William Sudell

Major William Sudell (born in Preston, England 1851) was the first chairman of Preston North End FC. A born and bred Prestonian, he joined the club on 3 August 1867, at the age of 16, after Preston North End were recruiting many young sportsmen from the area to play new sports, in order to relieve the financial crises.

He quickly settled in being a good swimmer and cyclist, a keen cricketer and a very good rugby forward. [" [http://www.pnefc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/HistoryDetail/0,,10362~68135,00.html] ", PNE History. URL accessed on 25 June 2007.]

He went on to become the first chairman of Preston North End, and is famous for turning Association Football professional, after a draw in the FA Cup against Upton Park FC in 1884.

Preston flourished when professionalism was legalised by the FA in the following season. In 1887, Preston recorded the highest scoring match ever, winning 26-0 in the first round of the FA Cup, against Hyde F.C.. That season they were beaten in the FA Cup Final by West Bromwich Albion F.C., but in the 1888-89 season they were FA Cup Winners defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.. That same season Preston were one of the founder members of The Football League, and winning the inaugural competition they completed the double

Trivia

*After his time as chairman, he was later convicted of stealing hundreds of pounds of money, to fund the players' wages, from the cotton mill at which he worked.
*It is very possible he was the descendant of many mayors from the town of Preston from the late 18th/early 17th centuries.

References