from the club’s point of view, money). But, looking back, not forward, what have Villa ever won before? They are often thought of and spoken of as a big club, whatever that means, but most younger fans could be forgiven for wondering why that is.
Well, Villa’s claim to being a big club may be based on their role in founding the Football League, their grand old stadium or their sizeable fanbase. However, as we shall see, whilst they have not been overly successful in the last 40 years, they still have a more impressive trophy cabinet than the majority of teams.
Aston Villa Honours
Aston Villa have won more silverware than most clubs in English football. But more than that, when it comes to perhaps the most prestigious trophy of them all, the European Cup, or Champions League as it is now called, Villa have been more successful than Arsenal, Spurs or Everton, and as successful as Man City.
Villa Won the 1981/82 European Cup
Thanks to their win in Rotterdam, when they beat Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final, Aston Villa have won as many Champions League titles as Man City. The 1970s and 1980s were a real golden period for English clubs in Europe, and Villa’s win over the German giants meant that English sides had won the competition six years in a row.
Villa were superb at the time, and had won the league with ease the season before to qualify for the European Cup, as it was then called. Peter Withe was the top scorer in the English top flight in Villa’s title-winning campaign and he also scored the only goal of the game when they beat Bayern.
To make it through to the final the Birmingham outfit battered Icelandic minnows Valur 7-0 on aggregate in the first round, before sneaking past the East German team BFC Dynamo on away goals. In the third round of the competition they beat Dynamo Kyiv 2-0, before edging out Belgian giants Anderlecht 1-0 in the semis. Villa were not the most free-scoring club in Europe that year, tie against Valur aside, but kept clean sheets in six out of eight games, only conceding against BFC Dynamo.
Villa Boast Seven Top-Flight Titles
As said, Villa won the league in 1980/81, amassing 60 points from their 42 games, back when it was just two points for a win. They finished four points clear of Ipswich and won 26 times, losing eight. That was the club’s seventh, and most recent title success, but that impressive tally of seven top-tier titles means they are fifth on the all-time list, with only Man City, Everton, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United above then.
In addition to their seven wins, they have finished second 10 times, whilst, in part due to founding the league back in 1888, only Everton have played in more top-flight seasons than the Villans. As well as their triumph in 1981, the club also took domestic football’s biggest honour in: 1910, 1900, 1899, 1897, 1896 and 1894.
Aston Villa have also lifted the title in the second and third tiers. They were crowned Second Division (now Championship) winners in 1960 and 1938. They also won the old Third Division in 1972.
7 FA Cups in the Cabinet Too
In terms of FA Cup success, Villa are joint-sixth, sitting alongside Man City with seven wins in the iconic cup. The Midlanders have made the final on 11 occasions, so boast a very decent strike rate in their finals. On the downside, the last time they made it to the final was back in 2015, when they lost 4-0 to Arsenal!
The FA Cup was first played in 1871/72 but Villa were not founded until a little later, in 1874. Their first FA Cup triumph came in 1887, when they beat West Brom 2-0 in the final in front of a meagre crowd of 15,500 at Kennington Oval.
As with their league glory, many of their FA Cup wins came in football’s early days, as they beat West Brom again in 1895, this time 1-0. The Baggies had beaten them 3-0 in the final in 1892 so this was a nice bit of revenge for Villa.
Their third win, as with their second, was earned at Crystal Palace (the old stadium, not the current club), in front of almost 66,000 fans. They saw off Everton 3-2 and due to games being played elsewhere on the same day they actually won the league title on the same day, the only side ever to complete the double on a single day!
Villa’s other FA Cup wins can be seen below:
- 4) Beat Newcastle 2-0 at Crystal Palace in 1905.
- 5) Beat Sunderland 1-0 at Crystal Palace in front of a huge crowd of 121,919 in 1913.
- 6) Beat Huddersfield in 1920, winning 1-0 after extra time.
- 7) Most recent win was in 1957 against Man United. Villa won 2-1 at Wembley.
League Cup Glory
Villa’s substantial list of major honours is added to by their wins in the League Cup. As with the league and FA Cup, their overall record in this cup, now known as the EFL Cup, is better than many other so-called big clubs. With five wins in total they are joint fourth overall, with only Liverpool, Man City and Man United having won it more often. They are level with Chelsea but above Spurs, Arsenal, Everton, Newcastle and, well, everyone else.
Villa’s most recent silverware, and also their last appearance in a major final, both came in this competition. They lost to Man City (2-1) in 2020 and also missed out in 2010, going down by the same score to Man United.
However, they won the League Cup twice in the 1990s and a complete list of their wins can be seen below:
| Win | Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1996 | Leeds | 3-0 |
| 4 | 1994 | Man United | 3-1 |
| 3 | 1977 | Everton | 3-2 after extra time in the second replay (first game 0-0, second 1-1) |
| 2 | 1975 | Norwich City | 1-0 |
| 1 | 1961 | Rotherham United | 3-2 (over two legs) |
Other Honours Won by Villa
In addition to the European Cup, seven league titles, seven FA Cups, five League Cups and other aforementioned trophies, Villa’s silverware cabinet also holds:
- Community Shield (1981)
- 2 Sheriff of London Charity Shields (1899 and 1901)
- European Super Cup (1982)
- Intertoto Cup (sole winners in 2001, joint winners 2008)
