George Armstrong (footballer) facts for kids
Geordie with the FA Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Armstrong | ||
| Date of birth | 9 August 1944 | ||
| Place of birth | Hebburn, County Durham, England | ||
| Date of death | 1 November 2000 (aged 56) | ||
| Place of death | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||
| Playing position | Winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1961–1977 | Arsenal | 500 | (53) |
| 1977–1978 | Leicester City | 15 | (0) |
| 1978–1979 | Stockport County | 34 | (0) |
| 1980–1981 | Mjølner | 33 | (3) |
| Total | 582 | (56) | |
| Teams managed | |||
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Enderby Town 1984/5. Worcester City |
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| 1980–1981 | FK Mjølner | ||
| 1988–1989 | Kuwait | ||
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George "Geordie" Armstrong (born August 9, 1944 – died November 1, 2000) was a famous English football player and coach. He is best known for his time playing for Arsenal, where he was a talented winger. Armstrong played an amazing 621 games for Arsenal, which was a club record for many years! He was a key part of the team that won the League and FA Cup "Double" in 1971. After his playing days, he became a coach, even returning to Arsenal to help train future stars.
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Playing Career Highlights
Armstrong was born in Hebburn, a town in England. Before becoming a professional footballer, he was learning to be an electrician. He tried out for a few football clubs, but it was Arsenal that he joined in 1961 when he was just 17 years old.
He started playing for Arsenal's main team in 1962. Even though he was young, he quickly became a regular player. Armstrong was known for his amazing ability to cross the ball accurately into the penalty box and for his tireless running up and down the wing. He usually played on the left side, but he was also good on the right.
Winning the Double
Armstrong was a very important player for Arsenal in the late 1960s and early 1970s. After losing two League Cup finals, he helped Arsenal win the 1969–70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970. This was a big European trophy!
The next season, 1970–71, was one of Arsenal's best ever. Armstrong played in every single game as Arsenal won both the League title and the FA Cup. This amazing achievement is called winning the "Double." It's said that he helped create more than half of the goals Arsenal scored that season! One of his most famous assists was for Ray Kennedy's winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur that secured the League title.
Later Career and Records
Armstrong stayed with Arsenal for many years after the Double win. He played at least 30 matches in every season during the 1970s. In total, he played 621 competitive games for Arsenal, which was a club record at the time. Only David O'Leary and Tony Adams have played more games for Arsenal since then. He also scored 68 goals for the club.
Even though he was a fantastic player, Armstrong never played for the senior England team. This was mainly because the England manager at the time, Alf Ramsey, preferred not to use wingers in his team. After leaving Arsenal in 1977, he played briefly for Leicester City and Stockport County before becoming a player-manager in Norway for FK Mjølner.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Armstrong became a football coach. He worked for several clubs, including Fulham, Aston Villa, and Middlesbrough. He also managed Enderby Town and the Norwegian club FK Mjølner. From 1988 to 1989, he even managed the Kuwaiti national team.
In 1990, Armstrong returned to Arsenal as the reserve team coach. He held this important job for the rest of his life, helping to develop many young players who would go on to become stars for Arsenal, such as Steve Morrow, Ray Parlour, and Paul Dickov.
Death and Legacy
On October 31, 2000, George Armstrong became unwell during a training session. He sadly passed away the next morning, on November 1, 2000. He was survived by his wife, Marjorie, and their two children, Jill and Tom.
To remember his great contributions to the club, a training pitch at Arsenal's London Colney training ground was named in his honor. In 2022, some of his medals and awards from his amazing career were sold at an auction.
Honours
Arsenal
- Football League First Division: 1970–71
- FA Cup: 1970–71; runner-up: 1971–72
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1969–70
- Football League Cup runner-up: 1967–68, 1968–69
Individual
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 1970
