Who was the first Welsh footballer who successfully crossed the Manchester divide to become a hero on both sides of the city?
MANCHESTER UNITED and Manchester City renew one of world football’s great rivalries at Old Trafford today – but more than a century before Ryan Giggs, Erling Haaland or even the Premier League existed, a Welshman had already become a star on both sides of Manchester.
His name was Billy Meredith.
Nicknamed the Welsh Wizard, the former coal miner from Chirk became one of football’s first genuine superstars – and achieved something that would be almost unimaginable in today’s fiercely divided football city.
He became a hero at both Manchester City and Manchester United.
So who was Billy Meredith, how did he cross the Manchester divide – and which other famous players subsequently wore both red and blue?
WHO WAS BILLY MEREDITH?
Born in Chirk, North Wales, in 1874, Meredith left school at 12 and worked at Black Park Colliery before football eventually offered him a very different future.
After playing in North Wales – including a brief spell with Wrexham – he joined Manchester City in 1894.
Long before superstars like Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi were even born, with his distinctive moustache and a toothpick often clenched between his teeth while he played, Meredith became one of the most recognisable sportsmen of his age.
Manchester City today describe him as football’s first superstar.
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WHY IS BILLY MEREDITH A MANCHESTER CITY LEGEND?
Meredith was the star of the team which delivered City’s first major trophy.
In the 1904 FA Cup final against Bolton Wanderers, the Welsh winger scored the only goal as City won 1-0 at Crystal Palace.
It made Manchester City the first professional club from Manchester to win a major honour.
Meredith was already one of the country’s most celebrated footballers and remained a huge figure in City’s early history.
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SO HOW DID HE END UP AT MANCHESTER UNITED?
This is where the story becomes even more remarkable.
Meredith’s first spell at City ended amid a major football scandal after he was accused of attempting to bribe an Aston Villa player. He was suspended and subsequently joined Manchester United.
Rather than being remembered simply as a former City star, he became an important figure in United’s own rise.
Meredith helped Manchester United win their first Football League title in 1908, followed by the FA Cup in 1909 and another league championship in 1911.
After more than a decade with United, he did something even more extraordinary.
He went back to Manchester City.
Meredith finally played his last game for City aged 49 years and 245 days.
Manchester City’s own history records that he was loved by supporters of both Manchester clubs – as well as by Welsh football followers.
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WHICH OTHER FAMOUS PLAYERS HAVE PLAYED FOR BOTH MANCHESTER CLUBS?
Meredith certainly wasn’t the last.
Perhaps the most famous is Denis Law.
The Scottish striker first played for Manchester City before spells with Torino and Manchester United, where he became one of Old Trafford’s greatest players.
He then returned to City for the final season of his career.
His back-heeled goal for City against United in 1974 remains one of derby history’s most famous images – although, contrary to football folklore, other results meant United would have been relegated regardless.
Others who have represented both clubs include Brian Kidd, Peter Barnes, Peter Schmeichel, Andy Cole and Owen Hargreaves.
And then there was Carlos Tevez.
The Argentine’s move from United to City in 2009 produced the notorious “Welcome to Manchester” advertising campaign and became a symbol of City’s rapidly changing status in English football. Tevez subsequently captained City to the 2011 FA Cup and helped them win the Premier League the following season.
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WHICH OTHER WELSHMEN HAVE LEFT THEIR MARK ON THE MANCHESTER DERBY?
Meredith may have represented both clubs, but several other Welsh footballers have played memorable roles in Manchester football.
Ryan Giggs became one of Manchester United’s most decorated players during more than two decades at Old Trafford.
Mark Hughes was a celebrated United striker before later returning to Manchester in very different circumstances as manager of City.
And Craig Bellamy produced one of the great Welsh performances in derby history when he scored twice for Manchester City in the extraordinary 4-3 defeat at Old Trafford in September 2009.
His spectacular second-half equaliser remains one of the most memorable Manchester derby goals.
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WHEN IS MANCHESTER UNITED v MANCHESTER CITY TODAY?
Manchester United face Manchester City at Old Trafford today, Sunday, September 13, with kick-off at 4.30pm BST.
That is 11.30am ET / 8.30am PT for viewers in the United States.
The match is live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, as well as Sky Go and NOW.
US viewers can watch on USA Network, with Spanish-language coverage available through Telemundo.
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DID EWE KNOW?
As football’s first true superstar, Billy Meredith commands immense collectability in the vintage soccer card market. His cards bridge the gap between late-Victorian and early-20th-Century sports history, making them highly prized by collectors of both Manchester United and Manchester City memorabilia. While common, lower-grade cards from his later career (such as the 1920s Godfrey Phillips or Pattreiouex issues) can often be found for around £75 to £300, his earliest “rookie” eras and rarest Edwardian cigarette/tobacco issues routinely fetch thousands.
At the pinnacle of the market, Meredith’s ultra-rare cards command eye-watering prices at specialty auctions. For example, a single Ogdens Guinea Gold “Meredith at Work” card shocked the hobby by selling for a staggering hammer price of £5,600 at Griffin’s Auctioneers. Similarly, high-grade or ultra-scarce variants – such as his 1901 Ogden’s, 1909 Cope’s Clips (282 series), or his 1910 Cope Brothers cards – regularly see asking prices or confirmed sales ranging from £4,000 to nearly £6,000 ($6,000+) depending on professional grading condition. Because so few copies survived the decades intact, any well-preserved Edwardian-era card featuring the “Welsh Wizard” is considered a blue-chip asset in the football card community.
Today’s players will walk into one of football’s most intense rivalries knowing exactly which side of Manchester they represent.
Billy Meredith belonged to another age.
Long before Manchester football became red against blue, a Welsh Wizard from Chirk had already become a hero in both colours.