The curious link between Tom Hanks and Aston Villa

You might think the Oscars is the most eagerly-awaited event of the year for Tom Hanks, but it’s actually trips to England to see his beloved Aston Villa play in the Premier League – and right now the Champions League – which really gets him going.

The two-time Academy Award winner has been captured over the years on camera arriving for games at Villa Park, with the A-lister likely cheering his team on against PSG on Wednesday.

Why does actor Tom Hanks support Aston Villa?

What could possibly have prompted Hanks to start following the fortunes of a soccer team thousands of miles from home at that particular point in time? He has no Family Ties with them after all.

2008 was really not a great moment to start following the Birmingham side, who went from being semi-regular European contenders (ask your parents about their European Cup win in The Eighties) to relegation battlers. In 2015-16 they were Cast Away at the foot of the Premier League table and spent three years in the Championship, although they have since bounced back and re-established themselves in the top flight.

Last year under Unai Emery, they exceeded all expectations and qualified for Europe’s top competition. And remain in it at the quarter final stage.

In an appearance on British comedy chat show The Graham Norton Show in 2015, Hanks explained how his Big Love for Villa came about: “It came to pass because the very first time I came to London, the football scores were on in the morning and it was all these cities I didn’t quite understand. Where is Stoke? Where is Blacksworth? Where is Slough? I didn’t know. And then along came the score…‘Aston Villa’. I said, ‘Aston Villa: what a beautiful sounding vacation paradise. I’ll lay in the sun, bring me a piña colada. I’ll spend two weeks in Aston Villa.”

When it was pointed out that had Nothing In Common with the reality, Hanks responded, “Now I know (what it’s really like) and I’m still with them”.

In a later interview with UK-based Channel 5 news, Hanks claimed to have a close friend who is also a Villa fan: “I have a very good friend who lives and dies by Aston Villa in Los Angeles as well so I’m always getting my updates from him. Every time I watch the soccer channels, it’s always West Ham playing Man United or Tottenham playing Queen(s) Park Rangers. Bring me Villa! Bring me Villa! Doesn’t it sound like a lovely place? Aston Villa. “I had a lovely massage in Aston Villa”.

Prince William supports Aston Villa? Yes, really!

Incredibly enough, Hanks can’t even claim to be Aston Villa’s most famous fan, certainly not in the UK, in any case. None other than heir-to-the-throne Prince William also has claret and blue pyjamas and posters of Darius Vassell on his bedroom wall (if Kate allows it).

Speaking in an interview to the BBC’s Gary Lineker before the 2015 FA Cup final (also Aston Villa vs Arsenal, incidentally), the Duke of Cambridge revealed that his rebel streak as a youngster was the season why.

“A long time ago at school I got into football big time. I was looking around for clubs. All my friends at school were either Man United fans or Chelsea fans and I didn’t want to follow the run of the mill teams. I wanted to have a team that was more mid-table that could give me more emotional rollercoaster moments.”

“Aston Villa’s always had a great history. I have got friends of mine who support Aston Villa and one of the first FA Cup games I went to was Bolton v Aston Villa back in 2000. Sadly, Villa went on to lose to Chelsea. It was fantastic, I sat with all the fans with my red beanie on, and I was sat with all the Brummie fans and had a great time. It was the atmosphere, the camaraderie and I really felt that there was something I could connect with.”

Former European champions Villa are now back at the top table. Maybe Hanks will play a grizzled Emery in a movie about continental kings if they can pull it off this season. Dream Villains, dream.

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