George Lennon (footballer)

George Lennon
Personal information
Full name George Ferguson Lennon[1]
Date of birth 24 May 1889
Place of birth Kilwinning, Scotland[1]
Date of death 1984 (aged 94–95)[1]
Place of death Kilwinning, Scotland
Height 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[2]
Position(s) Right back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1911–1912 Kilwinning Rangers
1912–1920 Third Lanark 97 (0)
1912 → Forfar Athletic (loan)
1913 → Abercorn (loan) 12 (0)
1915 → Ayr United (loan) 0 (0)
1920 St Mirren 15 (0)
1920–1923 Luton Town 107 (0)
1923–1924 Stoke 3 (0)
1924–1925 Weymouth
1925–1926 Bristol Rovers 4 (0)
1926 Airdrieonians 0 (0)
1927 Llandudno
1928 Colwyn Bay
Total 234 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Ferguson Lennon (24 May 1889 – 1984) was a Scottish footballer who played in the Football League for Bristol Rovers, Luton Town and Stoke.[1]

Career

Lennon was born in Kilwinning and began his football career with local junior side Kilwinning Rangers. He then played in the Scottish Football League for Third Lanark,[3] Forfar Athletic, Abercorn, St Mirren and Ayr United.

He joined Luton Town in 1920,[1] and spent three seasons with the "Hatters" making 115 League and FA Cup appearances[4] which earned him a move to Stoke in March 1923.[1] He was never fully given a chance as the manager who brought him to the club Arthur Shallcross was sacked in April 1923 and his replacement Jock Rutherford left the club after just four weeks.[1] Tom Mather was appointed Stoke manager in October 1924 and gave Lennon his chance to impress at full back in a match away at Crystal Palace,[1] but he was "ran ragged" by Palace's Welsh international Frank Hoddinott who got a hat-trick as Stoke lost 5–1.[1] Lennon was then told he should leave the club.[1]

He spent a season with Weymouth before playing four matches for Bristol Rovers in 1925–26. According to available statistics, he never scored a goal in official matches during his 15-year career.[3]

Career statistics

Source:[5]

Club Season League FA Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Luton Town 1920–21 Third Division South 37 0 4 0 41 0
1921–22 Third Division South 39 0 3 0 42 0
1922–23 Third Division South 31 0 1 0 32 0
Total 107 0 8 0 115 0
Stoke 1922–23 First Division 2 0 0 0 2 0
1923–24 Second Division 1 0 0 0 1 0
Total 3 0 0 0 3 0
Bristol Rovers 1925–26 Third Division South 4 0 0 0 4 0
Career Total 114 0 8 0 122 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. ^ "The lure of promotion. Stoke". Athletic News. Manchester. 13 August 1923. p. 6.
  3. ^ a b John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. ^ George Lennon, Hatters Heritage. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  5. ^ George Lennon at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)