James W. Gibson

The son of a successful uniform manufacturer, Gibson was born in Salford but brought up in central Manchester with his younger brother, John, and their sister, Florence, who died at a very early age.

The business grew steadily for several years, before the outbreak of the First World War earned Gibson his first major contract; the company began manufacturing uniforms for the British Armed Forces on a daily basis.

They relocated the business to larger premises on Lostock Street, near Oldham Road in Collyhurst, and the combined talents of the three men meant further expansion, both in Manchester and in other cities.

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 their new stadium in the district, although whether he was an active supporter at this time is not known.

When Old Trafford was wrecked by German air raids on 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 great Busby Babes side of the mid-to-late 1950s.

He also oversaw the arrival of players including Johnny Carey and Jack Rowley, who played a crucial part in the club’s successes of the late 1940s and early 1950s.