Bill McKnight has been elected as the County FA’s new President.

Bill was nominated and elected by the Berks & Bucks FA Council and takes on the role following the sad passing of former County FA President, Bill Gosling, in June last year. 

Bill McKnight started his football journey with Berks & Bucks at the age of thirteen when he started playing in High Wycombe, followed by many playing youth and adult football including a stint in the Hellenic Football League with Stokenchurch. 

After hanging up his playing boots, Bill moved into Refereeing as a way to stay involved with the game that had given him so much where he recalls refereeing the Berks and Bucks Sunday Junior Cup Final in 1984 as one of his highlights.

His love for football stretched beyond simply playing however, and in the 1970s he moved to Faringdon where he played for and Managed Faringdon Town, before becoming part of a group that founded the Upper Thames Valley Sunday Football League where he was Referee Secretary for 25 years and Chairman for six.

It was in 2003 that he was approached by then President, Bill Gosling (who knew of his love for football), to become a member of the Berks & Bucks FA Council. 

Since that time, Bill has been a Council Member, Chairman of the Football Operations group, heavily involved in the representative and County Cup football as well a member of the Board.



On his appointment as President of the organisation, Bill McKnight, said; “It’s a very proud moment for me being elected as the President of the County FA. It means everything and is a dream come true. 

“When I started to volunteer for the County FA it was an honour to be involved and I still feel that way now. Meeting different people and knowing different clubs and talking to them about the County FA and helping to take football in the county forward was the reason I went out on Saturdays.”

In his role as President, Bill is still committed to helping and progressing the game across the region and is honoured to represent the County FA, in the highest ambassadorial role, as his friend and mentor Bill Gosling did for so many years before him.

“Succeeding Bill Gosling means everything to me. He was a wonderful friend and a great ambassador to the County FA for nearly 50 years and he just loved football, he lived for it. 

“I learnt so much from him over the years about what to expect in the role and how to be there when people need you. Having the opportunity to continue in the role he loved so much and to help the county progress by calling on the knowledge and experience he shared is a huge honour and privilege and I look forward to serving the County FA however I can.”