Billy Meredith

To anyone even remotely interested in football, the name of Billy Meredith is legendary; he was truly one of the greatest players of his era. His career was spent between both Manchester clubs for whom he played thirty-five years of League football, between 1894 and 1924. He also played forty-eight games for his national team Wales over a thirty-five year period, winning his first cap in 1895. Meredith firmly believed in players' rights and throughout his career he held the view that they should be allowed to move from club to club. He also helped to form the players' union, and was responsible for a strike as the union went into dispute with the F.A.