William McGregor (football)

William McGregor
Portrait of McGregor
Born	(1846-04-13)13 April 1846 Braco, Perthshire, Scotland
Died	20 December 1911(1911-12-20) (aged 65) Birmingham, England
Occupation(s)	Draper, Director of Aston Villa
Known for	Founder of The Football League
Spouse	Jessie McGregor[1]
Children	2

William McGregor (13 April 1846 – 20 December 1911)^[1][2] was a Scottish association football administrator in the Victorian era who was the founder of the Football League (now English 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, which he helped to establish as one of the leading teams in England. 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 Football League, giving member clubs a guaranteed fixture list each season. This was instrumental in the transition of football from an amateur pastime to a professional business.

McGregor served as both chairman and president of the Football League and was also chairman of The Football Association (the FA). 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 Aston Villa.