Founders of the Football League:
Today's Premier league owes its existence to the Football league. that in turn, owes their beginnings to Aston Villa.
The infamous Summer Lane, Aston, was were it all began in a small but significant drapers shop. The owner was a canny middle-aged Scotsman by the name of William McGregor, who was also a director of the newly formed professional football club Aston Villa. His close friend and businessman, Joe Tillotson, a regular Villa supporter, who kept a small eating house or coffee shop, as we know them today, discussed the fear other clubs in the country had, that was attracting larger crowds to pay at the turnstiles.
At this time clubs only played friendly games within the vicinity of their origins. There was the occasional game or cup competition, but they were badly organised, when on occasions, teams from the north came down. Football in Lancashire was very popular and drew on large crowds each week. A local newspaper journalist who reported on the local games, had copied the American Baseball system of giving winning teams a status over the losing sides.
McGregor could well see the possibilities in this approach and called for a board meeting with his fellow directors and put forward his idea, that all teams should meet on a home and away basis and all fixtures must be fixed for the football season. The midnight oil burnt for many months.
Most of the clubs were frightened by the wrath of the Football Association, and were not to interested in this idea of McGregor's. The football league as we know it today, bares witness to the seeds of William McGregor, to the fact there is indeed no organisation quite like it.
Indeed it has been copied and revered as the acme of efficiency and incorruptibility. During its long history the Football league has survived many battles of change the impact of two world wars many social changes and still it marches proudly on looking forward to the future.
Where I wonder, would football be without Aston Villa Football Club.
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