Aston Villa rivalries with Birmingham City, West Brom and Wolves explained
Aston Villa are a part of some of English football’s fiercest rivalries.
Due to the success that Unai Emery’s side has had in recent years, Villa have firmly held the bragging rights over their rivals, with Wolves struggling in the Premier League and West Brom and Birmingham languishing in the lower divisions in recent seasons.
On top of this, they are also the biggest club in the Midlands, which is undoubtedly another reason why they harbour the attention of their rivals.
Whilst the Villa Park faithful are aware of these rivalries existing, Villa News provides extra historical context regarding the three rivalries and why they came to be in the first place.
Wolves
Regarded by most Villa fans as the least intense of the rivalries, this does not mean it is all sunshine and rainbows whenever the two teams face off with one another.
With West Brom and Birmingham being out of the Premier League for multiple years, Villa’s clash with Wolves is always one the supporters will circle on their calendars, especially with the absence of their other rivals.
The rivalry was at its height in the early 20th century, with both clubs consistently challenging for English football’s major honours.
Due to their close proximity in the West Midlands, a rivalry between the two clubs that sit just 21 miles apart was bound to happen.
West Brom
West Brom have a distinct hatred for Villa, who are also known as the Villans.
Villa’s clashes with West Brom are undoubtedly where chants such as Hi Ho Silver Lining are sung loudest.
The rivalry between the clubs is their second most intense rivalry, with Villa’s main rivals being Birmingham, whilst West Brom’s are Wolves.
Aside from those fixtures, Aston Villa versus West Brom is the most intense of the Midlands’ derbies, with both clubs being just four miles away from each other.
Whilst some older supporters even consider the Baggies to be Villa’s main rivals, the majority of hatred definitely seems to come from the West Brom side.
During the late 1970s and early 80s, the rivalry between the two was at its peak, with the two teams regularly challenging for the league, with former West Brom and Villa player Cyrille Regis claiming the rivalry represented which was the best team in the Midlands, with Wolves a weaker force at this time.
Frequent chants about Villa can often be heard at The Hawthorns, even when the two are not playing against each other, and it is arguably their hatred for Villa that makes the rivalry what it is.
Birmingham City
For Villa, this is the big one.
With Birmingham’s wealthy investors, it may not be too long until the pair are reunited in the Premier League, and this historic rivalry can be renewed multiple times per season again.
As with the rivalries with West Brom and Wolves, the proximity between the two clubs certainly plays a part in the rivalry being as heated as it is.
The rivalry is often referred to as the Second City Derby, and although the claim that tensions run high can be made for a lot of derbies, it is especially the case when Villa take on the Blues.
This tension infamously boiled over back in 2019 when a Birmingham supporter ran onto the pitch and punched Jack Grealish, who eventually went on to score the winner in the game.
Another one of the most iconic moments in this rivalry happened when the two clubs were not even playing, as Birmingham player Paul Tait revealed an undershirt with a derogatory message about Villa written on it when he scored at Wembley in the Auto Windscreens Shield final in April 1995.
The rivalry has been passed down through the generations and looks to show no signs of slowing down, with Birmingham aiming Villa for being Prince William’s club and representing the establishment, whilst Villa are owners of a trophy cabinet that their bitter rivals could only dream of.
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