Aston Villa supporters who launched a campaign for a statue in honour of the first chairman of the club and a founder of the Football League are a step closer to their goal.
Members of the Aston Villa Supporters' Trust have been campaigning long and hard for a statue to be erected outside Villa Park to mark the incredible part William McGregor played in the history of their club and his role in establishing the game as we know it today.
A design has now been submitted which has been approved by the Trust.
With the backing of Villa chairman Randy Lerner – who himself shares a real interest in the club's heritage and in the arts – the Trust have been striving to raise £50,000 for the bronze statue which will stand next to the newly renovated Holte Pub.
The pub is itself a symbol of Villa's proud history and was restored by Lerner at a personal cost of £4 million after years of being boarded up and neglected.
Trust members visited Villa Park to hold a final meeting with sculptor Samantha Holland who was commissioned by the group to create the statue which will eventually be cast in bronze and stand one and a half times lifesize.
Trust chairman Peter Warrilow said Ms Holland had been chosen from a list of approved members of the Royal Society of British Sculptors after consultation with supporters and officials at Aston Villa.
He said she had now come up with a design made in wax which had been approved.
Mr Warrilow said: "Sam showed us the completed design and we are all very pleased with it. We have all been working hard in raising the money necessary and Aston Villa have been magnificent in helping to meet us half way but we still need to find the remaining £15,000 of the project.
"We are planning a street collection at Villa Park before the match against Bolton this Saturday in the hope we can get somewhere close to the final total.
"We want fans to know that while the statue stands for Aston Villa we believe it will also be enjoyed by all fans of football who visit Villa Park in future years because of what this man did for the sport."
McGregor was responsible for helping to set up the football league in 1888.
Fans who can spare an hour before Saturday's 3pm kick-off are being urged to offer their services by joining in the bucket collection which will take place outside the Holte End, Trinity Road and North Stand at Villa Park with the club's consent.
Anyone who wants to help or who wishes to make a donation to the sculpture appeal is asked to contact Peter via email at peter_warrilow@tiscali.co.uk.
