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Villa Park - Home of Aston Villa FC

Villa Park is the home of Aston Villa Football Club. The ground opened in 1897. Aston Villa is one of the founding members of the world's first Football League.

Where is Villa Park?

Villa Park is at Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6HE. It is the home ground of Aston Villa Football Club.

In brief

Aston Villa was founded in 1874. By 1897 the club moved to Aston Lower Grounds, which at the time was a sports ground in a Victorian amusement park in the former grounds of Aston Hall. The club has been there ever since with the ground being renamed to Villa Park after Aston Villa FC. The stands have been redeveloped over the years.

Villa Park from the Library of Birmingham (March 2017). Photography by Elliott Brown

Villa Park - history of the build

Aston Villa had previously been based at Wellington Road, but the pitch was uneven.

So by 1894, Villa's committee began negotiating with the owners of Aston Lower Grounds. It is close to Aston Hall which is now in Aston Park (ancestral home of the Holte family). The land was originally the Kitchen Garden of Aston Hall's owner Sir Thomas Holte, after whom the Holte End was later named.

Villa Park was built at Aston Lower Grounds from 1896 and was completed by 1897. As well as Aston Villa home matches, the stadium has been used for England International games, was used during the FIFA World Cup 1966, UEFA Euro '96, and more recently during the Rugby World Cup in 2015. The ground has also been used for pop concerts.

Villa Park from Trinity Road, Aston (January 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown

Main stands within Villa Park

The main stands within the ground include the Trinity Road Stand, The Holte End, Doug Ellis Stand and the North Stand.

Trinity Road Stand

The classic Trinity Road Stand opened in 1923. It was demolished in the mid 1990s, and the new Trinity Road Stand was opened in time for Euro '96. It has three tiers. Executive boxes were added in 2001.

Trinity Road Stand at Villa Park from Trinity Road, Aston (January 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown

The Holte End

The old Holte End stand was demolished in 1994, and was replaced within a year. Externally it is a brick stand with a Claret and Blue mosaic with Aston Villa Football Club and their 1874 AVFC badge. It can hold up to 13,500 supporters.

The Holte End at Villa Park from Trinity Road, Aston (January 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown

Doug Ellis Stand

Seen from Witton Lane Gardens is the Doug Ellis Stand. Originally called the Witton Lane Stand. The old stand opened in 1964 but was replaced by the current stand in 1993. It was named after the then chairman and owner Doug Ellis.

Doug Ellis Stand at Villa Park from Witton Lane, Aston (September 2012). Photography by Elliott Brown

North Stand

Originally Witton Lane End, the North Stand was built in 1976, and so is now the oldest stand at Villa Park (unless it ever gets replaced). No further changes were made to it until the 1990s.

North Stand at Villa Park from Witton Lane, Aston (September 2012). Photography by Elliott Brown

Statue of William McGregor

William McGregor (1846 - 1911) helped to organise the Football League in 1888,. He was also a Director of Aston Villa FC. Aston Villa was one of the 12 founding members of the world's first Football League.

The bronze statue of McGregor which resides outside the Directors' Entrance of the Trinity Road Stand was sculpted by Sam Holland, and unveiled during November 2009. The statue was as a result of the Aston Villa Supporters' Trust plans in 2008 for a bronze statue in his memory. They also raised funds to restore McGregor's grave at St Mary's Church in Handsworth in 2011.

Statue of William McGregor at Villa Park from Trinity Road, Aston (January 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown

The Holte

There is a public house at the corner of Trinity Road and Witton Lane in Aston, called The Holte. It is directly in front of the Holte End. It is a Victorian building dating back to at least 1897. It used to have 10 bedrooms, and a 400 capacity music hall, billiard rooms and two bowling greens. It used to be owned by Mitchells and Butlers, but was closed and boarded up for 28 years, before being restored in 2007 (by then owner / chairman Randy Lerner). It is fans first glimpse of Villa Park if they are approaching it from the M6, or from Aston or Witton stations.

The Holte at Villa Park from Trinity Road, Aston (January 2010). Photography by Elliott Brown