George Kay
Encyclopedia
George Kay was an English
football
player and manager of Luton Town
, Southampton
and Liverpool
.
The highlight of his playing career was when he captained West Ham United
in the first FA Cup
final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.
He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years (1936–1951) and led them to the Football League title in 1947, the first post-war football season.
and joined Bolton Wanderers
in 1911. After failing to agree re-signing terms, he joined Belfast club Distillery
at the start of the 1911–12 season, helping to win the Gold Cup
and the CAS
despite a long-term injury interrupting his playing career, and becoming the first Englishman
to captain an Irish Football League representative team.
He served with the Royal Garrison Artillery
during the First World War
and, following the war, he moved back to England
and joined West Ham
in July 1919, where he spent the next seven seasons. He made his debut at home against Barnsley
in September 1919 and, having taken over the captaincy from Billy Cope
for the 1922–23 season
, led the West Ham side that gained promotion to the First Division
and reached the FA Cup Final against his former club, Bolton Wanderers, in 1923. This was the first FA Cup
final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final. He was one of the few members of the Cup Final side never to win an international cap but became the first West Ham player to play over 200 league games for the club.
Even at this age, Kay's health was never good and on a tour of Spain in 1926 he fell ill and he remained in Spain for three weeks before he was fit enough to return to England. As a result he retired from active playing, although he did turn out twice for Stockport County
in 1927.
, before moving up to manager in 1929. In his two seasons as manager, the Hatters languished in mid-table in the Third Division South
, finishing 13th and 7th, before Kay accepted the challenge to run Southampton
in May 1931.
in May 1931, following the resignation of Arthur Chadwick
, who had stood down after Saints had embarked on a policy of selling their best players to survive financially.
In an effort to rebuild the club’s fortunes and help them survive during these difficult times financially, Kay created Saints’ first nursery side, and before long a new generation of young players came into the first team having come through the nursery ranks, including Ted Drake
(who later joined Arsenal
and played for England
) and Charlie Sillett
(father of John
and Peter)
, thus ushering in a new era for the club.
Kay "was tremendously enthusiastic and he worked hard throughout his stay at The Dell
, using up a considerable amount of nervous energy at every match. He 'played' every kick and his body would visibly vibrate to the stresses and strains on the playing field".
During Kay’s five seasons at The Dell, Southampton languished in Division 2, finishing each season in the lower half of the table and being eliminated from the FA Cup
each year in the early stages. He started his Southampton career brightly with an opening day victory over Burnley
on 29 August 1931 and by mid-September they topped the division. Such form could not last, however, and injuries soon resulted in the club sliding down the table. Kay was unable to field a settled side and used 30 different players during the season, including six different centre forwards
. Other than the emergence of youngsters such as Drake and Sillett, the bright spots of this first season
in charge were Johnny Arnold
, who was top scorer with 20 goals, and Arthur Haddleton
, who scored in eight consecutive games at the start of the season.
During the 1932 close season, in order to balance the books several players left the club including Bill Fraser
, Bert Jepson
and Haddleton (who all joined Fulham
), Johnny McIlwaine
(who joined Llanelli after failure to agree terms) and Willie Haines
, who retired to join Weymouth
. Despite the large number of departures the team had a more settled look about it and during the 1932–33 season Kay had a squad of 15 players of whom twelve were the mainstay of the side. Led by Ted Drake, the team improved slightly on the previous season, winning a club record 15 out of 21 home matches, but only registering three away victories. Unfortunately, once again the directors needed to raise cash and in February 1933 they sold Arnold
and Mike Keeping
to Fulham for a combined fee of £5,000. Jimmy McIntyre
, the former Saints manager now in charge at Fulham boasted that this was “the best deal I ever brought off”. The fans were now disillusioned with the club and attendances dropped to record lows, with only 2,949 turning out for the match against Bradford City on 25 February, well below the break-even target of 14,000. Despite the financial difficulties faced by the club, the team were not badly affected and ended the season in mid-table.
In the 1933–34 season, Saints equalled the record of 15 home victories, but their away form was abysmal failing to win even once and picking up only six draws. The most significant events of the season involved Ted Drake
, who scored a hat trick
in the opening day’s match against Bradford City, was sent off against Grimsby Town
in December and, inevitably, was sold for a record fee of £6,000 to Arsenal in March. Despite finishing his Saints season two months early, Drake was comfortably the side’s top scorer with 22 league goals, with no other player managing more than six. As a result of their poor away form, Saints ended the season well down the table in 14th place.
The departure of Drake, although balancing the club’s finances, left a large gap in the Saints forward line which Kay was not able to fill satisfactorily. In the summer of 1934, Kay signed Laurie Fishlock
from Millwall
as a winger and promoted Norman Cole
from the reserves, but the side lacked any real fire-power. McIlwaine returned from his “exile” at Llanelli in an effort to bolster the defence. The season started badly with only two points from the first five games. The depressing form continued until Christmas, when the team won three consecutive matches, including their first away victory (against Swansea Town) ending a run of 33 away games without a win. They managed only one further away victory and were serious candidates for relegation, finishing the season
in 19th place. Cole was top scorer with eight league goals as Saints managed a miserly total of only 46 goals. The club’s finances were now so dire that the supporters club had to make a loan of £200 to help finance the summer wage bill.
1935–36
was Southampton’s fiftieth season since their original formation in 1885, but the club approached their jubilee season in a gloomy state with little to celebrate. They did, however, venture into the transfer market signing centre-forward Vic Watson
from Kay’s former club West Ham United
. The team made a superb start to the season with four wins and two draws in the first six games and by the end of September Saints were top of the table. Once again, this form could not be sustained, and only three further games were won before the new year. The slump continued into 1936 being partly relieved by a 7–2 victory over Nottingham Forest
on 15 February. On 28 March Saints suffered their heaviest-ever league defeat, going down 8–0 away to Tottenham Hotspur
and two days later had their lowest ever home attendance for a league match, when only 1,875 turned out on a Monday night to witness a 1–0 defeat against Port Vale
. Predictably, the directors responded by selling their better players, with goalkeepe Billy Light
(another product of the nursery side) being sold to West Bromwich Albion
for £2,000. Once again Saints finished the season in a disappointing 17th position, with Watson top-scorer on 14 goals.
In June 1936, the entire board of directors resigned, to be replaced with a new board. In order to reduce the company's wage bill, the new board asked Kay to resign. In August, Kay accepted an offer from Liverpool
along with long-serving trainer Bert Shelley
. Kay's position as manager at Southampton was filled by the promotion of George Goss
, the company secretary, who took charge of the team, with captain Johnny McIlwaine
taking on the role of assistant manager.
would be unable to continue the managerial side of his role.
Kay’s career as Liverpool manager started poorly, with only three wins and four draws from the first twelve matches. This run included a 2–6 defeat at Portsmouth
’s Fratton Park
on 2 September and a 2–5 defeat at Brentford
; the only bright spot in this spell was a 7–1 victory over Grimsby Town
on 12 September, with two goals from Fred Howe
. Results improved slightly as the season progressed and Liverpool finished Kay’s first season
in charge in 18th place in Division 1.
Despite the set-back of an opening day 1–6 defeat at Chelsea
’s Stamford Bridge
, Liverpool finished the 1937–38 season comfortably in mid-table, with Alf Hanson
top scorer on 14 league goals. In the following season, Liverpool again finished in 11th position in the table, with Berry Nieuwenhuys
, Willie Fagan
and Phil Taylor
joint top scorers in the league with 14 goals each.
In readiness for the next season, Kay snapped up young defender Bob Paisley
on a free transfer from Bishop Auckland
, as well as another future Liverpool legend Billy Liddell
, but all their careers were then interrupted by the outbreak of World War II
.
After the war, the club took the unusual decision to tour the United States and Canada. It was Kay’s theory that the climate and diet in North America would be extremely beneficial to the players. The punishing schedule of 10 matches in less than a month meant that the Liverpool squad started the first post-war season
in far better physical shape than many of their competitors.
The season started slowly, with four victories and three defeats in the first seven games. The victories included a 7–4 match against Chelsea
on 7 September, in which Bob Paisley made his league debut for the club and Billy Liddell scored his first league goal. There was also a 5–0 defeat away to Manchester United
(played at Maine Road
). Things began to improve and a run of seven consecutive victories in February and March set the club on the way to the championship.
Liverpool had a long run in the F.A. Cup, eventually going out to Burnley
in the semi-final, after a replay. The club did, however, pick up the Lancashire Senior Cup, Lancashire County Combination Championship Cup and Liverpool Senior Cup
along the way.
As the season reached its climax, several clubs were still in contention and on 31 May 1947 Liverpool went to Molineux
to meet the leaders, Wolverhampton Wanderers
needing to win to take the championship, as well as other results going in their favour. Liverpool won the match 2–1, other results went their way and the Reds were champions of the Football League for a fifth time. It was George Kay’s finest moment as a football manager.
Top scorers in the Championship season were Jack Balmer
and Albert Stubbins
with 24 league goals each. They continued to be prolific scorers during Kay’s period in charge but the club was unable to come close to another championship, finishing each of the next three seasons in the lower part of the top half of the table. In 1950, they reached the F.A. Cup final for the first time in 36 years, but the match at Wembley ended in a 2–0 victory for Arsenal
.
By now, Kay was clearly not a well man and he retired in January 1951 and he died in Liverpool three years later on 18 April 1954.
West Ham United
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...
football
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...
player and manager of Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
and 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...
.
The highlight of his playing career was when he captained 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...
in the first 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...
final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final.
He was manager of Liverpool for 15 years (1936–1951) and led them to the Football League title in 1947, the first post-war football season.
Playing career
Kay was born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
and joined Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in 1911. After failing to agree re-signing terms, he joined Belfast club Distillery
Lisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...
at the start of the 1911–12 season, helping to win the Gold Cup
Gold Cup (Northern Ireland)
The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
and the CAS
County Antrim Shield
The County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
despite a long-term injury interrupting his playing career, and becoming the first Englishman
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...
to captain an Irish Football League representative team.
He served with the Royal Garrison Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
during the First World War
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...
and, following the war, he moved back to England
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...
and joined West Ham
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...
in July 1919, where he spent the next seven seasons. He made his debut at home against Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
in September 1919 and, having taken over the captaincy from Billy Cope
William Cope (footballer)
William Arthur Cope was an English footballer who played as a full-back. He played 287 league games in the Football League over a nineteen year professional career....
for the 1922–23 season
1922-23 in English football
The 1922–23 season was the 48th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Liverpool retained the First Division title, but halfway through the season their manager David Ashworth left the club to take over at Oldham Athletic, who ended the season relegated.-Honours:Notes = Number in...
, led the West Ham side that gained 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....
and reached the FA Cup Final against his former club, Bolton Wanderers, in 1923. This was the first 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...
final to be played at Wembley, the so-called White Horse Final. He was one of the few members of the Cup Final side never to win an international cap but became the first West Ham player to play over 200 league games for the club.
Even at this age, Kay's health was never good and on a tour of Spain in 1926 he fell ill and he remained in Spain for three weeks before he was fit enough to return to England. As a result he retired from active playing, although he did turn out twice for Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
in 1927.
Appearances for West Ham United
|
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Luton Town
In 1927, he became coach at Luton TownLuton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, before moving up to manager in 1929. In his two seasons as manager, the Hatters languished in mid-table in the Third Division South
Football League Third Division South
The Football League Third Division South was a level of English professional football which ran in parallel to Third Division North from 1921 to 1958....
, finishing 13th and 7th, before Kay accepted the challenge to run Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in May 1931.
Southampton
He joined SouthamptonSouthampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
in May 1931, following the resignation of Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick
Arthur Chadwick was a professional footballer whose playing career included spells at Portsmouth and Southampton, before going on to be manager at Exeter City, Reading and Southampton...
, who had stood down after Saints had embarked on a policy of selling their best players to survive financially.
In an effort to rebuild the club’s fortunes and help them survive during these difficult times financially, Kay created Saints’ first nursery side, and before long a new generation of young players came into the first team having come through the nursery ranks, including Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
(who later joined Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
and played 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...
) and Charlie Sillett
Charlie Sillett
Charles Thomas "Charlie" Sillett was an English professional footballer who played as a full back for Southampton in the 1930s...
(father of John
John Sillett
John Charles Sillett is a former football player and manager.His father Charlie Sillett was a footballer with Southampton between 1931 and 1938. He is the younger brother of Peter Sillett, also a footballer.Sillett played for Chelsea, Coventry City and Plymouth Argyle...
and Peter)
Peter Sillett
Peter Richard Tudor Sillett was an England footballer. He played for Chelsea and Southampton as a right-back, and made three appearances for England....
, thus ushering in a new era for the club.
Kay "was tremendously enthusiastic and he worked hard throughout his stay at The Dell
The Dell (Southampton F.C.)
The Dell in Milton Road, Southampton, England was the home ground of Southampton Football Club, between 1898 and 2001.-New stadium:Since 1896, Southampton had been tenants of Hampshire County Cricket Club at the County Ground, having vacated the Antelope Ground in the summer of 1896...
, using up a considerable amount of nervous energy at every match. He 'played' every kick and his body would visibly vibrate to the stresses and strains on the playing field".
During Kay’s five seasons at The Dell, Southampton languished in Division 2, finishing each season in the lower half of the table and being eliminated from the 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...
each year in the early stages. He started his Southampton career brightly with an opening day victory over Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 29 August 1931 and by mid-September they topped the division. Such form could not last, however, and injuries soon resulted in the club sliding down the table. Kay was unable to field a settled side and used 30 different players during the season, including six different centre forwards
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...
. Other than the emergence of youngsters such as Drake and Sillett, the bright spots of this first season
1931-32 in English football
The 1931–32 season was the 57th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
in charge were Johnny Arnold
John Arnold (cricketer)
John Arnold was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1931.-Cricket career:...
, who was top scorer with 20 goals, and Arthur Haddleton
Arthur Haddleton
Arthur Haddleton was an English footballer who played as a centre forward for various clubs in the 1930s. Despite showing promise in the early part of his career, he eventually achieved very little, although he did score in eight consecutive matches in 1931.-Early days:Haddleton was born in...
, who scored in eight consecutive games at the start of the season.
During the 1932 close season, in order to balance the books several players left the club including Bill Fraser
Bill Fraser (footballer)
William Cuthbert Fraser was an English professional footballer who played at inside forward for Northampton Town and Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Early career:...
, Bert Jepson
Bert Jepson
Albert Edward Jepson was an English footballer who played as an outside right for Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion in the 1920s and 1930s.-Huddersfield Town:...
and Haddleton (who all joined 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...
), Johnny McIlwaine
Johnny McIlwaine
John "Johnny" McIlwaine was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Portsmouth, where he captained the team in the 1929 FA Cup Final, before moving to south coast rivals Southampton...
(who joined Llanelli after failure to agree terms) and Willie Haines
Willie Haines
Wyndham William Pretoria "Willie" Haines was an English footballer who played at centre-forward for south coast rivals, Portsmouth and then Southampton in the 1920s and 1930s.-Football career:...
, who retired to join Weymouth
Weymouth F.C.
Weymouth F.C. are an English football club based in the town of Weymouth, who currently play in the Southern League Premier Division.-History:Weymouth Football Club were founded in 1890 and played their first game on 24 September of that year...
. Despite the large number of departures the team had a more settled look about it and during the 1932–33 season Kay had a squad of 15 players of whom twelve were the mainstay of the side. Led by Ted Drake, the team improved slightly on the previous season, winning a club record 15 out of 21 home matches, but only registering three away victories. Unfortunately, once again the directors needed to raise cash and in February 1933 they sold Arnold
John Arnold (cricketer)
John Arnold was an English cricketer who played in one Test in 1931.-Cricket career:...
and Mike Keeping
Michael Keeping
Alexander Edwin Michael "Mike" Keeping was an English footballer and manager. He coached Real Madrid C.F. from January 1948 to October 1950.-Southampton:...
to Fulham for a combined fee of £5,000. Jimmy McIntyre
Jimmy McIntyre
James Alfred "Jimmy" McIntyre was an English footballer who became manager at Southampton, Coventry City and Fulham.-Playing career:...
, the former Saints manager now in charge at Fulham boasted that this was “the best deal I ever brought off”. The fans were now disillusioned with the club and attendances dropped to record lows, with only 2,949 turning out for the match against Bradford City on 25 February, well below the break-even target of 14,000. Despite the financial difficulties faced by the club, the team were not badly affected and ended the season in mid-table.
In the 1933–34 season, Saints equalled the record of 15 home victories, but their away form was abysmal failing to win even once and picking up only six draws. The most significant events of the season involved Ted Drake
Ted Drake
Edward Joseph "Ted" Drake was an English football player and manager. As a player, he first played for Southampton but made his name playing for Arsenal in the 1930s, winning two league titles and an FA Cup, as well as five caps for England. He was also a cricketer, but only ever played sparingly...
, who scored a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
in the opening day’s match against Bradford City, was sent off against Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
in December and, inevitably, was sold for a record fee of £6,000 to Arsenal in March. Despite finishing his Saints season two months early, Drake was comfortably the side’s top scorer with 22 league goals, with no other player managing more than six. As a result of their poor away form, Saints ended the season well down the table in 14th place.
The departure of Drake, although balancing the club’s finances, left a large gap in the Saints forward line which Kay was not able to fill satisfactorily. In the summer of 1934, Kay signed Laurie Fishlock
Laurie Fishlock
Laurence Barnard "Laurie" Fishlock was an English cricketer, who played in four Tests from 1936 to 1947. A specialist batsman, he achieved little in those four matches, but might have had a much more substantial Test career, had he not lost six of what should have been his best years to World War...
from Millwall
Millwall F.C.
Millwall Football Club is an English professional football club based in South Bermondsey, south east London, that plays in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football. Founded as Millwall Rovers in 1885, the club has retained its name despite having last played in the...
as a winger and promoted Norman Cole
Norman Cole (footballer)
Norman Philip Cole was an English footballer who played in the 1930s at centre-forward, spending most of his career with Southampton...
from the reserves, but the side lacked any real fire-power. McIlwaine returned from his “exile” at Llanelli in an effort to bolster the defence. The season started badly with only two points from the first five games. The depressing form continued until Christmas, when the team won three consecutive matches, including their first away victory (against Swansea Town) ending a run of 33 away games without a win. They managed only one further away victory and were serious candidates for relegation, finishing the season
1934-35 in English football
The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Arsenal become only the second team to win the League three consecutive times.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
in 19th place. Cole was top scorer with eight league goals as Saints managed a miserly total of only 46 goals. The club’s finances were now so dire that the supporters club had to make a loan of £200 to help finance the summer wage bill.
1935–36
1935-36 in English football
The 1935–36 season was the 61st season of competitive football in England.-Events:Sunderland AFC won the league, and in doing so they remain the last team to win the English League while wearing striped jerseys...
was Southampton’s fiftieth season since their original formation in 1885, but the club approached their jubilee season in a gloomy state with little to celebrate. They did, however, venture into the transfer market signing centre-forward Vic Watson
Vic Watson
Victor Martin Watson was an English footballer who played most of his club football for West Ham United....
from Kay’s former club 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...
. The team made a superb start to the season with four wins and two draws in the first six games and by the end of September Saints were top of the table. Once again, this form could not be sustained, and only three further games were won before the new year. The slump continued into 1936 being partly relieved by a 7–2 victory over 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...
on 15 February. On 28 March Saints suffered their heaviest-ever league defeat, going down 8–0 away to 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 two days later had their lowest ever home attendance for a league match, when only 1,875 turned out on a Monday night to witness a 1–0 defeat against Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
. Predictably, the directors responded by selling their better players, with goalkeepe Billy Light
Billy Light
William Henry "Billy" Light was an English footballer who played for Southampton and West Bromwich Albion as a goalkeeper in the 1930s.-Southampton:...
(another product of the nursery side) being sold 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...
for £2,000. Once again Saints finished the season in a disappointing 17th position, with Watson top-scorer on 14 goals.
In June 1936, the entire board of directors resigned, to be replaced with a new board. In order to reduce the company's wage bill, the new board asked Kay to resign. In August, Kay accepted an offer from 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...
along with long-serving trainer Bert Shelley
Bert Shelley
Frederick Albert "Bert" Shelley was an English footballer, who played as a half back for Southampton, for whom he made nearly 450 appearances, before becoming a coach at Southampton...
. Kay's position as manager at Southampton was filled by the promotion of George Goss
George Goss
George Goss is a former naval officer and football manager, who was manager of Southampton F.C. for the 1936-37 season.Goss served in the Royal Navy during World War I, and played football for the naval side. On leaving the navy, he joined the staff of Southampton F.C...
, the company secretary, who took charge of the team, with captain Johnny McIlwaine
Johnny McIlwaine
John "Johnny" McIlwaine was a Scottish footballer who played as a centre half for Portsmouth, where he captained the team in the 1929 FA Cup Final, before moving to south coast rivals Southampton...
taking on the role of assistant manager.
Liverpool
At Southampton, severe financial problems and the continual sale of the club’s best players, prevented Kay from realising his full potential as a manager. He was, however, experienced, well respected and knowledgeable and not afraid to try out new ideas, and the combination of these qualities brought him to Liverpool’s attention when it was clear that George PattersonGeorge Patterson (football)
George Patterson was a football manager and secretary who was involved with Liverpool F.C. for much of the first half of the 20th century. After a playing career spent mostly with Marine F.C., Patterson joined Liverpool in 1908, as assistant to Tom Watson. After a spell as club secretary, he was...
would be unable to continue the managerial side of his role.
Kay’s career as Liverpool manager started poorly, with only three wins and four draws from the first twelve matches. This run included a 2–6 defeat at Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
’s Fratton Park
Fratton Park
Fratton Park is a football stadium in the English city-port of Portsmouth. It has been the home of professional club Portsmouth F.C. since its construction in 1898.-Description:...
on 2 September and a 2–5 defeat at Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....
; the only bright spot in this spell was a 7–1 victory over Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
on 12 September, with two goals from Fred Howe
Fred Howe
Fred Howe was an English professional soccer player who played as a striker. His professional career took a while to get started, playing non-league football until he was 22, only puncuated with a brief spell at Stockport County...
. Results improved slightly as the season progressed and Liverpool finished Kay’s first season
1936-37 in English football
The 1936–37 season was the 62nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
in charge in 18th place in Division 1.
Despite the set-back of an opening day 1–6 defeat at 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...
’s 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...
, Liverpool finished the 1937–38 season comfortably in mid-table, with Alf Hanson
Alf Hanson
Adolph Jonathan "Alf" Hanson , son of a Norwegian mariner, was a football player for Liverpool and Chelsea, South Liverpool, Shelbourne, Ellesmere Port Town and Tranmere Rovers.-Life and playing career:...
top scorer on 14 league goals. In the following season, Liverpool again finished in 11th position in the table, with Berry Nieuwenhuys
Berry Nieuwenhuys
Berry Nieuwenhuys, was a South African footballer who played predominantly for Liverpool, which he was contracted to from 1933 to 1947. He retired in 1947, returning to South Africa to be employed at the Transvaal Country Club....
, Willie Fagan
Willie Fagan
William 'Willie' Fagan was a footballer who played for Liverpool.-Football career:...
and Phil Taylor
Phil Taylor (footballer)
Philip Henry Taylor is an ex-English footballer who played for and managed Liverpool.-Player:Phil Taylor played for his hometown club Bristol Rovers as an apprentice before he was signed by Liverpool manager George Patterson for £5000 plus Ted Hartill in March 1936, he made his debut on the 28th...
joint top scorers in the league with 14 goals each.
In readiness for the next season, Kay snapped up young defender Bob Paisley
Bob Paisley
Robert "Bob" Paisley OBE was an English football half back turned manager. His association with Liverpool was to span nearly half a century including his contribution to the club, first as a player, then as a physiotherapist and coach, and finally as manager.In nine years as manager between 1974...
on a free transfer from Bishop Auckland
Bishop Auckland F.C.
Bishop Auckland Football Club are an English football team based in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. They are one of the most successful amateur sides, having won the old FA Amateur Cup on 10 occasions , and losing finalists on a further 8. They currently play in the Northern League Division One. ...
, as well as another future Liverpool legend Billy Liddell
Billy Liddell
William Beveridge "Billy" Liddell was a Scottish footballer, who played his entire professional career with Liverpool. He signed with the club as a teenager in 1938 and retired in 1961, having scored 228 goals in 534 appearances...
, but all their careers were then interrupted by the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war, the club took the unusual decision to tour the United States and Canada. It was Kay’s theory that the climate and diet in North America would be extremely beneficial to the players. The punishing schedule of 10 matches in less than a month meant that the Liverpool squad started the first post-war season
1946-47 in English football
The 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over...
in far better physical shape than many of their competitors.
The season started slowly, with four victories and three defeats in the first seven games. The victories included a 7–4 match against 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...
on 7 September, in which Bob Paisley made his league debut for the club and Billy Liddell scored his first league goal. There was also a 5–0 defeat away to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
(played at Maine Road
Maine Road
Maine Road was a football stadium in Moss Side, Manchester, England that was home to Manchester City F.C. from its construction in 1923 until 2003...
). Things began to improve and a run of seven consecutive victories in February and March set the club on the way to the championship.
Liverpool had a long run in the F.A. Cup, eventually going out to Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
in the semi-final, after a replay. The club did, however, pick up the Lancashire Senior Cup, Lancashire County Combination Championship Cup and Liverpool Senior Cup
Liverpool Senior Cup
The Liverpool County Football Association Senior Cup, commonly known as the Liverpool Senior Cup, is a football knockout tournament involving teams from the city of Liverpool, England and surrounding areas....
along the way.
As the season reached its climax, several clubs were still in contention and on 31 May 1947 Liverpool went to Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
to meet the leaders, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
needing to win to take the championship, as well as other results going in their favour. Liverpool won the match 2–1, other results went their way and the Reds were champions of the Football League for a fifth time. It was George Kay’s finest moment as a football manager.
Top scorers in the Championship season were Jack Balmer
Jack Balmer
Jack Balmer was a footballer who played Centre Forward, for Liverpool Football Club.-Life and playing career:...
and Albert Stubbins
Albert Stubbins
Albert Stubbins was an English footballer. He played in the position of centre forward, although his career was limited by the onset of World War II.-Life and playing career:...
with 24 league goals each. They continued to be prolific scorers during Kay’s period in charge but the club was unable to come close to another championship, finishing each of the next three seasons in the lower part of the top half of the table. In 1950, they reached the F.A. Cup final for the first time in 36 years, but the match at Wembley ended in a 2–0 victory for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
.
By now, Kay was clearly not a well man and he retired in January 1951 and he died in Liverpool three years later on 18 April 1954.
As a player
DistilleryLisburn Distillery F.C.
Lisburn Distillery is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1880, originated in west Belfast, where it was based at Grosvenor Park at Distillery Street off the Grosvenor Road until 1971...
- Gold CupGold Cup (Northern Ireland)The Gold Cup is a now-defunct cup competition which involved competitors from Ireland and from 1921 onwards, just for Northern Ireland. It was initially run by the New Irish Football Association but later, and mainly, by the Irish Football Association....
winner: 1914 - County Antrim ShieldCounty Antrim ShieldThe County Antrim Shield is a football competition in Northern Ireland. The competition is open to senior teams who are members of the North East Ulster Football Association , often plus intermediate teams who...
winner: 1915 - City Cup winner: 1913
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...
- Division TwoFootball League Second DivisionFrom 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...
Runners Up: 1922–231922-23 in English footballThe 1922–23 season was the 48th season of competitive football in England.-Events:Liverpool retained the First Division title, but halfway through the season their manager David Ashworth left the club to take over at Oldham Athletic, who ended the season relegated.-Honours:Notes = Number in... - FA CupFA CupThe 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...
finalist: 1923
As a manager
LiverpoolLiverpool 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...
- League ChampionshipThe Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
(Level 1) winner: 1946–471946-47 in English footballThe 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over... - FA CupFA CupThe 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...
finalist: 1950
External links
- Manager profile at LFChistory.net
- George Kay Photographs