George Ramsay

Prior to joining Aston Villa, Ramsay had played for Glasgow's Oxford F.C. and Rovers F.C. In 1877 he appeared as a guest player for Welsh club Druids, when they played a fixture against Queens Park. Ramsay came to join Aston Villa by chance shortly after arriving in Birmingham. One day in 1876, whilst taking a stroll in Aston Park, the 21-year-old Ramsay came across a Villa players' practice match and was asked to make up the numbers. They were amazed by his skills, they had never seen a display of close ball control before. When the game was over, the Villa players surrounded him and invited him to join the club, and very soon he became their captain. Ramsay later described the newly formed club's approach to the game as 'a dash at the man and a big kick at the ball'. Word spread about how fine a player Ramsay was, spectators began turning up to watch the little man nicknamed 'Scotty'. He also took charge of training which saw dramatic improvement that showed in the results, introducing what was known as the "passing game". This had become the main style of play in Scotland whereas in England most teams relied on what was known as the "dribbling game".

"It was George 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 Ramsay's direction". In addition to the introduction of a radical change in playing style, Ramsay, along with John Linsay, discovered the Wellington Road…

Following the professionalisation of football in 1885, the club decided that it needed a full-time paid manager. The following advert was placed in the Birmingham Daily Gazette newspaper in June 1886:

'Wanted: manager for Aston Villa Football Club, who will be required to devote his whole time under direction of the committee. Salary £100 per annum. Applications with reference must be made not later than June 23rd to Chairman of the Committee, Aston Villa Club House, 6 Witton Road, Aston' Villa received 150 applicants for the role, but with his strong association with the club George Ramsay was the overwhelming choice of the membership. Thus on 26 June 1886, Villa appointed what has been described as the world's first football manager. The position predates the modern role of a football manager, the advert used the title 'manager' but the club settled on the title of 'secretary'. Ramsay was responsible for the team, including controlling recruitment and transfers, supported by a specialist fitness trainer, who from 1893 until 1915 was Joe Grierson. The team was selected by the committee each week, which consisted of such figures as William McGregor, Fred Rinder and, following their retirement, former club captains John Devey and Howard Spencer. He held his position at the club for a remarkable 42 years, in which time Villa won the Football League and FA Cup six times each, establishing themselves as the premier football club in England. Villa's style of play under Ramsay…

Ramsay was born at Abbotsford Place in the Gorbals district of Glasgow, the second son of William Ramsay, a master ironmonger, who originated from Perthshire and Mary Ann Burrell who was born in Woolwich. After initially working with his father, the Glaswegian arrived in Birmingham 1876 to work as a clerk in a brass foundry.

He married Fanny Elizabeth Warwick, an Aston girl, in 1893. They had two sons and one daughter. Ramsay divorced his wife on the grounds of her adultery in 1915. In later life, Ramsay was a keen player of crown green bowls and won several competitions. He often played at the Welsh spa town of Llandrindod Wells, where he spent much of his retirement.