In spite of all of the money that swirls around football, many of the sides at the top of the English game still think there is more to be made from having a mascot. These mascots aren’t just about being able to charge supporters for toys and memorabilia, however, but are also about attracting younger fans who will then be around for years to come. In the case of Aston Villa, the club introduced three mascots back in 2003, in the form of Hercules the Lion, Bella the Lion and Chip, a lion cub, who have been in place at Villa Park ever since to welcome the home fans.
Why Lions?
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Elsewhere on this site you can read about the Aston Villa badge. On doing so, you will learn that the Lion Rampant has been an important part of the club crest virtually since its introduction, with the animal being an important part of Villa folklore ever since. The idea of adding the Lion Rampant, which is actually a Scottish symbol, to the club crest was introduced by two of the men largely responsible for the creation of the Midlands club in the first place. It was William McGregor and George Ramsey who helped to create the side as a professional one in the early years of Villa’s history.
McGregor was, of course, a crucial part of football history in England, having been the first-ever Chairman of the English Football League, making Villa one of the 12 founding members of the new competition. When Ramsey was hired as manager in 1886, meanwhile, he was considered to be the first-ever manager of a football club. He kept the role for 42 years, winning six each off the First Division title and the FA Cup, which is part of the reason why his headstone is inscribed with the words ‘Founder of Aston Villa’. The lion was chosen as it represents ‘bravery, valour and strength’.
Villa’s Three Lions
Hercules and Bella love their new shirts! #VillaKitFest #AVFC pic.twitter.com/u5737iNeYf
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) June 14, 2014
Although the notion of ‘three lions’ might be more readily associated with England, Aston Villa introduced them as club mascots in 2003. Hercules the Lion had actually been around for a lot longer than that, but in 2003 the decision was taken to give him a family. That was down to the idea of them being a ‘pride’ and the supporters having ‘pride’ in the club, with the three regularly seen together at Villa Park ahead of kick-off. Quite why it is that the three of them got their names is something that isn’t particularly clear and the club hasn’t given them much of a back story.
It is possible that the name of Hercules is linked to the painting Hercules and the Hydra, done in the 15th century by the Italian artist Antio Del Pollaiuolo. In it, Heracles, which is the Greek name, can be seen wearing a lion’s skin and brandishing a club. Given the stoic nature of Hercules the Lion at Aston Villa, it is possible that that is where the idea has emanated from. It is also possible that someone merely liked it as a name and felt that it suited the character, introducing it as a result. Bella, meanwhile, means ‘beautiful’ and Chip could represent him being a ‘chip off the old block’.
In & Out of the Club
Mascot Hercules was as popular as ever with the children as they toured the fantastic @WestMidSafari complex. #AVFC pic.twitter.com/8ZIhNJ6k2V
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) December 1, 2013
In spite of the fact that Hercules in particular has been around for several decades, the three lions have been in and out of Aston Villa over the years. There was a time in the 1990s, for example, that Hercules briefly disappeared after the man who played the role was sacked by the club. That came about after he had been given several warnings for his behaviour, only to then do something else that it was felt was the final straw. The man who was Hercules was warned after kissing the badge in the wake of a match against Coventry City about the need to remain neutral at all times.
Then, at half-time in a match against Crystal Palace, he danced on the pitch with ‘Miss Aston Villa’ and that was seen as a sackable offence. Dave Ismay, the club’s Head of Special Projects at the time, said,
I don’t want to go into specifics, but let’s just say that he has been warned three or four times and he has not taken those warnings to heart. Hopefully, with all this publicity, we will be able to attract a new mascot for the post.
They obviously did exactly that as the character of Hercules the Lion was soon back on the sidelines at Villa Park, entertaining supporters. The character of Chip the Lion Cub was axed by Aston Villa during the Randy Lerner era, making occasional reappearances in the years that followed but never truly part of the pride again. That meant that the heavy-lifting of being the Aston Villa mascot fell to Bella the Lion.
According to reports, the person who played the character was much more reliable in terms of turning up for games and doing what she was supposed to, which means that the club considered her to be a much more trustworthy character and the other two were sidelined whenever possible.
The Villain
Given the club’s name of Aston Villa, it is perhaps no surprise that they are often known as the Villains. It is also unlikely to be a shock that the club had a mascot known as ‘the Villa Villain’ ever since he first appeared in the Sports Argus, with a long cloak and pointed hat as well as boasting a moustache. In 1968, a fan publication called The Villazine published the Villain on its front, whilst in 1986 he appeared in the Panini sticker album of the era. He had been created in name in the 1900s, whilst Tom Webster drew him as a cartoon in 1905.
In 2024, Aston Villa brought the Villain back for the club’s 150th anniversary season, abandoning the idea of him being a destroyer and instead reintroducing him as a tactician and a mastermind. When the three lions of the pride seemed to disappear from view during the 2024-2025 season, many wondered whether it was done in order to facilitate the return of the Villain as the Aston Villa mascot, with a large tifo of the character appearing at the Holte End of Villa Park during a Champions League game and the club saying ‘Keep your eyes peeled’.