George Haigh facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George Haigh | ||
| Date of birth | 26 June 1915 | ||
| Place of birth | Reddish, England | ||
| Date of death | 23 April 2019 (aged 103) | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1931–1936 | Manchester City | ||
| 1936–1938 | Stockport County | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1938–1940 | Stockport County | 2 | (0) |
| 1940–1942 | Morecambe | ||
| 1942–1945 | Rochdale | ||
| 1945–1946 | Lancaster City | ||
| 1948–1952 | Rossendale United | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1948–1952 | Rossendale United (player-manager) | ||
|
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George Haigh (born June 26, 1915 – died April 23, 2019) was an English professional footballer. He was best known for playing with Stockport County. When he passed away at 103 years old, he was the oldest living former player from County. Many believed he was the oldest living former professional footballer. However, Arthur Smith was actually one month older.
Contents
George Haigh's Football Journey
George Haigh started his football journey at Manchester City in 1931. He joined as a junior player. He played in the reserve team alongside Frank Swift. But when Swift moved up to the main team, George stayed in the reserves. While at City, he also worked in a factory.
Playing for Stockport County
In 1936, George joined Stockport County. He played for all their teams, from the A team to the first team. On his very first game for County, he accidentally scored a goal for the other team! He played one more league game before World War II began.
Wartime Football and Service
In 1940, George joined the Royal Air Force. He became a physical training instructor. He was stationed at RAF Morecambe and RAF Wilmslow. There, he trained new recruits and people learning to parachute. He rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a Squadron leader.
While at Morecambe, he played for the military's football team. He also played for the town's team, Morecambe. In 1942, he joined Rochdale. Rochdale often played against Blackpool. George's job was usually to mark the famous player Stanley Matthews. During the war, he also played as a guest for teams like Walsall and Burnley.
After the War
In 1945, George was offered a job as a player-manager for Arbroath. But he chose to join Lancaster City instead. They offered him a job as a metal spinner and made him captain of the team. Luckily, the club already had a player who owned an engineering company. This meant George could train during the week and play football on weekends.
In 1948, he became the player-manager for Rossendale United. George felt that the club's directors often disagreed with his ideas about new players. Because of this, he resigned in 1952. This decision marked the end of his football career.
Later Life and Legacy
In 1998, historians from Stockport County got back in touch with George. Even then, he was considered one of the oldest living former professional footballers. He stayed in regular contact with the club. In 2008, he was a special guest of honor. In 2010, he was one of the first people to receive a Stockport County Appearance Number certificate.
George continued to watch County's games, both at home and away, even after his 100th birthday. After that, he made special appearances. For example, in November 2018, he helped unveil a plaque at Edgley Park. This plaque honored former players who died in World War I. George had an eye condition called age-related macular degeneration. Until at least 2015, he received support from Blind Veterans UK. This is a national charity that helps blind and visually impaired former service members.
See also
In Spanish: George Haigh para niños
