William McGregor

Infobox Person
name = William McGregor


image_size = 150px
caption = William McGregor, founder of the Football League
birth_date = 13 April 1846cite book|title=The Legends of Aston Villa|first=Tony|last=Matthews|publisher=Breedon Books Publishing Co. Ltd.|pages=p.116|date=2007|id=ISBN 1-8598-3580-5]
birth_place = Braco, Perthshire
death_date = 20 December 1911Cite web|url=http://www.search.digitalhandsworth.org.uk/engine/resource/default.asp?txtKeywords=grave&lstContext=&lstResourceType=&lstExhibitionType=&chkPurchaseVisible=&txtDateFrom=&txtDateTo=&originator=%2Fengine%2Fsearch%2Fdefault%5Fhndlr%2Easp&page=&records=&direction=&pointer=3447&text=0&resource=3826|title=Grave of William McGregor in St Mary's Graveyard|publisher=Digital Midlands Project|accessdate=2008-07-16]
death_place = Birmingham
education =
occupation = Draper, Director of Aston Villa
title =
spouse = Jessie McGregor
parents =
children =
nationality = Scottish
website =

William McGregor (13 April 1846 – 20 December 1911) was an association football administrator in the Victorian era who is regarded as the founder of the Football League, the first organised football league in the world. After moving from Perthshire to Birmingham to set up business as a draper, he became involved with Aston Villa and helped to establish the club as one of the leading teams in England, serving the club for over twenty years in various capacities, including president, director and chairman. In 1888, frustrated at the chaotic state of his club's fixture list, he organised a meeting of representatives of England's leading clubs, which led to the formation of the Football League. He served as both chairman and president of the League and was also chairman of the Football Association.

Early life

McGregor was born in Braco in Perthshire, Scotland, and first became interested in football after watching a match between locals and visiting artisans at Ardoch in 1865.cite web|url=http://www.pkc.gov.uk/Education+and+learning/Libraries+archives+and+learning+centres/Libraries+-+local+and+special+collections/Local+studies+-+additional+resources/Amazing+past+Perthshire/The+FA+and+Braco.htm|title=The FA and Braco|publisher=Perth and Kinross Council|accessdate=2008-07-16] He served his apprenticeship as a draper with a firm based in Perth, but in 1870 moved to Birmingham, following the example of his brother, eventually opening his own business in the Aston area of the city.cite web|url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2008/04/03/william-mcgregor-statue-a-step-closer-thanks-to-aston-villa-supporters-97319-20714293/|title=William McGregor statue a step closer thanks to Aston Villa supporters|publisher=Birmingham Mail|accessdate=2008-07-16|date=2008-04-03] Although he had not seen any further football played since the match he had observed five years earlier, upon his arrival in the Midlands he became involved with a local football club, Calthorpe, which had been formed by a fellow Scot, Campbell Orr.cite web|first=Tony|last= Mason|title=McGregor, William (1847–1911)|work=Oxford Dictionary of National Biography|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2004|url=http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/50401|accessdate=2008-07-24 (online version accessible with a UK library card)] McGregor was enthusiastic enough about the game to arrange for his shop to close early on Saturdays to allow him to watch matches, and he later sold football kits at the shop, which became a popular meeting place for football enthusiasts.

Association with Aston Villa

In 1877, McGregor was invited to become a committee member of Aston Villa, a club which had been formed three years earlier, and also umpired matches for the club.cite web|url=http://www.premierleague.com/page/aston-villa|title=Club Profile: Aston Villa|publisher=The Premier League|accessdate=2008-07-16] Originally, the club played at Aston Park, close to the premises of McGregor's business, but what apparently attracted him most was the strong Scottish contingent in the club's ranks. [cite web|url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/History/0,,10794,00.html|title=The History of the Football League|publisher=The Football League|accessdate=2008-07-16] He quickly assumed the post of club administrator, and under McGregor's leadership, Aston Villa won their first trophy, the Birmingham Senior Cup, in 1880,cite web|url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/VillaLegendsDetails/0,,10265~1107989,00.html|title=Villa Legends: George Ramsay|publisher=Aston Villa F.C.|accessdate=2008-07-16] following which McGregor became the club's president.

The following year McGregor became a director, a post he held until 1895. Villa's standing within the game continued to grow, and in 1887 the club became the first from the Midlands to win the FA Cup, defeating local rivals West Bromwich Albion in the final. [cite book|title=Encyclopedia of British Football|first=Phil|last=Soar|coauthors=Martin Tyler|publisher=Willow Books|pages=p.24|date=1983|id=ISBN 0-0021-8049-9] In 1895, McGregor became vice-chairman, and went on to become the club's chairman in 1897. During his time at the club he was noted for his organisational skills and ambition,cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_midlands/4703991.stm|title=Demolition for Villa birthplace|publisher=BBC|date=2005-07-21|accessdate=2008-07-16] and was responsible for the club's adoption of the lion rampant depicted on the Royal Standard of Scotland, which has appeared on its crest ever since. [cite book|title=The Aston Villa Miscellany|first=Dave|last=Woodhall|publisher=Vision Sports Publishing Ltd|pages=p.16|date=2007|id=ISBN 1-9053-2617-3 ]

Founder of the Football League

The mid-1880s saw the advent of professionalism in English football, bringing fresh complications for clubs, who found it increasingly hard to pay weekly wages when advertised friendlies were often cancelled due to opponents' FA Cup or county cup matches taking precedence or clubs simply failing to honour a fixture in favour of a more lucrative match elsewhere.cite book|title=Encyclopedia of British Football|first=Phil|last=Soar|coauthors=Martin Tyler|pages=p.162] cite book|title=Boots, Balls and Haircuts: An Illustrated History of Football from Then to Now|first=Hunter|last=Davies|pages=p.39–41|publisher=Cassell Illustrated|date=2003|id=ISBN 1-8440-3261-2] McGregor was moved to take action after seeing Villa matches cancelled, to the increasing frustration of the club's fans, on five consecutive Saturdays. On 2 March 1888, [cite book|title=National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World plays Soccer |first=Stefan |last=Szymanski|coauthors= Andrew S. Zimbalist|pages=p.41|publisher=Brookings InstitutionPress|date=2006|id=ISBN 0-8157-8259-4] he wrote to the committee of his own club, Aston Villa, as well as to those of Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion, [cite book|title=The Football League 1988–1988 The Official Illustrated History |first=Bryon |last=Butler |pages=p.11|publisher=Macdonald Queen Anne Press |date=1987|id=ISBN 0-356-15072-0] suggesting the creation of a league competition that would provide a number of guaranteed fixtures for its member clubs each season: [cite web|url=http://www.11v11.com/index.php?pageID=478|title=The Football League – Part 17 of the History of Football|publisher=The Association of Football Statisticians|accessdate=2008-07-16]

Every year it is becoming more and more difficult for football clubs of any standing to meet their friendly engagements and even arrange friendly matches. The consequence is that at the last moment, through cup-tie interference, clubs are compelled to take on teams who will not attract the public.
I beg to tender the following suggestion as a means of getting over the difficulty: that ten or twelve of the most prominent clubs in England combine to arrange home-and-away fixtures each season, the said fixtures to be arranged at a friendly conference about the same time as the International Conference.
This combination might be known as the Association Football Union, and could be managed by representative from each club. Of course, this is in no way to interfere with the National Association; even the suggested matches might be played under cup-tie rules. However, this is a detail.
My object in writing to you at present is merely to draw your attention to the subject, and to suggest a friendly conference to discuss the matter more fully. I would take it as a favour if you would kindly think the matter over, and make whatever suggestions you deem necessary.I am only writing to the following - Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Preston North End, West Bromwich Albion, and Aston Villa, and would like to hear what other clubs you would suggest.
I am, yours very truly, William McGregor (Aston Villa F.C.)
P.S. How would Friday, 23rd March, 1888, suit for the friendly conference at Anderton's Hotel, London?

McGregor chose 23 March as the date of his proposed meeting as it was the day before the FA Cup final and representatives of the country's top clubs would be in London. It quickly became apparent that clubs from the South of England were not interested in McGregor's proposal, and so a second meeting was held in Manchester on 17 April, at which the details of the new competition were finalised. McGregor's suggested name for the competition, "The Association Football Union" was rejected as too similar to that of the Rugby Football Union and "The Football League" was chosen, despite McGregor's opposition on the grounds that he felt it might invoke associations with the unpopular Irish Land League.cite book|title=Encyclopedia of British Football|first=Phil|last=Soar|coauthors=Martin Tyler|pages=p.16] Twelve clubs kicked off the first ever season of League football in September 1888, including McGregor's own club, Aston Villa. [cite web|url=http://www.fchd.btinternet.co.uk/lghist/fl/fl1889.htm|title=Football League 1888–89|publisher=The Football Club History Database|accessdate=2008-07-16]

McGregor served as chairman of the League's Management Committee from 1888 until 1892, president from 1892 until 1894, and was named the first ever life member of the League in 1895. [cite book|title=Encyclopedia of British Football |first=Richard |last=Cox|coauthors= Dave Russell, Wray Vamplew|pages=p.3|publisher=Routledge|date=2002|id=ISBN 0-7146-5249-0] He also served as chairman of the Football Association between 1888 and 1894, and became known as a football celebrity, writing on the sport in the press and endorsing products such as footballs.

Death and legacy

Despite his commitment to football, McGregor retained his drapery business throughout his life. In May 1910, he was taken ill and later confined to a nursing home, where he died on 20 December 1911.cite book|title=The Legends of Aston Villa|first=Tony|last=Matthews|pages=p.117] Although a devout Methodist, he is buried in the grounds of a Church of England church, St. Mary's, in the Handsworth district of Birmingham, alongside his wife Jessie, who died in 1908. The couple had a daughter and a son. McGregor is remembered as the "father of The Football League" [cite book|title=The Leaguers: The Making of Professional Football in England, 1900–1939|first=Matthew|last=Taylor|publisher=Liverpool UniversityPress|pages=p.48|date=2005|id=ISBN 0-8532-3649-6] and a legend of both his club, Aston Villa, and of football in general.cite web|url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/VillaLegendsDetails/0,,10265~1144887,00.html|title=Villa Legends: William McGregor|publisher=Aston Villa F.C.|accessdate=2008-07-16]

Shortly before his death, the FA presented McGregor with a long service medal. After his death, Aston Villa dedicated a bed in the children's ward of one of Birmingham's hospitals in his honour, and the Birmingham County Football Association unveiled a commemorative drinking fountain, which is now preserved at Villa Park, current home of his former club. In the modern era, Aston Villa selected him as one of the twelve inaugural members of its Hall of Fame,cite web|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20070603031135/http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HallOfFame/0,,10265,00.html|title=Hall of Fame|publisher=Aston Villa F.C.|accessdate=2008-07-16] and named a hospitality suite at Villa Park after him.cite web|url=http://www.avhe.co.uk/page/TheMcGregorsSuite/0,,10005~1274166,00.html|title=McGregor Suite|publisher=Aston Villa Hospitality and Events|accessdate=2008-07-18] In 2008, the club announced plans to further honour him with a bronze statue outside the stadium.cite web|url=http://www.birminghampost.net/midlands-birmingham-sport/west-midlands-sports/aston-villa-fc/2008/04/02/aston-villa-fans-approve-statue-of-first-chairman-65233-20711503/|title=Aston Villa fans approve statue of first chairman|publisher=Birmingham Post|date=2008-04-02|author=Lisa Smith|accessdate=2008-07-16]

References