George Hilsdon
Encyclopedia
George Richard Hilsdon was a footballer
who began his career at West Ham United
, making his debut in the 1903-04
season. His brother Jack Hilsdon also played for West Ham at this time. He was nickname
d "Gatling Gun" because his shots "were simply unstoppable and which travel like shots from a gun
."
In 1906 Hilsdon was recommended to then-Chelsea
manager John Robertson, who had been advised that Hilsdon would be available for transfer; so enthralled was Robertson with Hilsdon's ability that he promised to turn him into Chelsea's next center forward. Hilsdon joined Chelsea later that year on £
4 a week wages. He scored five goals on his debut in a 9-2 win over Glossop North End, and would later score six in an FA Cup
tie with Worksop Town
, a club record which remains unequaled. The club program described him as “living proof that to become a first-class footballer it is not necessary to be born north of the Tweed
”.
Hilsdon scored 27 goals that season, which helped earn Chelsea promotion to the First Division
in their second year of professional
football. Within three years he had notched 76 goals in 99 appearances. His later days with Chelsea were hindered by problems with injuries and his personal life, including a battle with alcoholism
, though he did score 19 goals in 1910-11
. He became the first Chelsea player to score 100 goals, and ended his time there with 108 from 164 games. He is currently the club's 9th highest goal scorer of all time.
Hilsdon received international recognition for England
, often playing alongside his Chelsea team mate, Jimmy Windridge
. Shortly after joining Chelsea he was selected to play for a Football League XI, for whom he hit a hat-trick
in a 6-0 win over the Irish League on his debut. He made his England debut in February 1907 against Ireland. He scored four goals for England in a 7-0 win over Hungary
and two apiece in wins over Ireland
, Austria
, Wales
and Bohemia
. In all, he managed to score 14 times in just eight international games for England, eight of his goals coming from games in England's first overseas tour in 1908.
In 1912 he returned to West Ham, and was top scorer for them in the 1912-13
season, scoring 17 goals in 36 games. He was known at this point as the "old international", even though he was still only 27 years of age. Hilsdon played for West Ham until 1915, and during his two spells there he recorded 92 Southern League
appearances, and scored 35 goals. Hilsdon also played in four World War I
games for the east London outfit. He is also credited with helping the development of young West Ham striker Syd Puddefoot
.
During the war Hilsdon tried to avoid active service and was caught by the police hiding in a chicken run, and was called up. This affected him greatly, and in the words of his son, he “copped the mustard gas at Arras.”
After the War, he worked as a teaboy on building sites, ran a pub
and organised raffles in East End
pubs.
He died in Leicester in 1941 and only four people came to the funeral
. There is no stone to mark Hilsdon's grave. A weather vane
modelled on Hilsdon is still a feature of Stamford Bridge
, Chelsea's home ground.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who began his career at West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
, making his debut in the 1903-04
1903-04 in English football
The 1903–04 season was the 33rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:For the first time ever, a London team, Woolwich Arsenal, is promoted to the First Division and makes the League's reach nationwide...
season. His brother Jack Hilsdon also played for West Ham at this time. He was nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d "Gatling Gun" because his shots "were simply unstoppable and which travel like shots from a gun
Gatling gun
The Gatling gun is one of the best known early rapid-fire weapons and a forerunner of the modern machine gun. It is well known for its use by the Union forces during the American Civil War in the 1860s, which was the first time it was employed in combat...
."
In 1906 Hilsdon was recommended to then-Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
manager John Robertson, who had been advised that Hilsdon would be available for transfer; so enthralled was Robertson with Hilsdon's ability that he promised to turn him into Chelsea's next center forward. Hilsdon joined Chelsea later that year on £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4 a week wages. He scored five goals on his debut in a 9-2 win over Glossop North End, and would later score six in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie with Worksop Town
Worksop Town F.C.
Worksop Town Football Club are a semi-professional English football club from Worksop, Nottinghamshire who play in the Northern Premier League Premier Division...
, a club record which remains unequaled. The club program described him as “living proof that to become a first-class footballer it is not necessary to be born north of the Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
”.
Hilsdon scored 27 goals that season, which helped earn Chelsea promotion to 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....
in their second year of professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
football. Within three years he had notched 76 goals in 99 appearances. His later days with Chelsea were hindered by problems with injuries and his personal life, including a battle with alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, though he did score 19 goals in 1910-11
1910-11 in English football
The 1910–11 season was the 40th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Huddersfield Town entered the Football League for the first time. Grimsby Town were the team who made way for them...
. He became the first Chelsea player to score 100 goals, and ended his time there with 108 from 164 games. He is currently the club's 9th highest goal scorer of all time.
Hilsdon received international recognition 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...
, often playing alongside his Chelsea team mate, Jimmy Windridge
Jimmy Windridge
James Edwin "Jimmy" Windridge was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He made more than 250 appearances in the Football League for Small Heath/Birmingham, Chelsea and Middlesbrough, and played eight times for England.-Football career:Born in Small Heath, Birmingham, Windridge...
. Shortly after joining Chelsea he was selected to play for a Football League XI, for whom he hit a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a 6-0 win over the Irish League on his debut. He made his England debut in February 1907 against Ireland. He scored four goals for England in a 7-0 win over Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
and two apiece in wins over Ireland
Ireland national football team (IFA)
The Ireland national football team represented Ireland at association football, it was organised by the Irish FA , and is the fourth oldest international team in the world. It mainly played in the British Home Championship against England, Scotland and Wales...
, Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
, 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...
and Bohemia
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
. In all, he managed to score 14 times in just eight international games for England, eight of his goals coming from games in England's first overseas tour in 1908.
In 1912 he returned to West Ham, and was top scorer for them in the 1912-13
1912-13 in English football
The 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7....
season, scoring 17 goals in 36 games. He was known at this point as the "old international", even though he was still only 27 years of age. Hilsdon played for West Ham until 1915, and during his two spells there he recorded 92 Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
appearances, and scored 35 goals. Hilsdon also played in four World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
games for the east London outfit. He is also credited with helping the development of young West Ham striker Syd Puddefoot
Syd Puddefoot
Sydney Charles Puddefoot was a footballer who played as a forward for West Ham United...
.
During the war Hilsdon tried to avoid active service and was caught by the police hiding in a chicken run, and was called up. This affected him greatly, and in the words of his son, he “copped the mustard gas at Arras.”
After the War, he worked as a teaboy on building sites, ran a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
and organised raffles in East End
East End of London
The East End of London, also known simply as the East End, is the area of London, England, United Kingdom, east of the medieval walled City of London and north of the River Thames. Although not defined by universally accepted formal boundaries, the River Lea can be considered another boundary...
pubs.
He died in Leicester in 1941 and only four people came to the funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
. There is no stone to mark Hilsdon's grave. A weather vane
Weather vane
A weather vane is an instrument for showing the direction of the wind. They are typically used as an architectural ornament to the highest point of a building....
modelled on Hilsdon is still a feature of Stamford Bridge
Stamford Bridge (stadium)
Stamford Bridge is a football stadium in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, West London, and is the home of Chelsea Football Club. The stadium is located within the Moore Park Estate also known as Walham Green and is often referred to as simply The Bridge...
, Chelsea's home ground.