Juventus supporters from across Italy were the latest fans to pour money into Westside’s brilliant bars and restaurants ahead of another glamorous Champions League home game for Aston Villa in the 2024-25 season.
But there was another reason why Juve’s supporters were also spotted next to Westside BID’s famous attraction of the Black Sabbath Bench, which honours the global pioneers of heavy metal as well as the world’s most famous Brummie, Ozzy Osbourne.
And that’s because the birth of Italy’s most successful club was, incredibly, all thanks to the unifying presence of a bench in Turin towards the end of Queen Victoria’s reign.
Eager to show some 21st century love towards Ozzy Osbourne and bass-playing Villa fan Geezer Butler on the Black Sabbath Bench were Juventus fans Sandro Venanzi and Carlo Torquati, a professional driver.
Sandro, a local city hall geologist, said: “We’re from central Italy on the Adriatic side so it’s a long way to Juventus home games as and when.
“It’s great to see the Black Sabbath Bench as I know about Ozzy and like what I’ve heard of his music.
“It was easier to come here with 2,000 other fans because we could fly, whereas we can’t easily fly to Turin from Macerata which is 600km away by road! We are really looking forward to the game and hope it’s a great atmosphere.”
Created in 1874 and one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888, Villa would go on to win the then European Cup in 1982.
Meanwhile, back in 1897 after Italy had ‘imported’ the game, a group of young friends met at a bench on one of the most famous streets in Turin, the Corso Re Umberto, where they agreed to form a sports club.
None of the pupils from the ‘Massimo D’Azeglio’ high school – which specialised in classical studies – was older than 17.
And that’s why Juventus (meaning ‘youth’ in Latin after the Roman goddess Juventas) is now known as ‘The Old Lady’.
Juventus has also become the most successful team in Italian football history, winning the most domestic titles and cups as well as the European Cup in 1984-85 and its Champions League replacement in 1995-96.
Along the way, some of the greatest players of all time have worn the club’s famous black and white ‘bianconeri’ strip, from John Charles to Zenedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With many supporters staying in local Westside hotels, more than 100 fans packed into and around The Brasshouse pub on the corner of Water’s Edge ahead of the big match.
Outside of the O Bar on the other side of Broad Street, Sportitalia were interviewing Juve fans in their native tongue, while burly West Midlands Police officers in hi-vis tops kept a discreet distance more than 50 yards away.
Stonegate’s Brasshouse pub had its own friendly security staff on the door as is always the case on big match nights like this.
Already this year, Broad Street has welcomed fans from Holland (4-0 v Ajax), France (1-0 v Lille), Greece (2-4 v Olympiacos) in the UEFA Conference League and Germany (1-0 v Bayern Munich) and Italy (2-0 v Bologna) in the Champions League.
Soon it was time for the supporters of Juventus – currently languishing 19th in Serie A – to see if they could become the first European away team to find the net in B6 this season, never mind win.
With neither team able to score, the 0-0 game extended Villa’s winless run to seven matches in all competitions.
- Villa’s next Champions’ League home tie will be against Scottish giants Celtic on Wednesday, 29 January, 2025
Pictures for Westside BID by Graham Young
How interesting! Goddess of Youth and rejuvenation, Juventas! But their outfits make them look like mint humbugs! Still always nice to have Italian visitors in Brum. Up the Villa!