 Aston Villa Football Club ( / ˈæstən ˈvɪlə / ; nicknamed Villa , The Villa , The Villans , The Lions ) is a professional association football club based in Aston , Birmingham , that plays in the Championship , the second level of English football . Founded in 1874 , they have played at their current home ground , Villa Park , since 1897 . Aston Villa were the originators and founding members of the Football League in 1888 . They were also founding members of the Premier League in 1992 . In June 2016 , the club was sold by American businessman Randy Lerner to Recon Group , owned by Chinese businessman Dr Tony Jiantong Xia . 
 Aston Villa Football Club ( / ˈæstən ˈvɪlə / ; nicknamed Villa , The Villa , The Villans , The Lions ) <a href='drop_aux' title='1'><mark>is</mark></a>a professional association football club based in Aston , Birmingham , <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>plays</mark></a> in the Championship , the second level of English football . Founded in 1874 , they <a href='been_done' title='4'><mark>have</mark></a> played at their current home ground , Villa Park , since 1897 . Aston Villa <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> the originators and founding members of the Football League in 1888 . They <a href='uninflect' title='6'><mark>were</mark></a> also founding members of the Premier League in 1992 . In June 2016 , the club was sold by American businessman Randy Lerner to Recon Group , owned by Chinese businessman Dr Tony Jiantong Xia . 
Aston Villa Football Club ( / ˈæstən ˈvɪlə / ; nicknamed Villa , The Villa , The Villans , The Lions ) a professional association football club based in Aston , Birmingham , play in da Championship , the second level of English football . Founded in 1874 , they done played at their current home ground , Villa Park , since 1897 . Aston Villa was the originators and founding members of the Football League in 1888 . They was also founding members of tdaPremier League in 1992 . In June 2016 , the club was sold by American businessman Randy Lerner to Recon Group , owned by Chinese businessman Dr Tony Jiantong Xia .