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A summer of strengthening
under respected manager Graham Taylor should see Aston
Villa flourish in the Barclaycard Premiership. A
strong squad, which has remained competitive in the
higher echelons of the league, has been boosted by the
capture of Swedish World Cup striker Marcus Allback,
Stefan Postma and Ulises de la Cruz, adding to the
purchase of England Under-21 striker Peter Crouch from
Portsmouth in March 2002. Ron Atkinson took Villa to
the brink of FA Premier League title glory in 1993,
but they were pipped to the post by Manchester United.
Atkinson then overcame his former club in the League
Cup final in 1994 and successor Brian Little emulated
the feat in 1996, defeating Leeds United 3-0. John
Gregory kept up the high standards, and the side never
finished below halfway in the FA Premier League under
his tenure. A run to the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in
1998 was an outstanding achievement, as Villa retained
their hard-to-beat reputation. And former England boss
Taylor - who took Villa to second place in the old
First Division in 1990 - returned in 2002 after
Gregory's exit, adding a lifetime of experience to the
Claret and Blue cause.
Original members of the
Football League in 1888, Aston Villa are one of the FA
Premier League's oldest clubs. Formed in late 1874,
Villa were the team to beat in the league's early
years with a series of titles and FA Cup victories. A
move to a purpose-built ground, Villa Park, from their
Perry Barr home in 1897 came just a week after their
league and FA Cup Double triumph that year. The
Villans secured their sixth league title in 1910 and
added further FA Cup glories in 1913 and 1920 as their
trophy cabinet bulged. FA Cup success in 1957 and a
League Cup triumph in 1961 increased their haul of
silverware, but by 1970 Aston Villa were playing Third
Division football. However, the club were about to
enjoy a remarkable turn of fortunes, with two more
League Cups and a return to the top flight followed by
their greatest triumph - the European Cup in 1982.
Villa lost their top-flight status in 1987 but an
immediate return and another pair of League Cups in
the 1990s helped the club prosper in the FA Premier
League, in which they finished runners-up under Ron
Atkinson in 1993. Graham Taylor, who left the club to
manage England in 1990, returned to manage the side in
2002.
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