Only heard about this today, so let me take a moment to let this sink in: Aston Villa Football Club, my Villa, are reportedly worth £1 billion according to President of Business Operations Chris Heck. Yes, you read that right—one billion pounds. I’ll be honest with you: I’m still not sure I believe it. I mean, this is Aston Villa FC a billion quid? For us? Someone’s having a laugh, surely.
I grew up watching Villa grind it out at Villa Park—sometimes dazzling, often frustrating, but always ours. Back in the day, you’d fork over a few quid for a ticket, grab a pie, and cheer on the lads. The idea that this club, with its claret and blue heart pumping through gritty Midlands soil, could be valued at ten figures feels like something out of a fever dream. I keep waiting for someone to jump out and say, “Gotcha!”
But here we are in 2025, and the numbers don’t lie—or so they tell me. The rise of Villa’s valuation isn’t just a fluke; it’s a testament to what’s been happening off the pitch as much as on it. Owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris have poured money into the club since 2018, turning it from a struggling club, with a wonderful history, into a Premier League contender again. The promotion in 2019 was the spark, and now with Unai Emery at the helm, we’re not just surviving—we’re dreaming of Champions League nights. Add in the global TV deals, the commercial boom, and Villa’s knack for unearthing gems like Ollie Watkins, and suddenly that billion-pound price tag starts to make a weird kind of sense, Doesn’t It?
Still, I can’t shake the disbelief. A billion pounds is the kind of money you associate with oil-rich juggernauts like Manchester City or PSG, not a club like Villa, a club that once felt like the underdog in every fight, could now be rubbing shoulders with the elite in terms of cold, hard cash. Are we really worth more than some small countries’ GDPs?
So, £1 billion. Wow. I’m not sure I’ll ever fully wrap my head around it. Maybe I don’t need to. Maybe it’s enough to just enjoy the ride, crack open a pint, and watch the boys in claret and blue keep proving the doubters wrong—billion-pound valuation or not. May the good times continue, right? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to check my lottery ticket. If Villa’s worth a billion, anything’s possible. UTV
Decades before the term was invented, Aston Villa was an elite club. Known across the globe a hundred years ago as the greatest of the great, before the decline set in. Resurrected from time to time over the years Villa are now, finally, back.
In summary, don’t be so surprised and instead, rejoice. We’ve been here before and let us hope, this time we’re back for good. UTV