Formed in 1874, Aston Villa are currently one of the oldest and most historic football clubs in the English top flight.
The Villans have experienced many ups and downs throughout their long and storied history, including winning the English top-flight title on seven occasions.
When was the last time they won the Premier League title, though? Like most teams in the English top flight, Aston Villa has never won the Premier League title since its rebranding from the English First Division in 1992.
When were Villa English champions?
Villa have certainly not been short of silverware in their history. However, many of the Villans league title triumphs are in the dim and distant past.
Their first-ever English top-flight title arrived in season 1893/94, in just the sixth season of the English First Division.
Villa became the dominant team of that particular era of the English top flight, as they won the titles in five of the next seven seasons, with their last title of that run coming in season 1899/1900.
The team from the Midlands were once again crowned in season 1909/10.
When was Villa’s last English title?
Unlike their first six English titles, many people will remember Villa’s last English top-flight title, which arrived in the 1980/81 season.
Since their last title in 1910, the Villans not only spent time in the English Second Division but also dropped into the third tier in the 1970s.
The revival under Ron Saunders
Under Birkenhead-born boss Ron Saunders, those dark days of the 70s were long forgotten, as Villa restored pride by becoming English champions in 1981.
Unlike teams with massive squads in the Premier League era, Villa claimed the English top-flight title using just 14 players.
In fact, the Villans had seven players who were ever-present during the 1980/81 season. Those ever-presents were Jimmy Rimmer, Kenny Swain, Ken McNaught, Dennis Mortimer, Des Bremner, Gordon Cowans and Tony Morley.
Many of these names are now considered Villa legends. One player who performed exceptionally well was striker Peter Withe, who fired home 20 goals in 36 starts in the English First Division, which saw him finish as the joint-leading scorer in the division.
How they won the league title
The Villans kicked off their league campaign with three straight victories before a loss against Ipswich Town, followed by another home defeat to Everton, ended their stellar run of strong early season form.
However, after defeat against the Toffees, Villa mounted a ten-game unbeaten run in the top-flight.
In another twist, they suffered defeat in three of their next five league games but then found form again in the shape of another ten-game run without defeat.
One key result in the ten-game unbeaten run was a 2-0 win over reigning champions Liverpool at Villa Park, with Peter Withe and Dennis Mortimer scoring goals against their hometown club.
Another seemingly vital result came in April, as the Villans suffered a 2-1 defeat against title rivals Ipswich.
The loss could have proven fatal to Villa’s title bid, but their rivals then suffered back-to-back losses, while Saunders’s team defeated Nottingham Forest and drew against Stoke City to regain control of the title race.
A win over Middlesbrough in Villa’s last home match of the campaign saw the Villans establish a lead of four points over Ipswich, although Town had a game in hand on the Midlands outfit.
On the season’s final day, Villa suffered a 2-0 defeat at Highbury against Arsenal. However, the result mattered little, as Ipswich Town lost 2-1 at Middlesbrough and the Villans were crowned English champions for the first time in seven decades.
The title led to European glory
Although Villa failed to retain the title, as they finished a disappointing 11th place in the table, the Villans became European champions the next season in their debut campaign in the European Cup.
Villa beat the likes of Valur, east German outfit BFC Dynamo, Dynamo Kyiv, Anderlecht and German giants Bayern Munich 1-0 in the final.
Somewhat unexpectedly, Ron Saunders left the club in February, with Villa already qualified for the last eight of European football’s elite competition. His former assistant, Tony Barton, led the Villans to glory.
An inexperienced goalkeeper was the hero of the final, as Nigel Spink stepped off the substitute bench to replace first-choice Jimmy Rimmer due to injury.
Spink went on to make several big saves to ensure the Villans would lift the trophy. He also became a stalwart in the Villa goal for years to come.
Villa have experienced mixed fortunes since their last title
As has always seemed to have been the case in the history of Aston Villa, the Villans have experienced mixed fortunes since their previous title.
They have finished as top-flight runners-up on two occasions. However, on the flip side, the men from the Midlands have also suffered relegation twice in that time.
At the time of writing, the future looks bright for Aston Villa. However, it seems doubtful that the Villans will be able to end their title drought in the near future.
Can you remember the last time Aston Villa were English champions?