Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ozzy Osbourne has sent shockwaves through the football and music worlds with a jaw-dropping revelation about one of England's most hallowed football grounds. The Prince of Darkness himself has confirmed a long-standing local rumour about the true, macabre history of Aston Villa's Villa Park.
In an exclusive tell-all, the Brummie legend confessed he was always aware of the stadium's eerie past, having grown up a mere stone's throw from the iconic venue. "I knew Villa Park was a mental hospital," Osbourne stated matter-of-factly, sending a shiver down the spines of fans everywhere.
A Childhood in the Shadow of the Asylum
The revelation came as Osbourne reminisced about his humble beginnings in the working-class neighbourhood of Aston, Birmingham. His childhood home on Lodge Road was so close to the stadium that the roar of the crowd would have been the soundtrack to his youth, a stark contrast to the silence that would have once emanated from the site's previous incarnation.
This admission confirms a piece of local folklore that has been whispered for generations. Historical records indeed show that the land now occupied by the mighty Holte End and the Trinity Road Stand was once the site of a vast Victorian-era mental health facility known as Aston Villa House, later renamed Aston Mental Hospital.
From Wards to Wings: A Stadium's Transformation
The transformation from a place of confinement to a temple of sporting passion is a profound one. The asylum was eventually demolished, making way for the football stadium that would become a cornerstone of English football history. Villa Park has since hosted FA Cup semi-finals, historic European nights, and countless memorable matches, its dark origins largely forgotten until now.
Osbourne's connection to the site adds a fascinating layer to his own mystique. The man who would go on to sing about nightmares, madness, and chaos literally grew up next to a former asylum, a fact that seems almost too fitting for the rock icon.
This revelation is sure to change the way fans view a visit to the stadium. The next time the Villa faithful roar their team to victory, they might just pause for a moment to remember the strange and sombre history that lies beneath their feet, a history known all along to one of rock music's most infamous sons.
