All Time Head to Head
Home - W 25 - D 17 - L 10
Away - W 12 - D 12 - L 26
Total - W 37 - D 29 - L 36
Premiership only
Home - W 4 - D 8 - L 4
Away - W 2 - D 7 - L 7
Total - W 6 - D 15 - L 11
Legend has it that in 1899 William Dove, father of a Thames Ironworks FC right-half, beat four Aston Villa players in a race. Unable to pay the money they wagered they instead paid off their bet with a complete team kit in the Villa colours of claret and blue - colours which Thames Ironworks would carry on wearing as they became West Ham....
It wasn't for another 14 years that the two teams first met each other in competition, with the Villains defeating the Irons 5-0 in an FA Cup match. Throughout the 1920's, however, they regularly faced each other in the old Division 1, with West Ham maintaining a degree of dominance. Post-war the two teams didn't clash until 1958, with the Irons again dominating through the '60's, yet from the '70's onwards West Ham experienced a reversal of fortunes and Villa made up lost ground.
Overall the two teams have played each other competitively 102 times with the spoils split fairly evenly - 37 wins for the Irons, 36 for Villa and 29 draws. Slightly more sobering is the fact that in 32 Premiership clashes West Ham have only won 6, losing 11 and drawing 15 - with only one win since 2006!
Mind you, we're still on a high after Wembley, whereas they had a rough end to their last season - opening game at home? I reckon William Dove would place another wager on it.....
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