George Scott (footballer, born 1885)

George Scott (29 September 1885 – 16 August 1916) was an English footballer.

George Scott
Personal information
Date of birth (1885-09-29)29 September 1885
Place of birth Sunderland, England
Date of death 16 August 1916(1916-08-16) (aged 30)
Place of death Saint-Quentin, Aisne, France
Height 5 ft 9+12 in (1.77 m)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder, Centre-half
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Braeside
?–1908 Sunderland West End
1908–1915 Clapton Orient 205 (33)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Scott started his football career with Sunderland District Amateur League sides Braeside and Sunderland West End, before joining Clapton Orient in July 1908. He featured regularly throughout the next seven seasons, playing in various positions and scoring an average of five goals per season in all competitions. His most valuable goals included the only goal of the game in Orient's victory over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 9 April 1909.[2] In 1911, Scott was selected for a London XI to face a Paris XI in France.[3]

At the outbreak of World War I professional football was suspended, and Scott joined the 17th Middlesex Regiment, the "Footballers' Battalion", along with many other Orient players and staff. During the Battle of the Somme, Scott was wounded and taken prisoner, and died at a German military hospital on 16 August 1916.[4] Scott was one of three Orient players killed in the war, along with William Jonas and Richard McFadden. He is buried at St. Souplet British Cemetery,[5] a few miles south of Le Cateau.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "The coming of the big ball: the Second Division: Clapton Orient". Athletic News. Manchester. 18 August 1913. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ^ a b Neilson Kaufman & Alan Ravenhill, "Leyton Orient: The Complete Record", Breedon Books, 2006, pp. 249.
  3. ^ Neilson Kaufman, "The Men Who Made Leyton Orient Football Club", Tempus, 2002, pp. 326.
  4. ^ Stephen Jenkins, "They Took the Lead", DDP, 2005, pp. 59.
  5. ^ [1] CWGC Casualty record.