George Lee (footballer)
Encyclopedia
George Lee was an English footballer who played left wing for York City
, Nottingham Forest
And West Bromwich Albion
. After retiring from playing he became coach at West Bromwich Albion
and later Norwich City
.
and attended Knavesmire School. As a teenager he represented York City Schools, Yorkshire County Boys and Acomb F.C., before a trial at Tottenham Hotspur
and a brief spell at Scarborough
. He signed for his first senior team York City
in 1936. He put pen to paper on the stroke of midnight on his seventeenth birthday, seventeen being the youngest age that a player could sign a professional contract at the time. His career at York City blossomed during the war when he was York's leading scorer for four consecutive seasons. In April 1943 Lee became the first player to score 100 goals for York City, reaching the milestone with a converted penalty in a World War II match against Sheffield Wednesday
.
In 1946, after serving his country in World War II, Lee was selected to play for England in the European Championships, scoring six goals in 10 appearances. He signed for Nottingham Forest
in 1947 for a fee of £7500, before a £12,000 move to West Bromwich Albion
in 1949. He made his debut for Albion in a 1–0 win against Charlton Athletic
on 20 August 1949, the opening day of the 1949–50 season, and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat away to Liverpool
on 18 February 1950. He became a regular in the no. 11 shirt in his first seven seasons at the club. Lee played in the 1954 FA Cup Final, setting up Ronnie Allen
for the opening goal and picking up a winner's medal as the Baggies beat Preston North End
3–2. After scoring 65 goals in 295 appearances for Albion, Lee joined non-league Lockheed Leamington
on a free transfer in June 1958, before a short period at Vauxhall Motors
.
After retiring as a player, Lee returned to West Bromwich Albion as a coach/trainer in 1959. He became a coach at Norwich City
in 1963, serving the East Anglia club until 1987. Lee died in Norwich in 1991 at the age of 71.
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
, Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
And West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
. After retiring from playing he became coach at West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
and later Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
.
Biography
Lee was born in YorkYork
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
and attended Knavesmire School. As a teenager he represented York City Schools, Yorkshire County Boys and Acomb F.C., before a trial at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and a brief spell at Scarborough
Scarborough F.C.
Scarborough Football Club was an English football club based in the seaside resort of Scarborough, North Yorkshire. They were one of the oldest football clubs in England, formed in 1879, before they were wound up on 20 June 2007, with debts of £2.5 million.In the 2006–07 season...
. He signed for his first senior team York City
York City F.C.
York City Football Club is an English football club based in York, North Yorkshire. The club participates in the Conference National, the fifth tier of English football. Founded in 1922, they joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their history in the lower divisions...
in 1936. He put pen to paper on the stroke of midnight on his seventeenth birthday, seventeen being the youngest age that a player could sign a professional contract at the time. His career at York City blossomed during the war when he was York's leading scorer for four consecutive seasons. In April 1943 Lee became the first player to score 100 goals for York City, reaching the milestone with a converted penalty in a World War II match against Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
.
In 1946, after serving his country in World War II, Lee was selected to play for England in the European Championships, scoring six goals in 10 appearances. He signed for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in 1947 for a fee of £7500, before a £12,000 move to West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
in 1949. He made his debut for Albion in a 1–0 win against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 20 August 1949, the opening day of the 1949–50 season, and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat away to Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 18 February 1950. He became a regular in the no. 11 shirt in his first seven seasons at the club. Lee played in the 1954 FA Cup Final, setting up Ronnie Allen
Ronnie Allen
Ronald "Ronnie" Allen was an English international football player and manager. He was a professional footballer for nineteen years, between 1946 and 1964, making 638 appearances in the Football League, and scoring 276 goals. He also won five caps for England national team...
for the opening goal and picking up a winner's medal as the Baggies beat Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
3–2. After scoring 65 goals in 295 appearances for Albion, Lee joined non-league Lockheed Leamington
Leamington F.C.
Leamington Football Club is the main football club in Whitnash, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, currently playing in the Southern Football League Premier Division....
on a free transfer in June 1958, before a short period at Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors F.C.
Vauxhall Motors Football Club is an English football club based in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, who play in the Conference North. It was originally the works team of the car manufacturer Vauxhall...
.
After retiring as a player, Lee returned to West Bromwich Albion as a coach/trainer in 1959. He became a coach at Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in 1963, serving the East Anglia club until 1987. Lee died in Norwich in 1991 at the age of 71.