Hiya folks,
A few months ago, I was on here bugging you about a player that left us (Barry Town) to start a new life for Charlton Athletic. He did alright by all accounts!
So impressed by the knowledge you shared with me then, I've come back for more. This time I'm looking for a more obscure player (to us, anyway!) called George Green. This first mention I have of him is in a team called Barry Amateurs in 1932.
It was mentioned he'd signed for Notts County, but soon turned up on the books at Barry Town at the tail end of the 1931-32 season. The next couple of seasons he put in a solid shift for us in defence.
He then signed for you. That's when it all goes a bit murky. I've trawled the interweb for info and have found one or two things (including one team photo with Green in an overcoat - why was that?), but there's not a heck of a lot.
Anyway, he started an international career for Wales in 1938 (soon blighted by the War of course), where he was still credited as being a Charlton Athletic player. I have all of his International appearances and everything, but can anybody fill me in on his career at Charlton by any chance? The latest credit I have of him being with Charlton is 1940, so he spent a good few seasons with you.
Any help - like you gave me with the amazing Whitlow stuff - would be a terrific help.
Regards,
Jason
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He had some kind of coaching or training role around the end of World War 2 and, in the search for potential players, went to Cambridge Harriers Athletics Club in search of athletes whom might be able to kick a ball. Hence my Dad experiencing training at The Valley with Charlton although he never got beyond that.
Sorry this is of absolutely no interest to you or anyone else probably but quite therapeutic for me.
I now run the gauntlet of people telling me he was the first Addick in space etc!
If so, I'm fairly sure he lived in Westmount Road, Eltham above a habidashery shop which I believe his wife ran. If not, delete!
....."Another addition to the staff was Welsh international George Green who, after originally joining Charlton in 1934 and suffering from ill-health, had left for a one-season spell with the Barcelona club, Espanol, who were managed by a former Spurs colleague of Seed's.".....
He is talking about the build up to season 1935/36.
There are a couple of photos in this book too if there is someone more computer literate than me to scan and post.
The bottom picture is supposed to be a photo taken of the Charlton team on the pitch observing prayers and a silence in 1938, following Neville Chamberlain's Munich Agreement, with George Green extreme left as you look at it.
Yes he did swear like a trooper.
I also remember he came to The Valley on the day we returned, with the group of former players.
GH Green League Cup
App. Goals App. Goals
1934/35 Third Division (South) 0 0 1 0
1935/36 Second Division NO RECORD OF HIM PLAYING
1936/37 First Division 5 0 0 0
1937/38 First Division 24 0 5 0
1938/39 First Division 28 3 1 0
1939/40 First Division 3 0 No Competition
1939/40 South Regional League 20 1 1 0(football league war cup)
1940/41Southern Regional 15 1 No competition
1941/42 London League 21 6 6 4(London war cup)
1942/43 Football League South 16 5 6 6(Football League South Cup)
1943/44 Football League South 6 0 0 0
Injured playing against Spurs 11 December 1943
1944/45 Football League South 1 3 0 0
Played his first match for 12 months following a knee operation. Captained the side and scored a hat trick of headers. He hit the back of the net 5 times all with headers but 2 were ruled out for offside.
He scored three hat-tricks for the first team.
One hat trick for the reserves
Once scored six for the reserves
Hope this helps!
There are also some team photos in the book which I can possibly scan in and send to you.
The mention of his early Barry League team is particularly priceless, as I have done extensive research on that as well.
The Charlton stats, the photos, the stories - very cool stuff.
I'm amazed at the level of knowledge to be found on this forum. I imagine that every now and then - like on any forum about any topic - it all kicks off once in a while, but from an outsider coming in this is a great experience.
This is the 2nd time I've been here now and it's been top drawer both times.
Cheers.
Everyone else - PMs answered. Diolch!
But I find myself following this thread.
Fascinating stuff!
Hope the "Valiant 500" pages came out okay.
Thought people might be interested in these two football cards from 1938, because the Welsh one is a rarity in that it shows an International team featuring not one, but two Charlton players. I’m not sure I’ve seen another that does.
The players are George Green and Herbert Turner, and they are shown as part of the Welsh team that played against Ireland in the Home International game at Belfast on 16th March 1938.
Turner is well known for scoring at both ends in the Cup Final against Derby, and this thread contains lots of interesting info about George.
Just in case anyone doesn’t have a copy of the Valiant 500, here’s a bit more info to add to what's already been said above:
Signed by Charlton for £250 in 1934, he didn’t make a first team appearance, but did manage to break the same 5 ribs twice while playing for the reserves.
In 1935 Deportivo Espanyol came in for him and he starred for them to the point that Jimmy Seed re-signed him at the end of the season, just as the Spanish Civil War was breaking out.
As his Charlton career took off he was picked for the Welsh squad to appear against England at Wembley on 22nd October 1938. Tragically, his 18-month old son drowned 4 days before the game, but he decided to would play and the team put in one of their best performances against the Three Lions, winning 4-2.
Like all players of that era, his career was interrupted by the war and just as football was starting again in 1946 he was forced to retire through injury.
He made 57 League appearances for the Addicks between 1937 and 1939, scoring 3 goals.
Both players also feature in the Charlton card from the same set, with George dressed in a suit and looking off to his right.
The cards are part of a set of 37 given away one a week by the Shermans Pools company during the 1938/39 season. They are a bit smaller than A5 size and printed on quite thin paper, presumably the same print stock as the pools coupons themselves. Each team photo has been coloured-in by hand and the set includes a variety of English and Scottish teams, plus England, Ireland and Wales. They are pretty easy to find on eBay, costing around £3 each.
My dad is old now but I will check with him and my Brothers if they remember what Spanish team Dad said Georgie played for as Barcelona not Deportivo Espanyol is in my mind !
My dad had/has so many stories I wonder if he embellished this one. I didn't know that George Green lost his son but most of the football facts about him I remember my dad saying.
My dad is fine on some parts of his life and when I next see him and mum, I will find out if his Golfing friend Georgie Green is still in his memory. Like many old folk it's the last half hour he forgets !
My mum has fantastic recall about timelines so she can help with the trip down memory lane.