{"product_id":"billy-meredith-manchester-united-art-deco","title":"Billy Meredith - Manchester United - Art Deco","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam “Billy” Meredith (1874–1958)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe First Superstar of British Football\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWilliam Henry Meredith was one of the earliest true superstars of association football and remains one of the most influential players the game has produced. Born in the mining town of Chirk, Denbighshire, Meredith rose from pit pony driver to become the most celebrated outside-right of his generation, renowned for his dazzling dribbling, pinpoint crossing, powerful shooting, and extraordinary longevity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAcross 27 Football League seasons (1892–1924), Meredith made 740 competitive appearances, scoring 194 goals, an exceptional return for a winger in the brutal, physical era of early professional football. His career spanned Manchester City and Manchester United, making him a rare figure revered by both sides of the Manchester divide.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt Manchester City, Meredith became the club’s first genuine star and captained them to their first major honour, the 1904 FA Cup, scoring the winning goal in the final at Crystal Palace. After a controversial suspension, he joined Manchester United in 1906, where he helped transform the club into a dominant force. With United, he won two League Championships (1907–08, 1910–11), the 1909 FA Cup, and two FA Charity Shields, playing a central role in the club’s emergence as a national power.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternationally, Meredith was equally significant. He won 48 caps for Wales, scoring 11 goals, and was a key figure in Wales’ British Home Championship victories of 1907 and 1920. Remarkably, he remains the oldest player ever to win an international cap, appearing for Wales at 45 years of age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInstantly recognisable for his habit of chewing a toothpick during matches, Meredith was famed for his professionalism, physical conditioning, and resilience — attributes forged during his youth in the coal mines. He avoided alcohol and tobacco, trained obsessively, and played at the highest level into his late forties, later returning to Manchester City to become the oldest player to represent City, United, and Wales.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeyond the pitch, Meredith was a pioneer of player rights. He was a leading figure in the formation of the Players’ Union, the forerunner of today’s Professional Footballers’ Association, and a vocal critic of the maximum wage and restrictive transfer system. His activism helped lay the foundations for the modern professional game.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBilly Meredith died in Manchester in 1958, aged 83. Today he is honoured by Manchester City, Manchester United, the Welsh FA, and the Professional Footballers’ Association, and is enshrined in the English Football Hall of Fame. Streets, plaques, and memorials bear his name — fitting tributes to a man widely regarded as football’s first true icon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"MsoNormal\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003chr size=\"0\" width=\"100%\" align=\"center\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArt Deco \u0026amp; Football – Power, Motion, Modernity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArt Deco emerged in the early 20th century as the visual language of progress. Defined by bold geometry, heroic figures, strong typography, and dramatic movement, it celebrated strength, speed, and modern life — values that align perfectly with football’s inter-war golden age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhen applied to football heritage, Art Deco transforms history into iconography. Players become monuments. Stadiums become temples. Moments of athletic motion are frozen at their most powerful and symbolic. The style strips away clutter and nostalgia, replacing it with clarity, confidence, and grandeur.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn football art, Art Deco does not romanticise weakness — it honours \u003cb\u003estrength\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003ediscipline\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb\u003ecollective identity\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis approach bridges sport and design history, presenting football not simply as a game, but as a cultural force — worthy of the same artistic treatment as industry, architecture, and national identity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cb style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eProduct details:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul type=\"disc\"\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYou will only pay shipping\/postage for 1 item, no matter how many items you purchase.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDiscounts are given for multiple purchases.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eSize: A3, A4, A5\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSingle Sided\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePaper: 400gsm premium art stock\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003ePrint quality: Museum-grade, high-resolution\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eFinish: Unframed\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eWatermark shown in images does NOT appear on the final print\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCarefully packaged for safe delivery\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA striking piece of football history — ideal for collectors, historians, and lovers of our national game.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eAny issues please contact me at \u003ca href=\"mailto:paul@worldvintagecolours.com\"\u003epaul@worldvintagecolours.com\u003c\/a\u003e by clicking the hyperlink and I will get back to you ASAP.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"World Vintage Colours","offers":[{"title":"A3","offer_id":47270236782784,"sku":"Billy Meredith - Manchester United - Art Deco A3","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4","offer_id":47270236815552,"sku":"Billy Meredith - Manchester United - Art Deco A4","price":8.49,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"A5","offer_id":47270236848320,"sku":"Billy Meredith - Manchester United - Art Deco A5","price":5.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/8242\/7840\/files\/297x420-MeredithManUArtDeco.jpg?v=1769630796","url":"https:\/\/www.worldvintagecolours.com\/products\/billy-meredith-manchester-united-art-deco","provider":"World Vintage Colours","version":"1.0","type":"link"}