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= = = Voice = = =
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The common starling is a noisy bird . Its song consists of a wide variety of both melodic and mechanical @-@ sounding noises as part of a ritual succession of sounds . The male is the main songster and engages in bouts of song lasting for a minute or more . Each of these typically includes four varieties of song type ...
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Males sing constantly as the breeding period approaches and perform less often once pairs have bonded . In the presence of a female , a male sometimes flies to his nest and sings from the entrance , apparently attempting to entice the female in . Older birds tend to have a wider repertoire than younger ones . Those ma...
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Singing also occurs outside the breeding season , taking place throughout the year apart from the moulting period . The songsters are more commonly male although females also sing on occasion . The function of such out @-@ of @-@ season song is poorly understood . Eleven other types of call have been described includi...
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= = Behaviour and ecology = =
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The common starling is a highly gregarious species , especially in autumn and winter . Although flock size is highly variable , huge , noisy flocks - murmurations - may form near roosts . These dense concentrations of birds are thought to be a defence against attacks by birds of prey such as peregrine falcons or Euras...
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Huge flocks of more than a million common starlings may be observed just before sunset in spring in southwestern Jutland , Denmark over the seaward marshlands of Tønder and Esbjerg municipalities between Tønder and Ribe . They gather in March until northern Scandinavian birds leave for their breeding ranges by mid @-@...
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= = = Feeding = = =
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The common starling is largely insectivorous and feeds on both pest and other arthropods . The food range includes spiders , crane flies , moths , mayflies , dragonflies , damsel flies , grasshoppers , earwigs , lacewings , caddisflies , flies , beetles , sawflies , bees , wasps and ants . Both adults and larvae are c...
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There are several methods by which common starlings obtain their food but for the most part , they forage close to the ground , taking insects from the surface or just underneath . Generally , common starlings prefer foraging amongst short @-@ cropped grasses and are often found among grazing animals or perched on the...
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There are three types of foraging behaviour observed in the common starling . " Probing " involves the bird plunging its beak into the ground randomly and repetitively until an insect has been found , and is often accompanied by bill gaping where the bird opens its beak in the soil to enlarge a hole . This behaviour ,...
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= = = Nesting = = =
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Unpaired males find a suitable cavity and begin to build nests in order to attract single females , often decorating the nest with ornaments such as flowers and fresh green material , which the female later disassembles upon accepting him as a mate . The amount of green material is not important , as long as some is p...
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The males sing throughout much of the construction and even more so when a female approaches his nest . Following copulation , the male and female continue to build the nest . Nests may be in any type of hole , common locations include inside hollowed trees , buildings , tree stumps and man @-@ made nest @-@ boxes . S...
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Common starlings are both monogamous and polygamous ; although broods are generally brought up by one male and one female , occasionally the pair may have an extra helper . Pairs may be part of a colony , in which case several other nests may occupy the same or nearby trees . Males may mate with a second female while ...
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= = = Breeding = = =
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Breeding takes place during the spring and summer . Following copulation , the female lays eggs on a daily basis over a period of several days . If an egg is lost during this time , she will lay another to replace it . There are normally four or five eggs that are ovoid in shape and pale blue or occasionally white , a...
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Incubation lasts thirteen days , although the last egg laid may take 24 hours longer than the first to hatch . Both parents share the responsibility of brooding the eggs , but the female spends more time incubating them than does the male , and is the only parent to do so at night when the male returns to the communal...
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Intraspecific brood parasites are common in common starling nests . Female " floaters " ( unpaired females during the breeding season ) present in colonies often lay eggs in another pair 's nest . Fledglings have also been reported to invade their own or neighbouring nests and evict a new brood . Common starling nests...
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= = Predators and parasites = =
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A majority of starling predators are avian . The typical response of starling groups is to take flight , with a common sight being undulating flocks of starling flying high in quick and agile patterns . Their abilities in flight are seldom matched by birds of prey . Adult common starlings are hunted by hawks such as t...
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More than twenty species of hawk , owl and falcon are known to occasionally predate feral starlings in North America , though the most regular predators of adults are likely to be urban @-@ living peregrine falcons or merlins ( Falco columbarius ) . Common mynas ( Acridotheres tristis ) sometimes evict eggs , nestling...
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Common starlings are hosts to a wide range of parasites . A survey of three hundred common starlings from six US states found that all had at least one type of parasite ; 99 % had external fleas , mites or ticks , and 95 % carried internal parasites , mostly various types of worm . Blood @-@ sucking species leave thei...
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The hen flea ( Ceratophyllus gallinae ) is the most common flea in their nests . The small , pale house @-@ sparrow flea C. fringillae , is also occasionally found there and probably arises from the habit of its main host of taking over the nests of other species . This flea does not occur in the US , even on house sp...
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Flying insects that parasitise common starlings include the louse @-@ fly Omithomya nigricornis and the saprophagous fly Camus hemapterus . The latter species breaks off the feathers of its host and lives on the fats produced by growing plumage . Larvae of the moth Hofmannophila pseudospretella are nest scavengers , w...
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Common starlings may contract avian tuberculosis , avian malaria and retrovirus @-@ induced lymphomas . Captive starlings often accumulate excess iron in the liver , a condition that can be prevented by adding black tea @-@ leaves to the food .
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= = Distribution and habitat = =
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The global population of common starlings was estimated to be 310 million individuals in 2004 , occupying a total area of 8 @,@ 870 @,@ 000 km2 ( 3 @,@ 420 @,@ 000 sq mi ) . Widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere , the bird is native to Eurasia and is found throughout Europe , northern Africa ( from Morocco to ...
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Common starlings in the south and west of Europe and south of latitude 40oN are mainly resident , although other populations migrate from regions where the winter is harsh , the ground frozen and food scarce . Large numbers of birds from northern Europe , Russia and Ukraine migrate south westwards or south eastwards ....
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Common starlings prefer urban or suburban areas where artificial structures and trees provide adequate nesting and roosting sites . Reedbeds are also favoured for roosting and the birds commonly feed in grassy areas such as farmland , grazing pastures , playing fields , golf courses and airfields where short grass mak...
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= = = Introduced populations = = =
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The common starling has been introduced to and has successfully established itself in New Zealand , Australia , South Africa , North America , Fiji and several Caribbean islands . As a result , it has also been able to migrate to Thailand , Southeast Asia and New Guinea .
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= = = = South America = = = =
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Five individuals conveyed on a ship from England alighted near Lago de Maracaibo in Venezuela in November 1949 , but subsequently vanished . In 1987 , a small population of common starlings was observed nesting in gardens in the city of Buenos Aires . Since then , despite some initial attempts at eradication , the bir...
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= = = = Australia = = = =
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The common starling was introduced to Australia to consume insect pests of farm crops . Early settlers looked forward to their arrival , believing that common starlings were also important for the pollination of flax , a major agricultural product . Nest @-@ boxes for the newly released birds were placed on farms and ...
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= = = = New Zealand = = = =
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The early settlers in New Zealand cleared the bush and found their newly planted crops were invaded by hordes of caterpillars and other insects deprived of their previous food sources . Native birds were not habituated to living in close proximity to man so the common starling was introduced from Europe to control the...
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= = = = North America = = = =
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After two failed attempts , about 60 common starlings were released in 1890 into New York 's Central Park by Eugene Schieffelin . He was president of the American Acclimatization Society , which tried to introduce every bird species mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare into North America . About the same date...
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= = = = Polynesia = = = =
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The common starling appears to have arrived in Fiji in 1925 on Ono @-@ i @-@ lau and Vatoa islands . It may have colonised from New Zealand via Raoul in the Kermadec Islands where it is abundant , that group being roughly equidistant between New Zealand and Fiji . Its spread in Fiji has been limited , and there are do...
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= = = = South Africa = = = =
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In South Africa , the common starling was introduced in 1897 by Cecil Rhodes . It spread slowly and by 1954 had reached Clanwilliam and Port Elizabeth . It is now common in the southern Cape region , thinning out northwards to the Johannesburg area . It is present in the Western Cape , the Eastern Cape and the Free St...
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= = = = West Indies = = = =
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The common starling was introduced to Jamaica in 1903 , and the Bahamas and Cuba were colonised naturally from the US . This bird is fairly common but local in Jamaica , Grand Bahama and Bimini , and is rare in the rest of the Bahamas , eastern Cuba , the Cayman Islands , Puerto Rico and St. Croix .
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= = Status = =
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The global population of the common starling is estimated to be more than 310 million individuals and its numbers are not thought to be declining significantly , so the bird is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as being of least concern . It had shown a marked increase in numbers through...
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Major declines in populations have been observed from 1980 onward in Sweden , Finland , northern Russia ( Karelia ) and the Baltic States , and smaller declines in much of the rest of northern and central Europe . The bird has been adversely affected in these areas by intensive agriculture , and in several countries i...
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= = Relationship with humans = =
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= = = Benefits and problems = = =
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Since common starlings eat insect pests such as wireworms , they are considered beneficial in northern Eurasia , and this was one of the reasons given for introducing the birds elsewhere . Around 25 million nest boxes were erected for this species in the former Soviet Union , and common starlings were found to be effe...
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Common starlings introduced to areas such as Australia or North America , where other members of the genus are absent , may affect native species through competition for nest holes . In North America , chickadees , nuthatches , woodpeckers , purple martins and other swallows may be affected . In Australia , competitor...
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Common starlings can eat and damage fruit in orchards such as grapes , peaches , olives , currants and tomatoes or dig up newly sown grain and sprouting crops . They may also eat animal feed and distribute seeds through their droppings . In eastern Australia , weeds like bridal creeper , blackberry and boneseed are th...
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The large size of flocks can also cause problems . Common starlings may be sucked into aircraft jet engines , one of the worst instances of this being an incident in Boston in 1960 , when sixty @-@ two people died after a turboprop airliner flew into a flock and plummeted into the sea at Winthrop Harbor .
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Starlings ' droppings can contain the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum , the cause of histoplasmosis in humans . At roosting sites this fungus can thrive in accumulated droppings . There are a number of other infectious diseases that can potentially be transmitted by common starlings to humans , although the potential fo...
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= = = Control = = =
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Because of the damage they do , there have been attempts to control the numbers of both native and introduced populations of common starlings . Within the natural breeding range , this may be affected by legislation . For example , in Spain , this is a species hunted commercially as a food item , and has a close seaso...
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Huge urban roosts in cities can create problems due to the noise and mess made and the smell of the droppings . In 1949 , so many birds landed on the clock hands of London 's Big Ben that it stopped , leading to unsuccessful attempts to disrupt the roosts with netting , repellent chemical on the ledges and broadcasts ...
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Where it is introduced , the common starling is unprotected by legislation , and extensive control plans may be initiated . Common starlings can be prevented from using nest boxes by ensuring that the access holes are smaller than the 1 @.@ 5 in ( 38 mm ) diameter they need , and the removal of perches discourages the...
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Western Australia banned the import of common starlings in 1895 . New flocks arriving from the east are routinely shot , while the less cautious juveniles are trapped and netted . New methods are being developed , such as tagging one bird and tracking it back to establish where other members of the flock roost . Anoth...
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In the United States , common starlings are exempt from the Migratory Bird Treaty Act , which prohibits the taking or killing of migratory birds . No permit is required to remove nests and eggs or kill juveniles or adults . Research was undertaken in 1966 to identify a suitable avicide that would both kill common star...
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= = = In science and culture = = =
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Common starlings may be kept as pets or as laboratory animals . Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz wrote of them in his book King Solomon 's Ring as " the poor man 's dog " and " something to love " , because nestlings are easily obtained from the wild and after careful hand rearing they are straightforward to look aft...
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The common starling 's gift for mimicry has long been recognised . In the medieval Welsh Mabinogion , Branwen tamed a common starling , " taught it words " , and sent it across the Irish Sea with a message to her brothers , Bran and Manawydan , who then sailed from Wales to Ireland to rescue her . Pliny the Elder clai...
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Mozart had a pet common starling which could sing part of his Piano Concerto in G Major ( KV . 453 ) . He had bought it from a shop after hearing it sing a phrase from a work he wrote six weeks previously , which had not yet been performed in public . He became very attached to the bird and arranged an elaborate funer...
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Common starlings are trapped for food in some Mediterranean countries . The meat is tough and of low quality , so it is casseroled or made into pâté . One recipe said it should be stewed " until tender , however long that may be " . Even when correctly prepared , it may still be seen as an acquired taste .
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= William McGregor ( football ) =
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William McGregor ( 13 April 1846 – 20 December 1911 ) was a Scottish association football administrator in the Victorian era who is regarded as the founder of the Football League , the first organised association football league in the world .
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After moving from Perthshire to Birmingham to set up business as a draper , McGregor became involved with local football club Aston Villa , which he helped to establish as one of the leading teams in England . He served the club for over 20 years in various capacities , including president , director and chairman . In...
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McGregor served as both chairman and president of the Football League and was also chairman of The Football Association ( the FA ) . He was recognised by the FA for his service to the game shortly before his death in 1911 , and was posthumously honoured by the local football authorities and Aston Villa .
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= = Personal life = =
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Born in Braco in Perthshire , Scotland , McGregor first became interested in football after watching a match between locals and visiting artisans at Ardoch . He served an apprenticeship as a draper in Perth , and in 1870 , following the example of his brother Peter , moved to Birmingham , and opened his own drapery bu...
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McGregor was married to Jessie , and the couple had a daughter and a son , also named Jessie and William . A teetotaller , McGregor was a supporter of the Temperance movement , and was active in the local branch of the Liberal Party until his membership lapsed in 1882 due to the increasing amount of time he devoted to...
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McGregor was a committed Christian who was widely respected for his honesty and integrity . He worshipped for forty years at the Congregational church in Wheeler Street , Aston . His pastor , the Revd . W.G. Percival said that the best thing about him " was not so much the genial , kindly , honest sportsman , but the ...
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= = Association with Aston Villa = =
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In 1877 , McGregor was invited to become a committee member of Aston Villa , a football club formed three years earlier . He also umpired matches for the club . At the time the club played at Aston Park , close to the premises of McGregor 's business . He became interested in joining Villa due to the strong Scottish c...
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The following year McGregor became a member of the club 's board of directors . Villa 's standing within the game continued to grow , and in 1887 the club became the first from the Midlands to win the FA Cup , defeating local rivals West Bromwich Albion in the final . In 1895 , McGregor became vice @-@ chairman , and ...
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= = Founder of the Football League = =
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As the 1880s progressed , the balance of power within English football began to change . The first national competition , the FA Cup , had previously been dominated by amateur clubs from privileged backgrounds , such as Wanderers and Old Etonians . However the 1883 FA Cup Final saw the first victory by a working @-@ c...
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Professionalism brought fresh complications for club administrators . Many friendlies were cancelled due to opponents ' FA Cup or county cup matches taking precedence or clubs simply failing to honour a fixture in favour of a more lucrative match elsewhere . This made it hard for the clubs to pay players ' wages on a ...
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Every year it is becoming more and more difficult for football clubs of any standing to meet their friendly engagements and even arrange friendly matches . The consequence is that at the last moment , through cup @-@ tie interference , clubs are compelled to take on teams who will not attract the public .
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I beg to tender the following suggestion as a means of getting over the difficulty : that ten or twelve of the most prominent clubs in England combine to arrange home @-@ and @-@ away fixtures each season , the said fixtures to be arranged at a friendly conference about the same time as the International Conference . ...
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This combination might be known as the Association Football Union , and could be managed by representative from each club . Of course , this is in no way to interfere with the National Association ; even the suggested matches might be played under cup @-@ tie rules . However , this is a detail .
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My object in writing to you at present is merely to draw your attention to the subject , and to suggest a friendly conference to discuss the matter more fully . I would take it as a favour if you would kindly think the matter over , and make whatever suggestions you deem necessary . I am only writing to the following ...
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I am , yours very truly , William McGregor ( Aston Villa F.C. )
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P.S. How would Friday , 23 March 1888 , suit for the friendly conference at Anderton 's Hotel , London ?
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McGregor chose 23 March as the date of his proposed meeting because it was the day before the FA Cup final and representatives of the country 's top clubs would be in London . Representatives from ten clubs attended , including the FA Cup finalists West Bromwich Albion and Preston North End , but it quickly became cle...
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McGregor served as the first chairman of the League 's Management Committee . One of the committee 's main jobs was handling issues of discipline , but committee members were not barred from involvement in decisions involving their own clubs . In fact , the first disciplinary meeting saw fines issued to three of the f...
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After stepping down as chairman , he was unanimously elected to an honorary position of president , a role he kept until 1894 , and was named the first @-@ ever life member of the League in 1895 . The role was that of a figurehead with little actual authority , but he was used as a mediator to resolve league disagreem...
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= = Other football activities = =
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Between 1888 and 1894 McGregor also served as chairman of The Football Association ( the FA ) , English football 's overall governing body , which had existed since 1863 . He became known as a football celebrity , writing a weekly column for the Birmingham Gazette and endorsing products such as footballs , and a type ...
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= = Death and legacy = =
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Although McGregor envisaged the League as a friendly union , within which clubs would share ticket revenues and work together in their mutual best interests , the immediate effect of its creation was that football came to be treated as a business for the first time , as opposed to something that players and officials ...
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In May 1910 , McGregor was taken ill and later confined to a nursing home . His condition worsened towards the end of 1911 . His last public appearance was a committee meeting on 4 December , and he underwent an operation on 19 December . However , after a brief improvement in his condition he relapsed and died the fo...
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Shortly before his death , the FA presented McGregor , who was at that time a vice @-@ president of the association , with a long service medal . After his death , Aston Villa dedicated a bed in the children 's ward of one of Birmingham 's hospitals in his honour , and the Birmingham County Football Association unveil...
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= Climate of Buenos Aires =
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Buenos Aires , the capital of Argentina , has a temperate climate , which is classified as a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) under the Köppen climate classification with four distinct seasons . Summers are hot and humid with frequent thunderstorms while winters are cool and drier with frosts that occurs on average t...
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Different climatic factors influence the climate of Buenos Aires . The semi – permanent South Atlantic High influences its climate throughout the year by bringing in moist winds from the northeast , which bring most of the precipitation to the city in the form of frontal systems during winter or storms produced by cyc...
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= = General climatology = =
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