Aston Villa is delighted to announce the unveiling of a new statue at Villa Park, which marks one of the final elements of the club’s 150th anniversary celebrations with a permanent and lasting legacy at the stadium.
A statue of a lion will stand proudly behind the North Stand at the confluence of the new redevelopments, with its depicted strength and elegance serving as a celebration of the club’s rich and historic past while also symbolising forward momentum and the club’s future.
Tanya Russell was commissioned by the club to produce the statue after much deliberation at the AV150 Board, where ultimately the lion on our club crest was chosen as a universal emblem of celebration for Aston Villa Football Club, rather than a specific moment in time.
The club has enjoyed an association with the Scottish Lion Rampant for nearly all its 150 years of existence having been introduced as the club’s crest by William McGregor in 1876.
The statue is a culmination of a year of commemorations which included a celebration of the 1982 European Cup winners at the Bayern Munich match, a 150th anniversary fixture against West Ham for the men’s team and against Arsenal for the women’s team, the unveiling of the Dream Scene painting, an official club book titled ‘AV150: 150 Years, 150 Images’, as well as launching the Legacy Wall where fans have been able to secure their own place in the fabric of Villa Park.
