The Professional Footballers’ Association was founded all the way back in 1907 – under a slightly different name.
They were initially known as the Association Football Players’ and Trainers’ Union, which is a bit of a mouthful, so they were more commonly referred to as the Players’ Union.
It was established by Manchester United players Billy Meredith and Charlie Roberts, and campaigned against the retain-and-transfer system and the imposition of a maximum wage.
They even threatened strike action in 1909 and won some concessions, such as bonuses on top of the maximum salary, but the existing systems largely remained in place for the next five decades or so.
These armbands were worn by players to show their union affiliation.
