William McCrum
#315,531 Most Popular
About
Irish businessman and industrialist known for his linen factories and for inventing the penalty kick in football. In 1890, he put forth the idea of a penalty kick when he was a member of the Irish Football Association. He was never fully recognized for his achievement during his own lifetime and died when he had lost his family's fortune largely due to the crash of Wall Street.
Before Fame
His grandfather's mill led to the establishment of the area he grew up in: the village of Milford in Northern Ireland. He attended Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.
Trivia
He came from a wealthy family and used his resources to organize cricket and football clubs for his town.
Family Life
He married Maude Mary Squires in 1891, and the couple had a son named Cecil.
Associated With
Another inventor born in Ireland who also studied at Trinity College is Richard Lovell Edgeworth.
