• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

The rampant lion- Kynoch/ Aston Villa F.C.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wakadowakado
  • Start date Start date
W

Wakadowakado

Guest
The Lion works Ammunition factory and the logo on the earliest known photo
group of the Club 1880 feature 'the King of the Jungle'. Is this coincidental, or did the enigmatic G.K bring them together? Link up soon WAK
 
Wak - didn't the rampant lion of the Villa also have a link with the same for Glasgow Rangers?

If memory serves me correct, wasn't the chairman of the early Villa associated at some time with Glasgow Rangers?

keith
 
Wm McGregor was V-P in 1880 Group photo. He joined the club in 1877
He certainly took the team to Ayrshire on tour matches as reported in C.B Fry's Magazine He was definitely President of the Football
League in 1888/9 It is doubtful in my opinion Keith, whether he would have found time to deal with the affairs of Queens Park F.C. Glasgow and run the draper's business in Aston. Link up soon WAK
 
I don't know much about the history of Aston Villa but I understand that there were Scotsmen amongst its founders and that one of them in particular was born and bred in Glasgow.

George Kynoch established his works at Witton in 1862. It grew rapidly and soon became one of Birmingham's biggest factories. George was born in Scotland as well, not in Glasgow although he spent the early part of his career there. Very early on in the life of his Birmingham company he adopted the name "Lion" for his works and also seems to have used the image as a company logo. He was a patron of Villa and became its President in about 1886 at around the time that he was also elected M.P. for Aston; a couple of years later he disappeared entirely from the Birmingham scene.

Beyond that, the connection between the lion emblem on the one hand and the Company, Villa and Rangers on the other seems unclear, although perhaps more than coincidental.

Chris
 
Last edited:
Thanks ChrisM, It seems probable that the simple fact of Scotland and the lion beast made its mark of union in the second city all those years ago and as we know George B Ramsay was most instrumental in the early years at AV
Link up soon WAK
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top