Forever a Villan: How Aston Villa pulled off the ultimate Ozzy Osbourne tribute
Ozzy Osbourne sadly passed away aged 76 on Tuesday.
The Brummie rock god had been the lead vocalist in the heavy metal band Black Sabbath and helped produce many critically acclaimed albums.
On top of this, Osbourne was also a well-known Aston Villa fan and had regularly been spotted at the stadium.
Villa Park recently hosted Black Sabbath in their farewell show, in what has sadly proved to be Osbourne’s final performance.
On top of this, Villa fans have also honoured the Marston Green-born legend multiple times, most recently in the 2024/25 campaign.
Osbourne banner unveiled in Villa’s Champions League tie vs Celtic
Villa’s Champions League campaign in the 2024/25 season was no doubt memorable.
Unai Emery’s side beat multiple teams on their way to the quarter-finals and finished inside the top eight in the league stage.
For their final match before the knockouts, Villa decided to honour Osbourne with a massive banner before their victory over Celtic.
Just before kick-off, a giant display of the Prince of Darkness himself was unveiled.
‘Up the Villa’ was written around Ozzy’s head, as well as the phrases ‘Every week we follow…’, ‘Villa Till I Die’, and ‘Claret & Blue Army’ around the border.
Aston Villa (29 January) explained the tribute saying: “A celebration of the club’s heritage with global appeal and a local heartbeat, the Prince of Darkness embodies Villa’s Aston origins, bridging the worlds of heavy metal and football.
“A living legend who, like Villa fans, carries his claret and blue pride across borders. Together, we celebrate our roots, our passion and our relentless pursuit of glory.”
This was only one of many tributes the two parties gave one another throughout their history.
In the 2023/24 campaign, one of Villa’s most successful in recent history, ‘Crazy Train’ was used as the team’s walk-out anthem at Villa Park.
Even Osbourne had got on the act in the past. His 1991 album No More Tears, the track “A.V.H.” stands for “Aston Villa Highway”, a nod to his affection towards the club.
Osbourne’s passing will no doubt cause heartbreak for many Villa fans
Despite Osbourne being a superstar, he was still very grounded, and clearly had a fantastic relationship with the people of Birmingham.
Therefore, his passing will no doubt upset many of the Villa Park faithful, especially after his appearance at the ground only two weeks prior.
Hopefully, once the new season begins, Villa will look to once again pay tribute to the rockstar.
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