Taken from wikipedia:
First spell at Manchester City
Meredith's performances for Northwich gained the attention of several League clubs. Bolton Wanderers' Di Jones, a former Chirk player, spoke with Meredith about a possible move, but Bolton secretary J.J. Bentley regarded Meredith as too inexperienced, and his frame too slight. Lawrence Furniss, an official at Ardwick, had first noticed Meredith while refereeing a Northwich match. Meredith also played in both meetings between the clubs that season.Later in 1894, Ardwick, by then known as Manchester City, vigorously
pursued Meredith's signature. Two club officials travelled to Wales to
meet the player. One was secretary-manager Joshua Parlby, the other either Furniss or chairman John Chapman.The pair were met with suspicion. Anecdotes by contemporary figures
suggest they were initially chased away by locals, and were only allowed
to speak to Meredith after they bought drinks for his mining
colleagues.Meredith did not wish to abandon life in Chirk. His mother was
particularly against the idea: "It is all very well for you gentlemen to
leave your big cities and come to our villages to steal our boys
away... Our boys are happy and healthy, satisfied with their work and
innocent amusements... if Billy takes my advce he will sick to his work
and play football for his own amusement when work is finished."[4]
Meredith did eventually sign for Manchester City, but as an amateur. He
continued work at the pit for at least a year, commuting back and forth
for matches.
Meredith made his Manchester City debut against Newcastle United in November 1894, in a 5–4 defeat for City.[9]
The following week Meredith played his first home match for the club,
and scored two goals against Newton Heath — who later became Manchester United — in the first Manchester derby to take place in the league. Newton Heath won the match 5–2. In January 1895 Meredith turned professional.[9]
In his first full season at Manchester City, Meredith finished as top scorer,despite playing on the wing. He repeated the feat the following year, but was outscored by Billie Gillespie in 1897–98. The final match of that season saw Meredith score his first hat-trick for the club in an emphatic 9–0 win against Burton Swifts. He was loved by the City fans and would draw huge crowds for any public event he attended.
Meredith was captain when Manchester City won the FA Cup in 1904,
the club's first major honour. The club missed out on a league and cup
double that season, as they finished runners up in the league.
Corruption scandal and ban
Meredith was found to be involved in a bribery scandal at the conclusion of the 1904–05 season. He was accused of bribing an opposition player to lose.
Move to Manchester United
In May 1906, while still serving his ban, he moved to Manchester United, made his debut on 1 January 1907 in a 1–0 win against Aston Villa, and quickly became a firm favourite amongst the fans there.
Meredith, together with his Manchester United team-mate, Charlie Roberts, organized the first meeting of the Players' Union in February 1907. Meredith had previously been involved with the Association Footballers' Union (the "AFU"), the first attempt by football players in England to organize a trade union. The Players' Union, like the AFU before it, sought the relaxation of restrictions on transfers and wages.
When the Players' Union was banned by the Football Association in 1909, Meredith and his fellow Manchester United team-mates refused to abandon the Players' Union, and became known at Outcasts F.C.. A compromise was reached before the start of the 1909-10 season.
Meredith enjoyed further successes with Manchester United, winning the league title in 1908 and 1911, and the FA Cup in 1909.
During the First World War he actually played a match against United, making a guest appearance for Port Vale, with Vale recording a 5–2 home victory.
Return to Manchester City
In 1921 he returned to City where he continued to play with his
customary toothpick in his mouth until the age of 47. In 1924 he played
for City in the FA Cup where he was still able to score against Brighton.
His last match was against Newcastle in the semi-finals at the age of
49 years and 245 days, making him one of the oldest players ever to play
in the FA Cup. In total, Meredith appeared 390 times for Man City and
scored 150 goals and won 1 FA Cup with City. Meredith played 335 games
for Manchester United, scoring 36 goals, and won 2 Football League
Championships, 1 FA Cup and 2 FA Charity Shields while with them.
Coaching
In 1928, together with former colleague Charlie Roberts he became a coach for the ambitious Manchester Central. Meredith's son-in-law, former City captain Charlie Pringle, was a player.
International career
Meredith made 48 appearances for the Wales national football team
during his career, scoring 11 goals in the process. He was chosen by
the selectors for 71 consecutive matches, but only made 48 appearances
as on many occasions his club refused to release him for international
duty.[18]
Controversies
Meredith was regarded as a controversial figure, despite his immense
talent on the football pitch. During his time at both the Manchester
clubs he fell out with managers, threatened to walk out and was also the
leader in a demand for higher wages.
Death and tributes
Meredith died in Withington, Manchester, England in May 1958 at the age of 83, three months after the Munich air disaster, which claimed the lives of eight Manchester United players. By this stage, he was one of the last surviving members of City and United's early 20th century sides.
After he spent many years in an unmarked grave, the Professional Footballers Association, the Welsh FA,
Manchester City and Manchester United, in a remarkable tribute to the
man's influence, all agreed to cover the cost of upkeep on a new
headstone and, after consultation with Meredith's 94-year-old daughter, a
special service was held to mark the new headstone in 2001.
Meredith is honoured in the Hall of fame at the City of Manchester Stadium.
It was announced in August 2007 that Meredith was one of the 10 new inductees for 2007 to the English Football Hall of Fame.