Should we rename the club to include Birmingham in our name?

[Mark H]

Hopefully not whilst I have got breath in my body

[nigel]

With respect, that's the first time I've heard that one and much more knowledgable historians than I have never mentioned it.

Spoke to my Dad he can't remember full details as it was so long ago.
He seems to remember Birmingham wanting a team to carry the name of the City.
Villa, who were the biggest team with the best history, and many supporters said that it should be them, but it was offered to Small Heath, due to their location, instead. So there was no 'application process' sorry.
Villa would have taken the full Birmingham City title straight away, where as Small Heath took 40 years to eventually change!!
Lucky us eh?

contacted Carl Chinn and this is his reply
"I don't think the Villa was ever offered the name Birmingham and I don't think anyone or any body could offer the name. Aston was a separate town until 1911, by which time Small Heath Alliance had changed their name to Birmingham City.
Best wishes
Carl
Think the key is "Aston was a separate town until 1911"

[Phil from the upper holte]

God no, never never never

[cdbearsfan]

With respect, that's the first time I've heard that one and much more knowledgable historians than I have never mentioned it.

Spoke to my Dad he can't remember full details as it was so long ago.
He seems to remember Birmingham wanting a team to carry the name of the City.
Villa, who were the biggest team with the best history, and many supporters said that it should be them, but it was offered to Small Heath, due to their location, instead. So there was no 'application process' sorry.
Villa would have taken the full Birmingham City title straight away, where as Small Heath took 40 years to eventually change!!
Lucky us eh?

contacted Carl Chinn and this is his reply
"I don't think the Villa was ever offered the name Birmingham and I don't think anyone or any body could offer the name. Aston was a separate town until 1911, by which time Small Heath Alliance had changed their name to Birmingham City.
Best wishes
Carl
Think the key is "Aston was a separate town until 1911"

The key is, regardless of the geographical status of Aston, Villa would never have wanted to change their name. According to Carl Chinn, Dave Woodhall and various others with interest in the club's history there is no evidence whatsoever to support your dad's theory that we wanted to change and Blues got one over on us by doing so.

[nigel]

With respect, that's the first time I've heard that one and much more knowledgable historians than I have never mentioned it.

Spoke to my Dad he can't remember full details as it was so long ago.
He seems to remember Birmingham wanting a team to carry the name of the City.
Villa, who were the biggest team with the best history, and many supporters said that it should be them, but it was offered to Small Heath, due to their location, instead. So there was no 'application process' sorry.
Villa would have taken the full Birmingham City title straight away, where as Small Heath took 40 years to eventually change!!
Lucky us eh?

contacted Carl Chinn and this is his reply
"I don't think the Villa was ever offered the name Birmingham and I don't think anyone or any body could offer the name. Aston was a separate town until 1911, by which time Small Heath Alliance had changed their name to Birmingham City.
Best wishes
Carl
Think the key is "Aston was a separate town until 1911"

The key is, regardless of the geographical status of Aston, Villa would never have wanted to change their name. According to Carl Chinn, Dave Woodhall and various others with interest in the club's history there is no evidence whatsoever to support your dad's theory that we wanted to change and Blues got one over on us by doing so.

It's NOT my Dads theory, it's a story that he'd been told many years ago. I've already said he couldn't remember full story.
It's not a case of Blues getting one over us, They were offered the "title" but we thought we should have been offered it, as we were the biggest and most successful team in the region.
Back then it probably wouldn't have been such an issue changing club name as it would be now. This was 1905 so we'd only been in existance 31 years.
I'm pleased that we didn't.
As for evidence to support this story, I doubt if anything would have been recorded as it was never offered to us anyway.
So, maybe if we were around in 1905 we might have read or heard a snippet.

[dave.woodhall]

With respect, that's the first time I've heard that one and much more knowledgable historians than I have never mentioned it.

Spoke to my Dad he can't remember full details as it was so long ago.
He seems to remember Birmingham wanting a team to carry the name of the City.
Villa, who were the biggest team with the best history, and many supporters said that it should be them, but it was offered to Small Heath, due to their location, instead. So there was no 'application process' sorry.
Villa would have taken the full Birmingham City title straight away, where as Small Heath took 40 years to eventually change!!
Lucky us eh?

contacted Carl Chinn and this is his reply
"I don't think the Villa was ever offered the name Birmingham and I don't think anyone or any body could offer the name. Aston was a separate town until 1911, by which time Small Heath Alliance had changed their name to Birmingham City.
Best wishes
Carl
Think the key is "Aston was a separate town until 1911"

The key is, regardless of the geographical status of Aston, Villa would never have wanted to change their name. According to Carl Chinn, Dave Woodhall and various others with interest in the club's history there is no evidence whatsoever to support your dad's theory that we wanted to change and Blues got one over on us by doing so.

Please don't take my word as anything other than that of an interested party. The era in question is one I don't know much about; all I will say is what I mentioned before - others who know far more than me, including the benighted Lerwill, J, have never mentioned this..

[claret and blue blood]

We might as well call us Birmingham as witnessing that today it looks like they have stolen our shirts !

[Lambert and Payne]

Though it is interesting that neither Celtic or Rangers have Glasgow in their title, and I have always wondered why there is no London (City) FC

Both of the teams official names are Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic

And to answer your question, no, not ever, were Aston Villa and were proud

[Ghost of Pongo Waring]

With respect, that's the first time I've heard that one and much more knowledgable historians than I have never mentioned it.

Spoke to my Dad he can't remember full details as it was so long ago.
He seems to remember Birmingham wanting a team to carry the name of the City.
Villa, who were the biggest team with the best history, and many supporters said that it should be them, but it was offered to Small Heath, due to their location, instead. So there was no 'application process' sorry.
Villa would have taken the full Birmingham City title straight away, where as Small Heath took 40 years to eventually change!!
Lucky us eh?

contacted Carl Chinn and this is his reply
"I don't think the Villa was ever offered the name Birmingham and I don't think anyone or any body could offer the name. Aston was a separate town until 1911, by which time Small Heath Alliance had changed their name to Birmingham City.
Best wishes
Carl
Think the key is "Aston was a separate town until 1911"

The key is, regardless of the geographical status of Aston, Villa would never have wanted to change their name. According to Carl Chinn, Dave Woodhall and various others with interest in the club's history there is no evidence whatsoever to support your dad's theory that we wanted to change and Blues got one over on us by doing so.

Please don't take my word as anything other than that of an interested party. The era in question is one I don't know much about; all I will say is what I mentioned before - others who know far more than me, including the benighted Lerwill, J, have never mentioned this..

According to John Lerwills Aston villa Chronicles Aston was considered part of Birmingham before 1903. The district of Aston Manor was made into a seperate authority in 1903 which lasted for only eight years before becoming part of Birmingham again.

In the Sports Argus, (for 16th July 1904), Small Heaths President, Mr Adams, stated  "Because Aston Villa are with the newly made borough of Aston Manor, they are no longer a Birmingham club ...... therefore Small Heath are the leading club in Birmingham." 

The response from the Sports Argus was "Aston Villa will never cease to be regarded as the premier Birmingham club all the world over. As a matter of fact Aston Villa are more essentially a Birmingham team than Small Heath themselves"

Interestingly Villa were not the first team to play at Aston Lower grounds, the original name for Villa Park. Birmingham Cricket and Football Club played there.

William McGregor said of them "The club at aston Lower Grounds, which was dignified with the proud title of the Birmingham Cricket and Football Club, had a splendid meadow and indulgent patronage"

There's also a team picture after one of our early victories with the players lined up with a cup and the Birmingham coat of arms. I think there's enough evidence that Aston was part of Birmingham before the boundry changes of 1903

If anyone abroad gets interested in our club but doesn't realise that we're from Birmingham then thirty seconds on the net will educate them.
It's a unique name and should never be changed.

[Irish villain]

Is the original poster Alex McLeish? From what I can see, he has taken that small club mentality to the proud Aston Villa. We should never, ever be afraid to compete with the best.

[Handsworth Wood Villa]

Though it is interesting that neither Celtic or Rangers have Glasgow in their title, and I have always wondered why there is no London (City) FC

Both of the teams official names are Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic

And to answer your question, no, not ever, were Aston Villa and were proud

I thought that was just unofficial...

[cdbearsfan]

For once, TRS-T, you're right. The Glasgow bigots have never had Glasgow in their names.

[not3bad]

Quite a gripping poll this isn't it?  It could go either way!!

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

We should change the name of (the city of) Birmingham to Aston.

[lichfield lion]

No No and thrice no! We were not part of Birmingham when we were formed, so why would we want to steal their name?