Paragraph 1: The club crest of Aston Villa has become the focal point of a conflict, with the circular and shield-shaped logos both vying for attention. The circular logo, which was introduced in November 2022 and applied to the jerseys for the 2023-24 season, is often worn by manager Ulenka Emery on his training gear. However, behind Emery and on the billboards, the shield-shaped logo, introduced by former owner Randy Lerner, can be seen, creating a discordance in the visuals.

Paragraph 2: Aston Villa employees assert that the circular logo does not accurately represent the club. According to Nilesh Jossan, the Diversity Operations Manager of the Football Supporters' Association (FSA) and a Villa fan who represents "Villians Together" on the Fan Advisory Board (FAB), the stadium is visually chaotic due to the presence of both logos. He believes that simply erasing the circular logo and starting anew is not a viable solution.

Paragraph 3: The crest controversy began in early 2022 when Aston Villa announced their intention to transition to a circular logo to reflect a new era and direction. It was essential that any significant modifications to the logo, the first since 2016, involved fan participation. Despite some flaws in the final design, the project was led by former CEO Christian Purslow, who ensured the necessary consultations with fans through various channels.

Paragraph 4: The shift in preference towards the shield-shaped logo despite the overwhelming vote in favor of the circular design seems to contradict the initial consensus. The decision to change the logo yet again was made in a meeting held in a box in The Holte End three hours before the game against Crystal Palace on September 16th of last year. Chris Hake, the incoming Football Operations Director, and Ben Hawton, the Chief Operating Officer, attended the meeting. The time allocated for the meeting was deemed insufficient to discuss various issues fully.

Paragraph 5: Fans were shocked to see a video unveiling the new logo at the end of the meeting without being consulted on the design. An anonymous supporter expressed their dissatisfaction, claiming that the fans were not asked if they liked the logo, and that it was presented as a final decision. This contradicted Hake's comments in his first public interview, where he emphasized fan involvement in the logo design.

Paragraph 6: Aston Villa