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What is the 'Villa Villan'? Origins of the famous Aston Villa character revived 120 years later

The 'Villa Villan' tifo at Villa Park

The 'Villa Villan' tifo at Villa Park

The 'Villa Villan' returned to Villa Park on Wednesday night as a huge tifo was unfurled at the Holte End before kick-off against Juventus.

The character, wearing a long coat, pointy hat and sporting a dashing moustache, has been revived for the club’s 150th anniversary season.

The 'Villa Villan' appeared in the Sports Argus initially and was seen on football cigarette cards and memorabilia throughout the 20th century and beyond. It was also spotted on a Villazine fan publication in 1968.

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Former programme editor Jack Urry is credited with creating the 'Villa Villan' character, while cartoonist Tom Webster animated him in around 1905. Before joining the Evening Despatch and the Sports Argus, Webster won a newspaper cartoon contest in 1904.

Some 15 years later, Norman Edwards became cartoonist for the publications and reinvigorated the Villan cartoon. Shortly after, the 'Villa Villan' featured on cards in a series named AFC Nicknames which were originally released in 1933 by Ogdens and reprinted in 1997 by Imperial Printing.

Ogdens said we're the Villans because we're "one of the most formidable teams in the land", featuring a "classical style which is the envy of our rivals."

After the 'Villa Villan' tifo was raised at Villa Park on Wednesday night, fans took to social media to give their reaction.

"VILLA VILLAN TIFO!! No more tifos need to be made," one fan posted on X. Another said: "The best flag so far, the Villa Villan returns. A third wrote: "Absolutely amazing to see the return of the Villa Villan, I thought we would never see him again."

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