George Wilson (Scottish footballer)
Encyclopedia
George W. Wilson was a Scottish
professional international footballer
, who spent the greatest part of his career with Newcastle United
.
. In 1904 he signed for First Division
Heart of Midlothian
, at that time struggling due to financial concerns. An economic restructuring in 1905 revitalised the club though, and Wilson was a regular in the side as Hearts finished 2nd in the league and won the Scottish Cup
in 1905-06
. He scored the winning goal in the final against holders Third Lanark
, a tap-in in the 81st minutes after a Bobby Walker
shot had been blocked.
Wilson moved south to England
at that season's conclusion, sold to Everton
in a £725 joint deal alongside his brother David. His stay on Merseyside
was brief however and, after a short spell with Irish
side Distillery, he joined Newcastle United for £1,600 in 1907, a then record transfer fee.
Playing on the left wing he made 211 appearances and scored 33 goals for the Magpies, helping them to the English League
title in the 1908-09 season
and the FA Cup
in 1910.
Wilson was nicknamed "Smiler" during his time on Tyneside
, although this was a sarcastic
epithet, as he was a rather dour character, matching the Scottish stereotype
. He was small in height (5'6") but a big build meant that he was not easily pushed off the ball.
Wilson was a full Scottish international
, making his debut for the national side in a 1-1 draw with Wales
at Dens Park
in 1904. He earned 6 caps in total, four while with Hearts, one each during his time at Everton and Newcastle. His final international appearance occurred in a 2-0 defeat by England
in 1909.
The First World War interrupted the latter part of Wilson's career and from 1914 onward he played with East Fife
then Raith Rovers
back in his native Fife, as well as Lanarkshire
side Albion Rovers
.
Wilson was also manager of Raith Rovers for a time, although he resigned this position and emigrated to Canada.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional international footballer
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 spent the greatest part of his career with Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
.
Playing career
An outside left, Wilson began his career with a series of local Fife clubs, including then non-league CowdenbeathCowdenbeath F.C.
Cowdenbeath Football Club are a professional Scottish football team based in the town of Cowdenbeath, Fife. They currently play in the Second Division of the Scottish Football League. The club plays its home games at Central Park in the centre of the town which has the unusual feature of a motor...
. In 1904 he signed for First Division
Scottish Football League
The Scottish Football League is a league of football teams in Scotland, comprising theScottish First Division, Scottish Second Division and Scottish Third Division. From the league's foundation in 1890 until the breakaway Scottish Premier League was formed in 1998, the Scottish Football League...
Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, at that time struggling due to financial concerns. An economic restructuring in 1905 revitalised the club though, and Wilson was a regular in the side as Hearts finished 2nd in the league and won the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
in 1905-06
1905-06 in Scottish football
The 1905–06 season was the 16th season of competitive football in Scotland.-Scottish League Division One:Champions: Celtic-Scottish League division two:Next season there are eighteen teams in Division One and twelve teams in Division Two....
. He scored the winning goal in the final against holders Third Lanark
Third Lanark A.C.
Third Lanark Athletic Club was a football club that originally existed between 1872 and 1967, 95 years in existence, based in Glasgow, Scotland. Third Lanark were known as Thirds, the Warriors, the Redcoats and the Hi Hi's...
, a tap-in in the 81st minutes after a Bobby Walker
Bobby Walker
Robert Staig "Bobby" Walker was a Scottish professional football player.-Hearts:Walker joined Hearts from Dalry Primrose in 1896, making his debut in a "trial" match vs Sunderland. He played in a few games that clinched Hearts 2nd League Championship in 1897...
shot had been blocked.
Wilson moved south 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...
at that season's conclusion, sold to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in a £725 joint deal alongside his brother David. His stay on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
was brief however and, after a short spell with Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
side Distillery, he joined Newcastle United for £1,600 in 1907, a then record transfer fee.
Playing on the left wing he made 211 appearances and scored 33 goals for the Magpies, helping them to the English League
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....
title in the 1908-09 season
1908-09 in English football
The 1908–09 season was the 38th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Tottenham Hotspur played their first ever season in the Football League, gaining promotion to the First Division in the process...
and 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...
in 1910.
Wilson was nicknamed "Smiler" during his time on Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
, although this was a sarcastic
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
epithet, as he was a rather dour character, matching the Scottish stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
. He was small in height (5'6") but a big build meant that he was not easily pushed off the ball.
Wilson was a full Scottish international
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
, making his debut for the national side in a 1-1 draw with 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...
at Dens Park
Dens Park
Dens Park is a football stadium located on Dens Road in Dundee, Scotland. The stadium is the home of Dundee F.C. and has a capacity of 12,085...
in 1904. He earned 6 caps in total, four while with Hearts, one each during his time at Everton and Newcastle. His final international appearance occurred in a 2-0 defeat by 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...
in 1909.
The First World War interrupted the latter part of Wilson's career and from 1914 onward he played with East Fife
East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
then Raith Rovers
Raith Rovers F.C.
Raith Rovers Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Kirkcaldy, Fife. They are members of the Scottish Football League, currently playing in the First Division, having secured promotion from the Second Division as champions in 2009. Rovers have won one national trophy, the...
back in his native Fife, as well as Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
side Albion Rovers
Albion Rovers F.C. (Scotland)
Albion Rovers Football Club are a Scottish football team from the North Lanarkshire town of Coatbridge, who are currently playing in the Scottish Football League Second Division...
.
Wilson was also manager of Raith Rovers for a time, although he resigned this position and emigrated to Canada.
As a player
Newcastle UnitedNewcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
- Football League championship: 1908–09
- 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...
winner: 19101910 FA Cup FinalThe 1910 FA Cup Final was the 39th FA Cup final. It was contested by Barnsley and Newcastle United. It took two matches to determine a winner. The first took place at Crystal Palace in south London on 23 April 1910 and the second on 28 April at Goodison Park in Liverpool.-Barnsley:Home teams listed... - 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: 1908, 19111911 FA Cup FinalThe 1911 FA Cup Final was the 40th FA Cup final. It was contested by Bradford City and Newcastle United. The first game resulted in a goalless draw at Crystal Palace...
External links
- Appearances at londonhearts.com
- Newcastle United profile