As we bask delightedly in the heady progress Aston Villa have made in the calendar year under Unai Emery, we have simultaneously been offered up various data and statistics that compare that progress with previous ‘managers’.
Post the West Ham win at the end of October (but prior to the Luton stroll a week later) both local and national outlets began reporting detail of Emery’s win ratio which unsurprisingly was right up there in terms of Villa history.
What was more surprising is that those outlets also reported it in comparison with George Ramsey. As the image below suggests Emery’s win ration at that moment was 58% compared to 49% for Ramsay.
There is no doubting that Ramsay was a pivotal figure in Villa’s early history and can forever be seen as an integral part of the development of the club we follow today. The surprise lay however in the designation of Ramsay as a manager.
To repeat, Ramsay was absolutely integral to the early days of Villa but at no point was he the club’s manager.
From 1879 Villa utilised a management committee type system that directed and oversaw key matters of team selection, recruitment and on field tactics. That system was tweaked in 1886 to incorporate a Club Secretary to oversee and ‘lead’ the activity of said committee.
It was this role that Ramsay held until 1926. Semantics maybe? But Ramsay’s role was more akin to the modern Director of Football than the role Emery holds (although the clear all-encompassing overview and control Emery embraces further muddies that term).
Ramsay’s term as secretary saw him oversee over 1300 games and multiple League titles and FA Cups as Villa emerged as a dominant force of early professional football.
Of course, his Villa story pre-dates that, joining as a player after an impromptu game in Aston Park before rising to prominence and captaining the team until his early retirement from injury aged just 27.
As captain, according to William McGregor (more of him later), “It was (Ramsay) who first moulded the style of the club’s play, and the Aston Villa team have never lost the reputation they gained for short, quick passing under his direction”.
If we accept Ramsay wasn’t the team’s manager – but also that there essentially wasn’t one as we understand it today – then who was on the side-lines.
The key figure here was Joe Grierson, a multi sportsman from the North East who was employed as ‘trainer’ at Villa from 1893 until 1915 – the sides he trained won six league titles and four FA Cups, in a period directly aligned to Ramsay’s position as Secretary. To celebrate Ramsay as ‘Manager’ undermines the huge impact Grierson had in this ‘golden era’ for Villa.
It wasn’t until 1934 that Villa appointed their first de-facto Manager – Jimmy McMullan.
Historical revisionism, it seems however, is not limited to the twenty first century. Ramsay is buried in St Mary’s Church in Handsworth and his gravestone features the epithet ‘Aston Villa FC Founder’.
Villa legend Archie Hunter once described Ramsay as ‘practically the founder’ of Villa, and whilst his importance in developing from foundations is uncontested, again that description gives little sway to those before.
Aston Villa had been founded some time before Ramsay wandered into Aston Park, the famed story of members of the Wesleyan Chapel, Handsworth Cricket Team forming the club after conversations under a gaslit lamp on Heathfield Road in March 1874. You can read more of this history and locations in my previous article on Villa’s past.
None of this is intended to undermine Ramsay’s legend status and influence within the storied history of Aston Villa Football Club. Instead, it merely seeks to highlight his success but also acknowledge the influence of others within a complicated and dated structure.
It also highlights modern media outlets willingness to skirt round history for ease of comparison.
Mention was made earlier of William McGregor who is of course honoured in statue form outside of the Trinity Road Stand at Villa Park. McGregor’s role in Villa’s history is clearer and less debated.
He was part of the aforementioned management committee and held roles as diverse as referee (or ‘umpire’) through to ultimately Club Chairman. His vision extended far beyond B6 and led the foundation of the Football League in 1888 with Villa at the forefront. Both proud Scotsman, McGregor and Ramsay’s stories are forever entwined when looking back at Villa’s history. It is fitting then, that McGregor is also buried in St Mary’s, Handsworth.
Although the following quote is attributed to Ramsay, it could as easily have been muttered by McGregor:
“Aston Villa have always been my love. I helped to plant the tree and have seen a grand oak grow.”
As we enjoy the current successes of Emery and the hope that those successes are recognised through trophy wins and wider recognition, we can only wish that the Basque’s influence can be as impactful as those that came before, whatever their official job title. UTV.
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