Victory parade for Europa champions Aston Villa

Victory parade for Europa champions Aston Villa25 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleShannen HeadleyandCaroline Gall,West MidlandsPA MediaThe team were jubilant after securing their first European victory in 42 yearsA parade to celebrate Aston Villa's Europa League final win will be held in Birmingham on Thursday, the city council said.Villa's emphatic 3-0 victory over German team Freiburg saw them win their first major European trophy since 1982. Fans erupted at the final whistle in Istanbul as they celebrated a well-earned win under manager Unai Emery.The parade will begin on Branston Street in the Jewellery Quarter at 16.30 BST on Thursday, travelling through Sand Pits, Broad Street and Centenary Square.Aston Villa said fans would not need travel to specific locations in the city, as screens would be positioned throughout the route.The parade will have three open-top buses, with the lead bus dressed in blue, carrying media, followed by a claret bus with the players. A third blue bus carrying staff will complete the convoy.A trophy lift will also take place as the centrepiece of the parade, said the club.There will be opportunities for supporters to engage directly with the team throughout the route, it added. Eight thousands fans in the stadium erupted in celebration the moment Aston Villa were announced winners.John in Istanbul told the BBC the win was everything he had dreamed of. "It was a fantastic win. Absolutely brilliant. It will be remembered for years to come."But fans who were not in the stadium still had their moment.Owusu Boakye Amando, head of Aston Villa supporters in Ghana, told the BBC how fans 4,000 miles away felt. He said: "Yesterday was one of our best moments in life. What a time to support Aston Villa. "Around 4pm in the evening, we all chanted songs and cheering up the boys. It was amazing - what a time to be alive."Kevin Evans, from Bilston, said: "It was magical, it's a feeling I can...