Gareth Barry may well have thrust Aston Villa back into the headlines after ending a 12-year stay at the club for Manchester City but there are many more to be written. Villa finished sixth in the Premiership but it was their failure to get into the Champions League which Barry blamed on his decision.

It’s been seen as a huge blow for the club but, despite the disappointment, there is absolute confidence that under Martin O’Neill, Aston Villa will bounce back and continue to thrive. For that is the very essence of this famous Birmingham club. Triumph over adversity and, as its motto proclaims, always “Prepared”.

The years since formation have been littered with setbacks but successes too. Cup wins, cup losses. European triumph, European failure. Promotions and relegations. Famous managers, famous sackings. High profile owners, board resignations. But through it all, Aston Villa has remained one of the most successful clubs in English football. It is still one of only five British clubs to have won the European Cup (with Liverpool, Manchester United and Nottingham Forest) and, under new chairman Randy Lerner, it intends going places in the 2009-2010 season. It has also provided more players to the England team than any other club and still holds the record for the most number of goals scored during an English season (128 in 1930-31).

The club has come a long way since its early days. Aston Villa can trace its roots back to 1874 when a group of cricketers associated with the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel wanted something to fill their time in the winter months. They happened to see a game of football being played and challenged the local rugby team to a match. It was an encounter to remember in more ways than one. There were 15 players on each side and the first half was played according to the rules of rugby, the second half according to football!
Villa soon became the dominant Midlands’ side, once beating Small Heath Alliance (later to become arch rivals Birmingham City) 22-0.

Villa became one of the founder members of the Football League in 1888 and enjoyed instant success, only just missing out on the title by one place in the inaugural season. They went on to win it five times in the 1890s in just seven seasons and were the first side to do a League and Cup double in 1897. It was the year the club also moved to Aston Lower Grounds, dubbed Villa Park by fans. The ground capacity is currently 42,640 but expansion plans would bring it to 51,000.

Aston Villa continued with success in the early 1900s, winning their sixth FA Cup in 1920. However, there was then a slow decline, concluding with relegation in 1936 to the Second Division, blamed mainly on a shocking defence. They were promoted back to Division One in the 1937-38 season. Like all other clubs, Villa then missed out on seven seasons because of the Second World War but came back stronger and regenerated under former player Alex Massie.

Their first trophy for 37 years came in the 1956-57 season when they won the FA Cup for the seventh time, defeating the famous Busby Babes. However, they were unable to fend of relegation in 1958-59 but returned to the top flight as Second Division champions in 1960, winning the inaugural League Cup the next season. The late 1960s saw turmoil at Villa, with take-overs, managerial changes and relegation for the third time in 1967. Fury erupted the following season as the famous team hit 16th. Following sackings and a board resignation, control of the club went to Pat Matthews who brought in Doug Ellis as chairman and the club was saved from financial ruin. However, nothing could prevent Villa’s relegation to the Third Division for the first time ever in the 1969-70 season. The club bounced back to the Second Division as champions in 1971-72 with Ron Saunders being appointed manager in 1973. By 1977, he had taken them back to the First Division and Europe.

Villa’s finest hour came in 1982 when, under Tony Barton, they won the European Cup against Bayern Munich and went on to secure the European Super Cup in 1982-83. Villa were again relegated from the top flight in 1987 but bounced back at the first attempt. The club was a founder member of the FA Premiership and were runners-up in 1993 under Ron Atkinson and League Cup winners in 1994 and 1996. Nevertheless, the 1990s were also a decade of some turmoil, with nine different managers and inconsistent league positions.

Aston Villa’s history is littered with famous managerial names, such as Brian Little, Ron Atkinson, Graham Taylor and David O’Leary but it is developments within the boardroom which have also hit the headlines. In 2005-2006, American Randy Lerner bought the majority share in the club, ending Doug Ellis’s long reign, and Martin O’Neill was appointed manager, much to the jubilation of fans. Aston Villa’s modern era has included a new crest, new kit and new team sponsor although the club has never forgotten its roots. The colours are still claret and sky blue and the crest still depicts a lion. However, the club also made history in 2008 when it declined commercial sponsorship on its shirts, advertising instead the Acorns’ Children’s Hospice.

Aston Villa have spent 98 seasons in the top flight of football, second only to Everton with 105 seasons. In the Victorian era, they were one of the most successful and well-known clubs in the entire world and still deserve their place amongst the sporting elite. The club has the fourth highest total of major honours won by an English clubs. Fans believe Aston Villa’s return to its heydays is imminent and the 2009-2010 season could be the time the club hits the headlines for all the right reasons.

Manchester United won their record-tying, overall 18th championship today (May 16th) at Old Trafford after a 0-0 draw with Arsenal, killing any hopes of a Liverpool miracle comeback. That’s it, it’s all over for this year and it’s really pretty hard to say that it’s not deserved.

Yes, Man United may have dropped quite a few points to the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal during the course of this season, but they beat the teams they’re supposed to beat all season long instead of drawing with them, and this is basically how they earned enough points to take their 11th Premier League title. Liverpool only have themselves to blame after a series of uninspiring 0-0 draws earlier this season with some of the dregs of the league.

While United definitely didn’t look like world beaters today, they did enough against Arsenal to earn the draw and the right to celebrate. The Londoners had quite an edge in possession, but didn’t really create anything out of all the time they had the ball.

Andrei Arshavin came close for the Gunners, while Wayne Rooney almost put the home side in front with a header that just missed the post. Ronaldo saw a free kick curl just wide of the post and Cesc Fabregas slammed a shot off of the upright for Arsenal with a few minutes to go. Robin van Persie shot directly at United keeper Edwin van der Sar about a minute later and that was basically it as far as the offense went. It should also be noted that Arsenal received five yellow cards to none for United.

Though it came as no surprise really that the trophy stays at Old Trafford, it will be interesting to see who’s still around next season to defend it. Will Ronaldo still be there to lead the team in scoring, and will Carlos Tevez be hung on to as a source of energy from the bench? It appears Gary Neville may as well hang up his boots now as he’s fighting injury after injury and his recovery time is taking longer now because of his age. Wes Brown and Owen Hargreaves might as well be shipped out as well as they don’t seem to want to put in the effort to play, injured or not. They strike me as players who are perfectly satisfied in cashing their paycheques instead of working hard on their fitness, and are constantly injured because of it.

For United to improve, they need to cut the dead wood and give more playing time to youngsters such as Fabio, Rafael, Jonathan Evans, Rodrigo Possebon, Federico Macheda, goalkeeper Ben Foster, and perhaps striker Danny Welbeck. Of course, it’s hard to argue with Sir Alex Ferguson’s managerial record, but he can also show some improvement by taking every FA Cup and League Cup game seriously. He needs to at least dress his best players and have them ready on the bench just in case they’re needed, instead of leaving them at home.

With a combination of excellent depth, youth, and experience, there’s no reason United can’t hang onto the title again next year as well.

“When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high, and don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm, there’s a golden sky and the sweet silver sound of the lark.”

It’s been sung at Anfield thousands of times but the lyrics of Liverpool’s famous football anthem, You’ll Never Walk Alone never ceases to provoke tremendous pride and passion. Grown men have been reduced to tears by the Gerry Marsden song which symbolizes everything the club has been built upon. Courage, fortitude, hope, bravery and much much more.

Even one of Liverpool’s most famous of players, Kevin Keegan admits to being moved to breaking point on hearing the Kop burst into song minutes before kick-off and, many a time, he still had tears in his eyes when play began.

One thing is for sure. Liverpool Football Club will never, ever walk alone. Founded in 1892, it has a legion of fans throughout the world, not just around Liverpool, and no other English club can match its roll of honour. League Champions 18 times, FA Cup winners on seven occasions, League Cup winners seven times over (including four years in a row in the 1980s), five-time holders of the European Cup and winners of the UEFA Cup three times. Liverpool FC is a legend and the red shirts of the supporters and the players are recognised and acknowledged wherever they go.

There have been glory years and times of heart-break but guts and determination have always got the club back on track. Perhaps their whole ethos is summed up by Bill Shankly who once famously said: “Football is not just a matter of life and death. I am disappointed by that statement. It is more important than that.”

Liverpool’s closest neighbour and perhaps biggest of rivals are Everton and even close families are known to have divided loyalty. If you come from Liverpool, you are often asked the question: “Are you a red or a blue?”

Ironically, it was Everton, or the Toffees, who helped to shape the future of Liverpool. In 1892, Everton left Anfield following a dispute over rent but club chairman, John Houlding was not to be defeated. The story goes that he stayed behind, along with a handful of supporters and three team players, absolutely determined to keep football at the ground. A new team was formed from scratch and it was named Liverpool. The rest has become history.

There have been so many highs and lows. In 1901, Liverpool secured their first title win, against all the odds. They went from losing eight games and conceding 31 goals to winning nine games and drawing three and ended up topping the league.

In 1950, Liverpool made their first Wembley appearance, losing 2-0 to Arsenal. In 1965, the club won the FA Cup for the first time, with Ian St John scoring the winner against Leeds. Liverpool became Euro Champions for the first time in 1977 and were treble winners under Gerard Houllier in 2001. And who could forget that incredible Champions League final of 2005 when Liverpool trailed AC Milan 3-0 at half-time. Supporters walked out in their droves and all around the country, fans switched off their televisions in disgust. Many did not even realise their team had made a miraculous come-back, winning on penalties, until they switched on their televisions or radios the next morning.

That fight-back was inspired by Stevie Gerrard and in 2006, the captain did it again. He famously rescued Liverpool in the FA Cup final against West Ham, equalising in the last minute to force extra time and penalties. Liverpool won in a match now regarded as Stevie’s final.

But there have been terrible tragedies too which have left their mark on the club in the most terrible of ways. Fans still weep at the memory of Heysel. On May 29, 1985, at the start of the European Cup final against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, rioting fans caused a wall to collapse. Thirty nine Juventus supporters died.

There was even worse to come. In 1989, on April 15, Liverpool’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest also ended in disaster. Ninety six fans were killed when the crowd surged through gates. Hillsborough was the worst sporting disaster in British history and led to the creation of all-seater grounds.

The Kop saw the same fate. Where once thousands of fans would stand and chant Liverpool’s name, now they had to sit, although virtually a match goes by without an announcement across the tannoy of “Would fans in the Kop end please refrain from standing up!”

It was in the Kop that the singing began, inspired by the Beatles era of the 1960s. And it was here that fans adopted the anthem of You’ll Never Walk Alone. It’s often said that the Kop End is Liverpool’s 12th man and legend suggests that the Koppite roar has on more than one occasion helped the ball to cross the line!

Just inside the main gates of Anfield stands the statue of Bill Shankly, with the words “He made the people happy.” He did indeed. Shankly, who was manager from 1959 to 1974, used to say: “The very word Anfield means more to me than you can describe.”

Liverpool have had many famous managers, including Bob Paisley from 1974 to 1983, another name synonymous with the club. Manager from 1985 to 1991 was Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness was in charge from 1991 to 1994, Roy Evans from 1994 to 1998, teaming up with Gerard Houllier for the 1998/99 season and then Houllier by himself from 1999 to 2004. Houllier said he used to stand in the Kop in 1969 and the atmosphere and passion on the pitch and terraces was intoxicating, making Liverpool a part of him that day.

Today, the club is managed by Rafael Benitez and is owned by Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett, a very far cry from the Liverpool of 1892. There have been many great names on the pitch since, from Emlyn Hughes, Phil Neal and Bruce Grobbelaar to David James, Steve McManaman and Jamie Rednapp, all of whom became household names. The greats throughout Liverpool’s history would echo Bill Shankly’s declaration: “Liverpool was made for me and I was made for Liverpool.”