Complex sentence: He first came to the fore in 1887 when Villa built the Grand Stand at Perry Barr, as he was by trade, a surveyer for the Birmingham City Corporation his expertise and contacts proved invaluable to the club.
Split into simpler sentences: He first came to the fore in 1887 when Villa built the Grand Stand at Perry Barr. He was by trade, a surveyer for the Birmingham City Corporation so his expertise and contacts proved invaluable to the club.