Monday’s lived televised game brings high flying Aston Villa to St James’, in an intriguing battle between two clubs who have enjoyed contrasting fortunes since a recent change of ownership. In the run up to this clash between two of the most storied English clubs, we ask just who the f*** are Aston Villa?

After a period of underachievement stretching back several years, with the club falling further and further behind financially and seemingly increasingly out of touch with the modern game, Aston Villa caught the eye of a wealthy businessman, who arrived at the club determined to restore it to former glories.

The year was 1968, the businessman in question was package tour pioneer Herbert Douglas Ellis, and so began an association with the club which was to last until summer 2006, when he sold his shareholding to the American credit card billionaire, Randy Lerner.

As the owner of the Cleveland Browns NFL franchise, Lerner is no stranger to underperforming sporting institutions, but  Villa fans hope his reforms at Villa Park will be more successful than those he has carried out at his NFL team, which has continued to disappoint. On buying the club, Lerner listed the history of the club as one of the reasons for his investment. So, what is that history?

Aston Villa were formed in 1874, in what was then the town of Aston, now part of the city of Birmingham, by members of the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel, which explains the oft-asked question of how they got their name.

In 1877, a Scottish draper by the name of William McGregor joined the club and, en route to becoming a legendary administrator, wrote a fateful letter to a number of other clubs proposing what was to become the Football League.

In 1894, Villa won their first league championship, and so began the club’s golden era, which lasted until the first world war. This period included six league titles, five FA Cups, and one double.  Towards the end of the century, Villa were attracting large crowds and in need of a new home. Under the leadership of legendary financial secretary Frederick Rinder, in 1897 the club purchased a new ground, at Aston Lower Grounds, which would later acquire the name Villa Park, where the club still plays.

A slow decline set in after the club’s sixth FA Cup victory in 1920, which resulted in relegation for the first time in 1936. A return to the top flight two years later saw the dawn of a long period of underachievement, punctured only by a seventh Cup victory against Manchester United in 1957. Success, however, was followed by calamity as Villa were relegated again two years later, bouncing back at the first attempt. As the club settled into a period of gradual decline,  Ellis became chairman of the club for the first time in 1968, beginning an association with the club which was to last, on and off, the best part of 40 years.

After a year in charge, Tommy Docherty became the first in a long line of Ellis sackings, and, shortly after, the truly unthinkable happened when Villa were relegated to the third division. Paradoxically, the third division period is regarded with great fondness by those Villa supporters old enough to remember, and the club drew crowds nudging 50,000 as they were promoted at the second attempt.

In 1974, Ellis made his best appointment when he replaced Vic Crowe with Ron Saunders. Saunders won the club the League Cup in 1975, and again in 1977, when he built a side many Villa fans believe was better than the one which won the league title in 1981, their first in over 70 years, an achievement made more remarkable for the fact that they only used 14 players all year.

The following year, Villa were to achieve their greatest honour, beating Bayern Munich to win the European Cup, despite Saunders having left the club at the quarter final stage. Perhaps the most ironic element to the club’s success in this period is that it was achieved at a time when Ellis was not at the club, having been ousted from the board in 1979, only to return in 1982.

The initial period after Ellis’ return to the club was nothing short of disastrous. The side which had won the European Cup was systematically dismantled (some say at the instigation of a jealous Ellis), calamitous managerial appointments were made (Graham Turner, Billy McNeill), and in 1987, the club were relegated. This completed a remarkable period of 15 years in which Villa had gone from the third division, to League champions, to European champions, and back to the second division again.

Villa have been statistically the sixth most successful club in the Premiership years, although their recent history has been one of comfortable familiarity interspersed with short periods of unfulfilled promise. Graham Taylor took the club straight back to the first division at the first attempt, and to a  second place finish in 1990, Ron Atkinson repeated the feat in 1993, and won a fourth league cup the following year. Brian Little added a fifth in 1996, and John Gregory took the club to a first FA Cup final appearance in over 40 years in 2000. An abortive return by Graham Taylor was followed by an initially promising but ultimately fractious spell with David O’Leary at the helm.

In August 2006, Ellis made what most Villa supporters to be the best contribution of his latter years when he appointed Martin O’Neill to the manager’s job.

A first season finish in 11th place was a creditable performance, given the expectation that Villa would struggle that season.

O’Neill’s second season saw Villa finish sixth, and earn themselves a crack at Europe, via the Intertoto Cup.

This season has seen Villa start very strongly, and they currently sit in fourth position. Strikers Carew and Agbonlahor have delivered so far, with six and seven goals respectively.

The summer squad strengthening seems to have paid dividends with a useful looking centre half partnership forming between Martin Laursen and Carlos Cuellar, with Curtis Davis standing in the wings, as well as the addition of two established full backs, with Nicky Shorey filling in for the injured Wilfred Bouma, and Luke Young joining from Middlesbrough.

Key Players

Name: Gareth Barry
Age: 28
Nationality: English
Position: Midfield

With well over 300 appearances for Villa, and now a regular in the England side, most Villa fans were relieved when the club fought off the attentions of Liverpool in the summer window.

His form so far this season has been a little patchy, but he remains a very important player for Villa.

Name: Ashley Young
Age: 23
Nationality: English
Position: Forward

After a big money move from Watford, for a fee which saw raised eyebrows amongst many pundits, Ashley Young has now become one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League.

Equally effective on either wing (more likely to be the left, particularly so with the recent addition of James Milner), Young also occasionally plays in a free roaming role behind the two strikers.

Name: John Carew
Age: 28
Nationality: Norwegian
Position: Forward

Whilst Villa sometimes take the easy option and hit the ball long towards Carew, there is no doubting that they are a better team with him in the side.

Carew seems to have finally found a club he can call “home” after leading a somewhat nomadic existence, taking in clubs such as Valencia and Roma.

Villa fans will be hoping his recent falling out with manager Martin O’Neill over a late night appearance in a Birmingham lapdancing club will be quickly forgotten.

Name: Gabriel Agbonlahor
Age: 21
Nationality: English
Position: Forward

Without doubt one of the fastest players in the league, local boy Agbonlahor has made the journey from Holte End to first team regular, having been given his debut (in which he scored) at Everton in the tail end of David O’Leary’s reign. Martin O’Neill clearly spotted something, and Agbonlahor has become one of the first names on the teamsheet.

Seven goals so far this season suggest O’Neill’s faith was not misplaced, and a decent partnership looks to be developing with Carew.

Name: Stiliyan Petrov
Age: 29
Nationality: Bulgarian
Position: Midfield

After a frustrating first couple of years since moving down from Scotland, Petrov has established himself as a key player for Villa this season, having finally started to show the kind of form he showed regularly whilst with Celtic.