BT Sport to premiere Super Villans doc
April 27, 2022
BT Sport will premiere Super Villans, the latest documentary from the BT Sport Films series, on May 18th on BT Sport 1.
The film, an exuberant journey through the late Seventies and early Eighties featuring music, animations and archive reminiscent of the era, is narrated by Mark Williams, the well-known Villa fan who grew up during the glory days of the club, also known for his lead acting roles in Father Brown, the Harry Potter films and The Fast Show.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Villa becoming champions of Europe, BT Sport Films has created Super Villans to tell the unlikely story of how the club rose to become European champions, shocking the football world by toppling Bayern Munich. The story begins in 1974 when Ron Saunders became manager and takes them back into the First Division a year later.
In season 1980/81, Aston Villa fought off the challenge of Bob Paisley’s Liverpool and Bobby Robson’s Ipswich Town to be crowned Football League champions for the first time in 71 years. The following season, Villa defied all the odds to seize another prestigious piece of silverware by lifting the European Cup, securing a 1-0 victory over three-time champions, Bayern Munich in Rotterdam on May 26th 1982, on the greatest night in the club’s illustrious history.
With contributions from Villa’s Championship-winning captain Dennis Mortimer and many of his team-mates during the two seasons, including Des Bremner and Nigel Spink, the documentary uncovers one of the most remarkable journeys ever witnessed in English football.
The film also pays tribute to the extraordinary achievements of Ron Saunders, Tony Barton and the Villa team that defied every expectation in a story of passion, boardroom drama and triumph. A story of heroes who were also Super Villans.
Sally Brown, executive producer of BT Sport Films, said: “We are proud to present Super Villans as the latest instalment in the BT Sport Films series which pays homage to Aston Villa’s meteoric rise to double Championship glory, forty years on from the greatest night in the club’s history. The film is a joyful celebration of a team of underdogs who went on to conquer England and Europe, uncovering some of the barely believable tales along the way from those who lived it. The club’s remarkable journey from the Third Division to being crowned champions of Europe is one of the greatest stories ever seen in English football and we are delighted to bring this inspiring feat to life on screen. We’d like to thank all of those working with us to help make this documentary happen.”