Hill-Wood, you will know by now, recently died following a heart attack, having been very much part of The Arsenal FC. His family had more modest beginnings in football having been part of the Glossop North End club's golden era in the Northern League.
The Derbyshire club is the smallest town to host a Football League club when they competed in the First Division having won the Second Division in 1898-1899. They then competed along with the likes of Aston Villa, Liverpool, Everton and Newcastle from 1899-1900 but were quickly relegated back to Division Two finding themselves in last place in 1914-15, six points adrift. They never recovered after the War.
The Chairman at Glossop was Samuel Hill-Wood who made a fortune in the family cotton mill that dominated the town.
Glossop having fallen out of the top flight of football, then got distracted during the First World War, resorted to being a semi-professional outfit.
In 1921, the UK cotton industry was falling into decline, competing rather poorly with foreign producers, so Samuel left the Derbyshire town and headed to London. He supported Arsenal and was eventually invited on to the club board.
Later he was voted to Chairman and he continued that job until he died in 1948.
This was a period in the 1930s when Herbert Chapman, "poached" from the very successful Huddersfield Town FC in the 1920s, managed an Arsenal team that won its first serious cups and league titles.
George Allison then took over management from Chapman who had died suddenly and continued gathering success. He had been a journalist and then programme editor at Woolwich Arsenal FC. He also oversaw the renaming of the club to The Arsenal.
Denis Hill-Wood took over the Chair in 1961 until 1982 and in 1982, grandson Peter became Chairman ruling until 2013.
Peter presided over the appointments of George Graham and Arsene Wengner which led to 5 FA Cups titles, 5 League wins, a league Cup and a European Cup Winners Cup. He stepped down as Chairman in 2013 through ill health.
Peter was educated at Eton College and his father, three uncles and his grandfather all played First Class cricket for Derbyshire.
Arsenal sent a team to play Glossop NE during their centenary year in 1986 and Hill-Wood invited North End to train at their facility at London Colney in Glossop's preparation before the FA Vase Final against Whitley Bay.
On Saturday 29th April 2006, an Arsenal XI managed by Steve Bould, visited Big Ground, Charterhouse to help our Old Boys' footballers celebrate 125 years since the Old Carthusians FC won the FA Cup (1881 v Old Etonians). The FA Cup was on show and Peter Hill-Wood enjoyed our hospitality including a celebratory lunch and the match at 3pm. Nice man.
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