William McGregor was a Scottish association football administrator in the Victorian era. He is regarded as the founder of the Football League, the first organised association football league in the world. After moving from Perthshire to Birmingham to set up business as a draper, McGregor became involved with local football club Aston Villa. In 1888, frustrated by the regular cancellation of Villa’s matches, McGregor organised a meeting of representatives of England’s leading clubs which led to the formation of the League.
About William McGregor (football) in brief
William McGregor was a Scottish association football administrator in the Victorian era. He is regarded as the founder of the Football League, the first organised association football league in the world. After moving from Perthshire to Birmingham to set up business as a draper, McGregor became involved with local football club Aston Villa. He served the club for over 20 years in various capacities, including president, director and chairman. In 1888, frustrated by the regular cancellation of Villa’s matches, McGregor organised a meeting of representatives of England’s leading clubs, which led to the formation of the League. He was recognised by the FA for his service to the game shortly before his death in 1911, and was posthumously honoured by the local football authorities and Villa. McGregor was widely respected for his honesty and integrity. He worshipped for forty years at the Congregational church in Wheeler Street, Aston. His pastor, the Revd. W. G. Percival said that the best thing about him was not so much the genial, kindly, honest sportsman, but the Christian behind it all. He described him as ‘a man of absolutely unblemished personal character’. McGregor’s wife Jessie had a daughter and a son, also named Jessie and William. He died in 1913, and is buried in Aston Park, near to where he had lived for most of his life, with his wife Jessie, his daughter and son Jessie, and his son William. McGregor is buried at Aston Park Cemetery, near Aston, in a plot he built in the early 1900s with the help of his son, William, a former Aston Villa player.
McGregor died in 1914, aged 80. He had a son and a daughter, Jessie, who died in a car accident in the 1950s. McGregor also had a grandson, William McGregor, who played for Aston Villa in the 1960s. He also had two great-great-grandchildren, William and James McGregor. McGregor had a great deal of influence on the development of football in the UK. He helped to establish the FA Cup, and the FA became the first national competition to be dominated by amateur clubs from privileged backgrounds. In 1897 he was responsible for adopting the lion rampant depicted on Scotland, as the Royal Standard of the Scotland, for the club’s crest. In 1887, the club became first from the Midlands to win theFA Cup, defeating local rivals West Bromwich Albion in the final. At this time, professional football was not permitted in the north of England. By 1885 McGregor came to the favour of the introduction of professionalism, but was not firmly in favour of its introduction. In 1895, he became vice-chairman of the FA, and went on to become the Club’s chairman in 1897. He later became the honorary treasurer of the Baseball Association of Great Britain and Ireland, and served as the honorary chairman of The Football Association. In 1900, he was also the honorary president of the British Baseball Association. He became involved in the attempts to establish a baseball league in Britain, and later became its honorary treasurer.
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