What does the badge mean?
The lion comes from the crest of the Birchfield Harriers athletics club, whose ground Villa shared in their early years. Claret and blue were adopted in 1888, reputedly inspired by a Scottish player who brought his previous club's colours down from Edinburgh. The star above the badge represents Villa's European Cup victory in 1982 — one of only five English clubs to have won the competition.
Badge history
- 1874 — Club founded; no formal badge
- 1880s — Lion imagery begins appearing informally
- 1992 — Modern crest formalised with lion, star and scroll
- 2007 — Subtle refresh of proportions
- 2016 — Current version introduced following relegation; cleaner lines
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