James W. Gibson
James William Gibson(21 October 1877 – September 1951) was a British businessman who was the owner of theEnglishfootballclubManchester Unitedfrom December 1931 until his death in September 1951.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]The son of a successful uniform manufacturer, Gibson was born inSalfordbut brought up in centralManchesterwith his younger brother, John, and their sister, Florence, who died at a very early age. Tragedy befell the family again when Gibson was 14, as both his parents contracted fatal illnesses and the children went to live with their paternal grandparents. The grandparents died soon after, and the children were taken in by their uncle, their mother's only brother, William Fell. Fell was himself a successful businessman, like the boys' father, and had become a famous corn merchant on the outskirts of the city. Gibson began working with Fell in the corn business, immersing himself in all aspects of the company, but excelling in sales.
Into the clothing industry
[edit]Just after the start of the 20th century, after 15 years working for his uncle, Gibson decided to set up his own company. The textiles industry in and around Manchester was booming at the time, so Gibson followed his father into the uniform business, and since his father's name was still fairly well known in the city, he quickly built up a portfolio of contacts. The business grew steadily for several years, before the outbreak of theFirst World Warearned Gibson his first major contract; the company began manufacturing uniforms for theBritish Armed Forceson a daily basis. This deal forged Gibson's reputation and by the end of the war he had become a well-respected entrepreneur.
However, the end of the war also meant that the company was now selling less uniforms and needed a new source of revenue. Not content with anything small-scale, Gibson approached the city corporations with an offer to provide uniforms for the tram drivers and conductors, selling the idea that they would be proud to wear such a uniform. The idea proved a success, and Gibson was able to diversify into other fields outside clothing. Nevertheless, he continued to concentrate on the uniform business and, in 1924, he entered into a partnership with Messrs F. Jones and R. H. H. Briggs, forming Briggs, Jones and Gibson. They relocated the business to larger premises on Lostock Street, near Oldham Road inCollyhurst,and the combined talents of the three men meant further expansion, both in Manchester and in other cities. However, in 1926, Jones died, putting the business under pressure. For reasons thought to be related to his age, Briggs also decided to sell his share in the business, and Gibson took sole control of the company. This coincided with the onset of theGreat Depression,which meant a massive downturn in trade. Gibson's interests in other fields meant that the business was able to survive the Depression.
Manchester United
[edit]A Salfordian by birth, Gibson was living in Old Trafford by 1911 and was aware of his 'local' football team, who had just moved into theirnew stadiumin the district, although whether he was an active supporter at this time is not known.
Unlike the wealthy Gibson,Manchester United F.C.was being affected greatly by the Great Depression around the start of the 1930s. Their previous owner,John Henry Davieshad died in 1927 after 25 years at the club. They had won theFA Cupand two league titles during the first 10 years of his chairmanship, but were less successful during the 1920s, enduring a spell in the Second Division, and were thousands of pounds in debt. In 1931, just before Gibson took over, United were relegated to the Second Division again.
Gibson injected around£40,000 more funds into the team during theGreat Depression,and after five seasons in the Second Division, they were promoted as champions. Despite being relegated straight back from the First Division, they returned at the first attempt.
WhenOld Traffordwas wrecked byGermanair raidson 11 March 1941, he also funded the rebuilding of the stadium, which was completed in 1949, and started the United Youth Academy that produced the greatBusby Babesside of the mid-to-late 1950s. He also oversaw the arrival of players includingJohnny CareyandJack Rowley,who played a crucial part in the club’s successes of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
At the end of theSecond World War,he appointedMatt Busbyas manager, but only lived to see Busby guide the club to one major trophy – the1948 FA Cup– as he died in 1951, a year before they won their first top division title since 1911. He did not live to see the revolution of the Busby Babes later in the decade.
References
[edit]- Harrington, Peter (1994).The Gibson Guarantee - The Saving of Manchester United: 1931-1951.Questions Answered.ISBN0-9515972-4-8.
- Davies, Paul (19 January 2012)."The man who saved United".ManUtd.com.Manchester United.Retrieved19 January2012.