George Wilson (English footballer)
Encyclopedia
George Wilson was an English
footballer who played in his club career at Blackpool
and Sheffield Wednesday
between 1912 and 1925. He made twelve appearances for England
, seven as captain.
, Lancashire
, and after playing schoolboy football in both Blackpool and Preston, he joined Fleetwood
and then Morecambe
, playing in the West Lancashire League
. He was spotted by a third Fylde Coast
club, Blackpool
, and signed for the Bloomfield Road
outfit in early 1912, making his debut on 27 January in a home victory over Fulham
.
After starting his first two games as a forward
, Wilson was moved into a midfield
role for the final seven games of the 1911–12
season. His only goal for Blackpool that campaign was the winner in a single-goal victory over Birmingham City
at Bloomfield Road on 20 April 1912. He was Blackpool's top scorer in his second season
at the club, with ten goals in 24 League appearances. Despite his efforts, Blackpool finished at the foot of the Second Division
table, but were re-elected for the following season
, of which he missed all but one game due to injury. On his return to the team during 1914–15
, he established himself at centre half, and managed to get two goals to his name – the first in a 5–1 rout of Clapton Orient
on 6 February 1915, and the second in a 2–1 defeat at Nottingham Forest
seven days later.
By the time that League football resumed after the First World War, he was "reckoned to be one of the best centre-halves in the game". In his final season at Blackpool, 1919–20
, he made 22 League appearances and scored one goal – in the opening game of the season, a 4–2 victory over Leeds City at Bloomfield Road.
His form attracted him to clubs in the First Division
and in March 1920 he crossed the Pennines
to join The Wednesday for a fee of £3,000. Unfortunately, his arrival came too late to prevent Wednesday being relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1919–20 season. Once again, he soon became the first-choice centre-half and, despite playing outside the top division, he was selected for the British Home Championship
match against Wales
on 14 March 1921. His England
debut ended in a goalless draw. He retained his place for the next three matches, and was appointed captain for the match against Northern Ireland
on 22 October 1921, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
He was unavailable for the next England match, and his place in the side, and his role as captain, was taken by Max Woosnam who thus gained his solitary England cap
. Over the next few matches, Wilson shared the captaincy with Arthur Grimsdell
and Charlie Buchan
. He was appointed captain for a friendly match against Belgium played at The Arsenal Stadium on 19 March 1923 which ended in a 6–1 victory, with Kenneth Hegan
scoring England's first two goals on his debut.
He continued to captain England until his final match against France
on 17 May 1924. The match ended in a 3–1 victory, with England’s goals coming from Vivian Gibbins
(two) and Harry Storer
. France's consolation goal was scored by Jules Dewaquez
. In his England career, Wilson played twelve matches, seven as captain, with a record of four victories, four draws and four defeats.
He continued to play for Wednesday until July 1925, playing a total of 197 games in all competitions for the club, he then returned to Lancashire
joining Nelson
for a fee of £2,000. He gave good service to the Third Division North club over five years, before retiring from playing in the summer of 1930.
After retirement, he returned to Blackpool, where he became a licensee
for thirty years until he retired in May 1961. He died six months later on 25 November 1961, aged 69.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who played in his club career at Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
and 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...
between 1912 and 1925. He made twelve appearances for England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, seven as captain.
Career
Wilson was born in KirkhamKirkham, Lancashire
Kirkham, or as it once was known, Kirkam-in-Amounderness is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Fylde in Lancashire, England, midway between Blackpool and Preston and adjacent to the smaller town of Wesham. It owes its existence to Carr Hill upon which it was built and which was the location...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and after playing schoolboy football in both Blackpool and Preston, he joined Fleetwood
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
and then Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
, playing in the West Lancashire League
West Lancashire Football League
The West Lancashire Football League is a football competition based in northern England, consisting of five divisions - three for first teams , and two for reserve teams...
. He was spotted by a third Fylde Coast
The Fylde
The Fylde ; Scandinavian: "field") is a coastal plain in western Lancashire, England. It is roughly a 13-mile square-shaped peninsula, bounded by Morecambe Bay to the north, the Ribble estuary to the south, the Irish Sea to the west, and the Bowland hills to the east...
club, Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, and signed for the Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...
outfit in early 1912, making his debut on 27 January in a home victory over Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
.
After starting his first two games as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Wilson was moved into a midfield
Midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports pitch that lies approximately in the center. It is a term most commonly associated with football to refer to the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region, but it can be used in field hockey to describe the same area, or in...
role for the final seven games of the 1911–12
Blackpool F.C. season 1911-12
The 1911-12 season was Blackpool F.C.s fifteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourteenth....
season. His only goal for Blackpool that campaign was the winner in a single-goal victory over Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
at Bloomfield Road on 20 April 1912. He was Blackpool's top scorer in his second season
Blackpool F.C. season 1912-13
The 1912-13 season was Blackpool F.C.s sixteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing bottom...
at the club, with ten goals in 24 League appearances. Despite his efforts, Blackpool finished at the foot of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
table, but were re-elected for the following season
Blackpool F.C. season 1913-14
The 1913-14 season was Blackpool F.C.s seventeenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing sixteenth....
, of which he missed all but one game due to injury. On his return to the team during 1914–15
Blackpool F.C. season 1914-15
The 1914-15 season was Blackpool F.C.s eighteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the twenty-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing tenth....
, he established himself at centre half, and managed to get two goals to his name – the first in a 5–1 rout of Clapton Orient
Leyton Orient F.C.
Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
on 6 February 1915, and the second in a 2–1 defeat at 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...
seven days later.
By the time that League football resumed after the First World War, he was "reckoned to be one of the best centre-halves in the game". In his final season at Blackpool, 1919–20
Blackpool F.C. season 1919-20
The 1919-20 season was Blackpool F.C.s nineteenth season in the Football League. They competed in the 22-team Division Two, then the second tier of English football, finishing fourth....
, he made 22 League appearances and scored one goal – in the opening game of the season, a 4–2 victory over Leeds City at Bloomfield Road.
His form attracted him to clubs in the First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
and in March 1920 he crossed the Pennines
Pennines
The Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
to join The Wednesday for a fee of £3,000. Unfortunately, his arrival came too late to prevent Wednesday being relegated to the Second Division at the end of the 1919–20 season. Once again, he soon became the first-choice centre-half and, despite playing outside the top division, he was selected for the British Home Championship
British Home Championship
The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland from the 1883–84 season until the 1983–84...
match against Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
on 14 March 1921. His England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
debut ended in a goalless draw. He retained his place for the next three matches, and was appointed captain for the match against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 22 October 1921, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
He was unavailable for the next England match, and his place in the side, and his role as captain, was taken by Max Woosnam who thus gained his solitary England cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
. Over the next few matches, Wilson shared the captaincy with Arthur Grimsdell
Arthur Grimsdell
Arthur Grimsdell was an English professional footballer.He was born in Watford, Hertfordshire and played at centre-half and later wing-half for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. and England...
and Charlie Buchan
Charlie Buchan
Charles Murray Buchan was an English football player and writer.-Early career:Born in Plumstead, London, Buchan first played as an amateur for local club Woolwich Arsenal, joining the club in December 1909...
. He was appointed captain for a friendly match against Belgium played at The Arsenal Stadium on 19 March 1923 which ended in a 6–1 victory, with Kenneth Hegan
Kenneth Hegan
Kenneth Edward "Jackie" Hegan OBE was an English amateur footballer who played on the wing and made four appearances for England in 1923, scoring four goals. He was a member of the Corinthian amateur club, and a professional soldier.-Career:Hegan was born in Coventry, and attended Bablake School...
scoring England's first two goals on his debut.
He continued to captain England until his final match against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
on 17 May 1924. The match ended in a 3–1 victory, with England’s goals coming from Vivian Gibbins
Vivian Gibbins
William Vivian Talbot Gibbins was an English amateur footballer who played as a striker....
(two) and Harry Storer
Harry Storer, Jr.
Harry Storer was an English professional footballer, cricketer and football manager.-Early life:Storer was born in West Derby, Liverpool, the son of Harry Storer...
. France's consolation goal was scored by Jules Dewaquez
Jules Dewaquez
Jules Dewaquez , was a French amateur footballer, who played for both club and country on the right wing. He was extremely short and renowned for his small moustache. By profession he was a technical draughtsman, but he became one of the most successful French players during the 1920s...
. In his England career, Wilson played twelve matches, seven as captain, with a record of four victories, four draws and four defeats.
He continued to play for Wednesday until July 1925, playing a total of 197 games in all competitions for the club, he then returned to Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
joining Nelson
Nelson F.C.
Nelson F.C. are an English football club, based in Nelson, Lancashire. They are currently members of the North West Counties Football League Division One, who played their home matches at Victoria Park, Lomeshaye Way. They are full members of the Lancashire County Football Association.-Early years:...
for a fee of £2,000. He gave good service to the Third Division North club over five years, before retiring from playing in the summer of 1930.
After retirement, he returned to Blackpool, where he became a licensee
Licensee
A licensee is someone who has been granted a licence.- Tort law :The term is used in the USA law of torts to describe a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to enter...
for thirty years until he retired in May 1961. He died six months later on 25 November 1961, aged 69.