Philip was a native Aberdonian, he had a wide range of sporting interests, and he had proposed to underwrite the first overseas tour by a Scottish international team.
[2][1] Philip was appointed part-time manager for the first competitive game of the new club, a 1–1 draw with Stenhousemuir on 15 August 1903.
In that first season, Aberdeen won the Aberdeenshire Cup, and subsequently made a bid to be elected to the Scottish Football League Division One.
However, a proposal by Celtic to expand Division One to 16 clubs meant that places were available for the 1905–06 season, and Aberdeen were duly elected.
[1] Thereafter, progress was steady rather than spectacular, the club finishing in 12th position in the next two seasons, although there was a Scottish Cup semi-final in 1908, in which Celtic prevailed at Pittodrie.
On the resumption of football in 1919, Philip was offered his old, full-time post at a salary of £350 per annum; a move which caused some controversy among the directors at the time.