Aston Villa Football Club, founded in Birmingham in 1874, has used a lion as its central emblem for nearly its entire history. The club’s association with the Scottish Lion Rampant dates to 1876, when it was introduced as the club’s crest by William McGregor, and Villa was the first club in the United Kingdom to wear a crest on its shirt, adopting the Scottish lion image in 1878.[1] The current crest, introduced for the 2024-25 season, marks the club’s 150th anniversary and returns to a traditional shield shape after a brief circular design.
Design and History
Aston Villa has had at least eight iterations of its badge over its history.[2] A crest first appeared on the club’s shirts in 1880, featuring a Scottish Lion Rampant.[3] The lion badge was reintroduced in 1957 and has been retained on the kit since then in different forms.[4]
In 2016, the club unveiled a redesigned badge for the 2016-17 season. London-based design company SomeOne led the rebrand,[5] commissioning renowned artist and engraver Christopher Wormell to design a heraldic lion that better reflected the club’s heritage, history and attitude.[2] The updated badge focused on an enlarged and dynamic lion, with the word “Prepared” removed and claws added back to the lion silhouette, which had been removed in 2007.[3]
In November 2022, following a fan vote, Villa introduced a circular crest that was used for only one season before the club announced plans to replace it with a new design for its 150th anniversary.[6] The current crest, officially adopted in May 2024, features a yellow lion rampant with a drop shadow on a light blue shield with claret and white outlines. “ASTON VILLA” is arched along the inside bottom of the shield, with the year of the club’s founding, 1874, above in white.[6] The crest also includes a star honouring the club’s European Cup win in 1982.[7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The lion on the club crest was chosen as a universal emblem of celebration for Aston Villa Football Club, according to the club’s AV150 Board.[1] The club has enjoyed an association with the Scottish Lion Rampant for nearly all of its 150 years of existence.[1] The star above the crest commemorates the club’s 1982 European Cup victory.[2]
Typography and Design
The current crest spells out the club’s full name, “ASTON VILLA,” in claret lettering arched along the bottom of the shield, replacing the “AVFC” monogram used on previous badges.[8] The year 1874 appears in white above the club name.[6]
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