George Ramsay
George Burrell Ramsay ( born March 1, 1855 in Glasgow, † October 7, 1935 in Llandrindod Wells ) was a Scottish football player and coach. His name is inextricably linked with the development of the Birmingham football club Aston Villa, which he joined shortly after its foundation and whom he accompanied in his most successful period a total of 59 years as a player, coach, club secretary and vice president.
Playing career
In 1876, Ramsay is introduced for a trial at Aston Villa. The club had just founded two years earlier and consisted of a series of cricket players who very disorganized went to work with little experience in this young sport and played in a club that still did not have any similarities with the professional club later years. And so threatened in these states is a real danger for a quick resolution.
This changed when Ramsay at the audition his audience impressed with a ball control and dribbling skills. The club took on the 21 -year-old Scots and handed over to his new players at first the role of the team captain. It was not long until the intensity of Ramsay had talked about and so drew the "star player " spectators who wanted to see in the first place, these learned skills in Scotland. Ramsay has initiated and supported in the future the further efforts of the association to strengthen the team and was instrumental in the signing of Archie Hunter - another Scot, whose high reputation still more than a century later in the appointment to the "Football League 100 Legends " reflected. Thus, the playing style changed in the club, away from pure physical exertion and far forward beaten balls - as Ramsay described in hindsight - to a passing game Scottish coinage.
Ramsay discovered together with John Linsay the venue Perry Barr, the first time the club allowed entrance fees (later he led or jointly with Fred cattle negotiations on moving to Villa Park ). In addition, he organized henceforth the workouts, which soon resulted in a significant increase in performance within the team. This led in 1880 to the victory in the " Birmingham Senior Cup" in which Ramsay led to the result, the team in the finals as captain.
After the active career
Due to injury, Ramsay had already give up the active football in 1882. He stayed Aston Villa but continue faithful and led the club 1884-1926 as club secretary and coach in a "golden era ". During this time the Villans six British championships and six FA Cup editions won. Thus, the club established in the ranks of the best English football clubs. By 1935, Ramsey was the club then still as Vice President and get in advisory functions.
Shortly after the death of George Ramsay in October 1935 ended the long and successful phase of Aston Villa and led after the conclusion of the season in 1935/36 for the first time in the second division - a scenario that seemed unthinkable at Ramsay's lifetime. Since then the club should only win both the championship and the FA Cup again in each case. The importance of the role model was built on the grave stone of his last resting place in the church cemetery in Handsworth Wood with the inscription " Founder of Aston Villa " ( German: Founder of Aston Villa) significantly.
Success as a coach
- English Champion: 1893/94, 1895 /96 1896/97 1898 /99 1899/1900, 1909/10
- English Cup Winners: 1886/87, 1894 /95 and 1896/97, 1904/ 05, 1912/13, 1919/20,