George Seeley
Encyclopedia
George Alfred Seeley was an English professional footballer who played for various clubs around the turn of the 20th century, including Southampton
in 1898–99
, where he helped win the Southern League
championship.
(where his birth was registered in the Risbridge Registration District) but by 1896 was living in Southampton
, where he was spotted playing for a minor local club and recruited to Southampton
of the Southern League
. He was nicknamed "The Lion Tamer
" due to his having entered a lion
's cage in a circus
that was visiting Southampton.
In his first season at the "Saints", Seeley was an understudy for Joe Turner
and spent most of his time in the reserves. His only first-team appearance came on the left wing in a 1–1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
on 29 March 1897.
In the summer of 1897, Seeley moved to Bristol
and, after a brief period with Bristol St George, he joined Eastville Rovers, playing in the Birmingham & District League, before returning to Southampton.
He re-signed for Southampton in the summer of 1898, by when his game had improved with experience. He was described as "speedy, versatile and a real trier", although "prone to inconsistency". He made one appearance in September (replacing Jim McKenzie
), before a run of six games at outside-left from November to January and a final appearance in March, losing his place to Duncan McLean
. His only goal came on 7 January 1899 at Sheppey United
, when the "Saints" suffered their second defeat of the season, going down 2–1.
In the summer of 1899, he left Southampton and his career then involved time with other Southern League clubs, including New Brompton and Queens Park Rangers
, before winding up his career in the East End of London
.
He died at Ventnor
on the Isle of Wight
on 15 October 1921, aged 44.
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 1898–99
Southern Football League 1898-99
The 1898-99 season was the fifth in the history of the Southern League. Southampton were Division One champions for the third season in a row. Division Two was split into two regional leagues, with the overall Division Two champions being decided in a playoff in which Thames Ironworks defeated...
, where he helped win the 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...
championship.
Football career
Seeley was born in West SuffolkWest Suffolk
West Suffolk was an administrative county of England created in 1889 from part of the county of Suffolk. It survived until 1974 when it was rejoined with East Suffolk. Its county town was Bury St Edmunds....
(where his birth was registered in the Risbridge Registration District) but by 1896 was living in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
, where he was spotted playing for a minor local club and recruited to 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...
of the 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...
. He was nicknamed "The Lion Tamer
Lion taming
Lion taming is the practice of taming lions, either for protection, whereby the practice was probably created, or, more commonly, entertainment, particularly in the circus. The term is also often used for the taming and display of other big cats such as tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, and pumas...
" due to his having entered a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
's cage in a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
that was visiting Southampton.
In his first season at the "Saints", Seeley was an understudy for Joe Turner
Joe Turner (footballer)
Joseph Turner was a professional footballer who played in the 1902 FA Cup final for Southampton. Southampton were a Southern League club at the time, and their feat was all the more remarkable in that they had already been losing finalists two years earlier...
and spent most of his time in the reserves. His only first-team appearance came on the left wing in a 1–1 draw with 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....
on 29 March 1897.
In the summer of 1897, Seeley moved to Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
and, after a brief period with Bristol St George, he joined Eastville Rovers, playing in the Birmingham & District League, before returning to Southampton.
He re-signed for Southampton in the summer of 1898, by when his game had improved with experience. He was described as "speedy, versatile and a real trier", although "prone to inconsistency". He made one appearance in September (replacing Jim McKenzie
Jim McKenzie (footballer)
James R. McKenzie was a Scottish professional footballer who played as an outside-forward for various clubs in Scotland and England in the 1890s.-Football career:...
), before a run of six games at outside-left from November to January and a final appearance in March, losing his place to Duncan McLean
Duncan McLean (footballer born 1874)
Duncan McLean was a Scottish professional footballer who played for various clubs around the turn of the 20th century, including Southampton in 1898–99, where he helped win the Southern League championship.-Football career:...
. His only goal came on 7 January 1899 at Sheppey United
Sheppey United F.C.
Sheppey United F.C. is an English football club based on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The club are currently members of Division One of the Kent County League and play at the Sheppey Sports Ground.-History:...
, when the "Saints" suffered their second defeat of the season, going down 2–1.
In the summer of 1899, he left Southampton and his career then involved time with other Southern League clubs, including New Brompton and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
, before winding up his career in the East End of London
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...
.
He died at Ventnor
Ventnor
Ventnor is a seaside resort and civil parish established in the Victorian era on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, England. It lies underneath St Boniface Down , and is built on steep slopes and cliffs leading down to the sea...
on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
on 15 October 1921, aged 44.
Honours
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...
- Southern LeagueSouthern Football LeagueThe 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...
champions: 1898–99Southern Football League 1898-99The 1898-99 season was the fifth in the history of the Southern League. Southampton were Division One champions for the third season in a row. Division Two was split into two regional leagues, with the overall Division Two champions being decided in a playoff in which Thames Ironworks defeated...