An Aston Villa team of former players first played a football match to raise funds for a worthy cause way back in the 1880's.They were at the time helping to raise money for hospital beds and other necessities within the community.One of the prominent players involved was the legendary Archie Hunter, who was elected to the FA 'Hall of Fame' in 1999.A stone in tribute to Archie lies in Witton Cemetery, just a mile from Villa Park.

The modern day Aston Villa Old Stars team was established in 1960 and have played around twenty-five fundraising matches in every year since.In the process, they have helped to raise over £2½ million for charitable and deserving causes and they are, without doubt, the leading former players team in the UK.

Since 1960, the names of the former players to have appeared in the Old Stars team reads like an Aston Villa Who's Who?

Charlie Aitken, Ron Atkinson, John Burridge, Harry Burrows, Mush Callaghan, Frank Carrodus, Vic Crowe, Jim Cumbes, George Cummings, Eamonn Deacy, Alan Deakin, Johnny Dixon, Dickie Dorsett, Jimmy Dugdale, Trevor Ford, John Gidman, Brian Godfrey, Andy Gray, Chico Hamilton, Eric Houghton, Steve Hunt, Brian Little, Stan Lynn, Jimmy MacEwan, Johnny MacLeod, Bobby McDonald, Ken McNaught, Peter McParland, Con Martin, Sammy Morgan, Dennis Mortimer, Chris Nicholl, Harry Parkes, Leighton Phillips, Chris Price, Bruce Rioch, Leslie Smith, Simon Stainrod, Bobby Thomson, Mike Tindall, Fred Turnbull, Peter Withe.

This is by no means an exhaustive list but just a small selection of the great names to have represented the Old Stars team in the past forty-four years.Added to these are the players in the current squad:

Paul Birch, Andy Blair, Darren Bradley, Des Bremner, Mark Burke, John Capaldi, John Chambers, Andy Comyn, Gordon Cowans, Tony Daley, Allan Evans, Colin Gibson, Pat Heard, Phil King, Ivor Linton, Tony Morley, Dave Norton, Ian Olney, Brendan Ormsby, Gavin Price, Neil Rioch, Gary Shaw, Gary Shelton, Nigel Spink, Gary Stirland, Kenny Swain and Mark Walters.

All of these former professionals have played at the highest level and many of them achieved the highest honours in the game.In today's multi-million pound professional football environment, it is refreshing to see so many great players giving their time and commitment in support of a deserving cause free of any payment whatsoever.

In the past six years alone, the Aston Villa Old Stars has played over 160 games throughout the UK, and in Ireland, the Channel Islands, Holland, France, and Germany, competing successfully against the likes of Ajax, AC Milan, and others.In addition, the team is regularly featured in televised events such as the 'Masters Tournament' on Sky Sports TV.

The Aston Villa Former Players Association (FPA) was launched in January 1995, just three months after the concept was first proposed during a meeting of the management team then organising the Aston Villa Old Stars football team.

The motivation for establishing a FPA came from a newspaper article reporting the predicament of a former Villa legend who was selling his hard-earned medals to 'make ends meet'.So, whilst the Aston Villa Old Stars team was raising huge sums of money around the country for very worthy causes, the plight of 'our own' was being overlooked.

Ten years on and with the invaluable assistance of both the PFA (the players union) and Aston Villa Football Club, the Aston Villa FPA has been able to help over 40 former players who have required urgent medical treatment, operations or assistance with hardship.This is and will remain the core purpose of our existence.

In addition to providing support for ex Aston Villa players, the FPA has attracted ITV coverage of their work in support of the St. Basil's Centre for the homeless; BBC television coverage of their work in support of Cystic Fibrosis; and they were featured in a BBC2 TV documentary about their work in support of the Birmingham Children's Hospital and specifically, the fatal San Filipo disease.

Through our annual calendar of sporting and social events, which includes Golf Days, Greyhound Racing nights, Tribute dinners and our activities with Aston Villa Football Club, the FPA has managed to reunite over 300 former players from all over the world.Like the Aston Villa Old Stars, the Aston Villa FPA is now also recognised as being the best in the UK, a statement borne out by the fact that we have now assisted 14 other clubs with advice and guidance in forming their own associations.