Home to club legends like Peter White and Gordon Cowans as well as more contemporary stars for club and country like Ashley Young and Dwight Yorke, Aston Villa has long been a favourite of football fans around the world.
Villa are now entering their 151st year, having won over a huge contingent of the Birmingham area crowd and several prominent figures from much further afield.
So, who are currently the most famous supporters of one of the oldest and most successful clubs in the country?
Prince William
As far as English football goes, you can’t boast much of a more prestigious fan than that of the Duke of Cambridge. Prince William has often been spotted at Villa Park and at Wembley when his club heads to the national stadium.
He was there to see the club climb back into the Premier League in 2018/19, has seen the anticipation around a high-calibre squad crumble, but might now get to enjoy a truly unforgettable era as a Villa fan.
Prince William’s affinity for Aston Villa has seen him back several charitable football-oriented organisations, and he’s now a Patron of The FA, having formerly held the post of President of The FA.
David Bradley
One of the most recognisable British actors around, David Bradley has been on our screens and the screens of entertainment-seekers around the world since the 1970s.
More recently, his biggest outings have taken him into the worlds of The Cornetto Trilogy, Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, Marvel, Doctor Who, Frankenstein, and Gangs of London, but even Hollywood red carpets can’t keep him away from Villa Park for long.
Often seen at games and a feature of their anniversary celebrations, the 83-year-old actor will be hoping that his club make good on their football odds and wins some silverware this season.
Tom Hanks
There aren’t many Hollywood actors who can boast the global adoration and fandom of Tom Hanks, but it’s Aston Villa that gets to rave about having Forrest Gump among their most famous supporters.
Known to be a fan of The Villans for many years, citing their name and colours as reasons why he picked the club initially, in 2024, his wish of finally visiting Villa Park came true.
In May 2024, he ventured around the Villa Park crowd and watched a 3-3 draw with Liverpool play out from a box, cheering on their late equaliser – perhaps he’d called an ambitious draw in the sports betting lines!
Lee Child
One of the most popular British authors around, Lee Child has continued to raise the prestige of British writing through the likes of Killing Floor and the Jack Reacher series since the late 1990s.
To this day, Child remains a big fan of Aston Villa, even to the extent that his football fandom creeps into his works of fiction.
Paul McGrath, Graham Taylor, and John Gregory have all been included in his works, as has a conversation about the 1982 European Cup Final. Maybe one day, Ollie Watkins will find himself named to a Jack Reacher character!
Nigel Kennedy
Hailed as the country’s favourite violinist, you don’t have to search for long to find Nigel Kennedy sporting the famous claret and blue.
The musician often wears a club shirt during interviews, never shies away from talking about his favourite team, and even put on a show with a distinct Villa twist.
He had his whole orchestra wear Villa shirts at Przystanek Woodstock in 2010, and after the performance, he got the crowd involved, leading them in a series of chants from the Aston Villa songbook.
