When John McGinn bailed out Aston Villa with a stoppage-time header to edge past Zrinjski Mostar, the man beside Tyrone Mings in the directors box could not contain his excitement.
Dressed impeccably in club colours a navy blue blazer and burgundy jumper over a light blue shirt the fan leapt to his feet to celebrate Villas 1-0 win, their first in European competition proper for more than a decade. Asked for views when leaving Villa Park, he replied: One-nil always good.
A relatively unremarkable scene, until you realised that the fan in question was the Prince of Wales and future king of England, as well as president of the FA.
No fair-weather supporter makes the trip from London toBirmingham on a drab Thursday night in early October for a Europa Conference Leaguegroup fixture against the champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Theyll be there for games againstLiverpool and Manchester United all right, but Zrinjski Mostar? Forget it.
![The Prince of Wales is a well-known Aston Villa fanatic and has visited the training ground](https://i0.wp.com/regalrumination.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/79231761-0-image-a-2_1703195264173.jpg?resize=634%2C507)
The Prince of Wales is a well-known Aston Villa fanatic and has visited the training ground
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Although the Prince is a well-known Villa supporter, few realise just how big a fan he is. Put simply, he is Villa daft. The posts on the Prince and Princess of Wales X account, @kensingtonroyal, are usually of an official nature.
Yet the account reposted Villas triumphant message after their record-breaking victory overArsenal on December 9, complete with a side-eye emoji.
We hear from him quite a bit, says defender Matty Cash. He comes to training sessions. He speaks to us like a normal guy and we treat him that way when he comes. He likes to be around the lads because he is a massive Villa fan. He knows all our names and our nicknames, everything.
He is a proper supporter who loves coming here. He was in the dressing room before and after the Zrinjski game. He said that normally when he is at home he is shouting and screaming at the TV, whereas at Villa Park he is a bit more calm.
Im sure he was going crazy when we scored at the end of Zrinjski game. Tyrone speaks to him quite a bit, I think.
As well as allowing him to indulge his love of football, Villa provides Prince William with something he can rarely enjoy. For those who live in the public eye, relaxation time is precious and few understand that better than senior members of the Royal Family.
Villas objective has always been to offer Prince William a home away from home and that is why he attends training sessions as well as matches.
At Villas secluded base in Bodymoor Heath, a small village in the north Warwickshire countryside, he can have a low-key day watching Unai Emery work through his latest tactical plans.
He was involved in one of the more unusual football photographs, too, as he embraced ex-Villa forward John Carew at Wembley when Villa won the 2019 Championship play-off final to seal promotion to the Premier League. Future king and barnstorming centre forward united in joy.
Dean Smith was Villa manager at the time and was another blown away by the princes knowledge of the club, when he opened a performance centre at Bodymoor Heath in May 2021.
Smith had lost his father, Ron, during the first Covid lockdown in 2020 and Prince William paid a moving tribute. He wore the club colours on the day, Smith said. We know hes a Villa fan but before speaking to him I didnt know how much of a Villa fan he was!
![Royal Baby Merchandise pictured at Villa Parkfollowing the announcement that Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge, had given birth to a baby girl](https://i0.wp.com/regalrumination.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/79231763-0-image-a-4_1703195377156.jpg?resize=634%2C414)
Royal Baby Merchandise pictured at Villa Parkfollowing the announcement that Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge, had given birth to a baby girl
He was very knowledgeable of everything that goes on at the club and probably wanted the photos of the players as much as we wanted a photo with him. Its a great thing for the club to have that royal seal of approval.
He made a touching tribute to my dad which I didnt expect. I was surprised but honoured, as were my family who saw the presentation and the very nice words from him which I thanked him for.
Smith had already witnessed the impact the prince could make when he visited the Villa dressing room at Wembley before the 2020 Carabao Cup final.
Most expected Villa to be beaten easily by Manchester City but after a little pep talk about the history of the club from the prince, they gave Pep Guardiolas side a run for their money, eventually losing 2-1.
For a club who only retained their Premier League status on the final day of that season, it was a strong effort.
When the prince spoke to the BBC in 2015 about his love for Villa, he said he had chosen them because: I didnt really want to follow the run-of-the-mill teams, and I wanted to have a team that was more middle of the table, that could give me the more emotional rollercoaster moments.
‘To be honest, now looking back, that was a bad idea! I could have had an easier time.
The prince could scarcely be happier with his team right now. Emery can guide Villa to the top of the table with victory over Sheffield United tonight.
As Smith had been, Emery was immediately impressed by the princes grasp of the game when the pair met last March. The best thing for Villa is that he shares his passion for football with us he has a genuine passion for Aston Villa, said Emery.
He likes to talk football and we spoke a lot about my career as a coach and as a player as well. We had a good time together. We can all be very proud of having him as a supporter.
When Prince George and Princess Charlotte went with their parents to Carrow Road in October 2019 for Villas 5-1 win over Norwich, Prince William appeared to be encouraging his son to tone down his celebrations. They were sitting among the home fans.
Yet if Villa really do defy expectations and win their first title since 1981, even the Prince of Wales himself will struggle to keep his cool.