Instead of focusing on the negatives at Spurs, I'd like to take another approach and focus on what has caught my eye about Villa as a club/organization. In my mind, this is more important then anything that happens on the field.
First of all, there is something "right" about what's going on at the club...and something that I can definitely relate to.
The American Connection
As far as I know, Villa now have the most Americans in their side then any other Premier league team. This year they signed the "Brads". Brad Friedel and Brad Guzan, both American goalies. I've been a huge fan of Friedel over the years and think at 37 he is still one (if not, the) best goalies in the entire league. He plans to play into his 40s, so he's still possibly going to around for a few more years. If 24-year old Guzan can develop, there is a possibility that Villa will have an American keeper for some time.
Villa are owned by Randy Lerner...an American who made his money in the banking/securities industry. He also owns the Cleveland Browns. Based on all accounts, he is the right kind of owner...one that has money, is committed to the club, yet doesn't appear to overly involved with what happens on the pitch.
More then a Club
If you've seen the kit this year, you'll notice that Villa are sponsored by Acorns. Actually, this isn't a sponsorship at all; it's a partnership. Acorns is a local Children's Hospice that cares for life-limited children and their families. Life-limited children are not expected to reach adulthood. They require specialist care 24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week. Acorns is the only organization that provides this to local life-limited children while also offering a range of support services for the whole family to help them cope at every stage of their child's life and beyond into bereavement. Through the relationship that started over two years ago, AVFC decided to put the organization instead of a sponsor on their shirts. Who does this nowadays? I think it's a very commendable thing to do in an age and league where most sponsors are either alcohol or gambling related. I realize that Villa used to be sponsored by an online casino, but the fact that they made this change speaks volumes in my opinion.
Villa were formed by four members from the Villa Cross Wesleyan Chapel in 1874. The current ground (and the same one they've been playing at since 1897) is bordered by Trinity Road to the west. The Trinity Road stand of the stadium actually is built over the road, meaning that the stadium essentially forms a tunnel over it. Trinity Road and the Villa name may not have a current relevance to the church for the supporters (I don't know), but it at least reflects the historical connections to it.
History
AVFC has a long and successful history. They are only one of four English teams to have won the equivalent of the Champions League (the European Cup) - the others being United, Liverpool, and Forest. They were one of a dozen original founders of the Football League in 1888 and one of the founding clubs of the Premier League in 1992. As far as major honors are concerned, they rank fourth in the country. Basically, they've been relatively consistent performers for over 125 years. Although they have been relegated a few times, only Everton has played more season in the top flight of English football then Villa. Villa have spent 98 seasons at the top.
Other Cool Stuff
In an era of global teams, Villa have stayed local. As far as I can tell, almost 2/3 (about 60%) of the first team are English. That's amazing, considering some of the other big clubs struggle to field very many at all...the worst offender being Arsenal who regularly field sides without a single Englishman in the starting 11. For Villa to keep it English means that they've had to be deliberate about it...hinting at a philosophy and an actual transfer market plan.
I've always liked the current manager, Martin O'Neill. He seems to be a nice guy, a bit on the quiet side, but definitely a man with a long-term plan. It appears he's building something over time, and has actually resisted the urge to buy more players for the heck of it even when offered more money by the board/owner.
As silly as this sounds, the logo and colors are actually a big deal for me. It's a source of pride. I never liked the Spurs logo and/colors, making it hard to wear the badge (or look at it) with pride. I mean, a cockerel is essentially a male chicken. Not very cool nor intimidating. A chicken? Seriously? If anything it evokes the opposite reaction that it should. Take a look at the AVFC badge at the top of this page. Now that's cool! A "rampant lion", a star for the European Cup win, and the motto, "Prepared". AVFC are known as Villa, or The Villians, or The Lions - that's cool. I can wear and respect a lion...not a chicken. Secondly, the colors are actually really nice despite what your initial reaction might be. Officially they are claret and sky blue. Coincidentally enough, we just finished decorating our bedroom and we chose these colors because they look great together. Now if I could just get a club crest to be hung above the bed...
Of course, since they are doing well this year this may appear to be band-wagon-ish. However, it's no worse then someone picking one of the top four for the same reason. Really, I've only been seriously following the league for 18 months now - the same time I've been following Spurs. In my mind, a season or 2 is still within a reasonable amount of time to reconsider this (what will be, a lifetime) decision. I'm not jumping ship completely, but I'm going to follow and consider AVFC now in addition to Spurs. Without focusing on the negatives, I have come to realize that the most important thing for me is what's going on at the club and not solely the success on the field. For the last 18 months everything about the Tottenham organization has left a bad taste in my mouth...not because of the results, but because of everything else that I consider to be a disaster. We'll see if my "romantic" ideals and expectations about Aston Villa Football Club are correct and stand the test of time. Unfortunately, the only way for an American who has no connections to the league to find out is to follow/adopt the team for a season or so. After a season with Spurs, it just doesn't seem like a good fit.