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Players Index Page Last Updated
29 July 2022
 
'Now let's make those bastards up there eat every word they've printed'
 

George Hardwick

Middlesbrough FC

13 appearances, 0 goals, one penalty missed

P 13 W 10 D 2 L 1 F 49: A 12
85% successful

1946-48

captain: 13
minutes played:
1170

Timeline

  George Francis Moutrey Hardwick
name notes Moutrey was his mothers maiden name.
Birth 2 February 1920 in Stanghow Road, Lingdale, North Riding of Yorkshire [registered in Guisborough, North Riding, March 1920]. 'He weighed 12lb at birth.'
The only child of Francis Andrew and Doris Hardwick. Attended Lingdale School, Lingdale. Moved to Aire Street in South Bank, Middlesbrough in the late twenties.
  "His father was employed by Pease and Partners, and worked in an ironstone pit on the edge of the Yorkshire moors. When the pit closed he lost his job. "Everyone was unemployed," George remembered. "My mother and father went without food so that I would have enough to eat. I remember getting up with my father at 3am to go out in the fields gathering mushrooms. That was our meal for the day. My grandfather on my mother's side was an engine driver. He was still in work, and he and his associates used to collect old children's clothes, shoes, boots, anything, and pass it on to us. Mother tore apart old woollen jumpers to re-knit them as red and white jerseys and stockings for us to play football in."
first marriage to Joyce P. Bayley [registered in Southend on Sea, Essex, September 1941]
second marriage to Jennifer M. Totterdell [registered in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, March 1983].
Death 19 April 2004 in Stockton-on-Tees, aged 84 years 77 days [registered in Stockton, Durham, April 2004].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] &

Biographies Gentleman George - George Hardwick (Juniper Publishing, November 1998)
 

x. - A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999).

Club Career

Club(s) Played schoolboy football as a forward and represented Cleveland FA. Hardwick was playing with South Bank East End FC in 1934, before signing for Middlesbrough FC a year later on amateur forms.
  "Hardwick signed for Middlesbrough in April 1937, scoring an own goal on his debut. The outbreak of war saw him join the RAF; while training as an air gunner, he was nearly killed during a Luftwaffe attack on his base in Bedfordshire. He then became a sergeant in RAF Bomber Command.
During the war he turned out for Chelsea, appearing in two wartime Wembley cup finals; Once, playing for Chelsea against Fulham, the sirens were sounded in the middle of the match; all the players threw themselves flat on the ground: "The Germans bombed the other side of the river, and the referee blew his whistle to carry on." After the war, Chelsea wanted to sign Hardwick from Middlesbrough; the Chelsea chairman travelled to Teesside, placed a blank cheque in front of his opposite number and invited him to fill it in. Middlesbrough declined.
  Hardwick remained in Teesside until, after five goals in 143 league appearances, he joined Oldham Athletic FC as their player-manager in November 1950, where he reverted to being a forward. The fee was £15,000. In April 1956, Hardwick resigned as manager and retired as a player, he had scored fourteen goals in 190 league appearances.
Club honours Football League Division Three (North) winners 1952-53;
Individual honours Football League (three appearances)
Distinctions x
Height/Weight 5' 9½", 12st. 0lbs [1949].

Source

Douglas Lammings' An English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990].

Management Career

Club(s) Took his first management steps in November 1950 when he was a player-manager at Oldham Athletic FC, until April 1956, Hardwick resigned as manager and retired as a player. In August 1956, he coached the US Army (7th) team that were based in Germany. From June 1957, for two seasons, Hardwick coached Eindhoven FC in the Netherlands, then coached the Netherlands national side for two years before he returned to Middlesbrough FC in August 1961 to coach the youth side until November 1963. Took over the position of manager at Sunderland AFC from November 1964 until the end of the season, when he was sacked. Returned to management again in 1968 when Gateshead FC appointed him. He resigned from management and football in February 1970.
Club honours Football League Division Three (North) winners 1952-53;

England Career

Player number One of nine who became the 655th player (657) to appear for England.
Position(s) Left-back
First match No. 227, 28 September 1946, Ireland 2 England 7, a British Championship match at Windsor Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 26 years 238 days.
Last match No. 238, 10 April 1948, Scotland 0 England 2, a British Championship match at Hampden Park, Mount Florida, Glasgow, aged 28 years 68 days.
Major tournaments British Championship 1946-47, 1947-48;
Team honours British Championship winners 1946-47, 1947-48;
Individual honours England wartime (twelve appearances).
Great Britain
(one appearance, 1947)
Distinctions Was Guest of Honour for the match between England and France in February 1999.
"By God, they played without an atom of pride. I've never seen 11 players with less guts... My players would have walked home if they'd played like that. For the players, it's all too quick and easy now. For us it was about pride. I wanted to be somebody, so I worked for it."

Beyond England

Employments outside the game include garage management and chairmanship of a steel firm in the early 1960's. - An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who. Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.118/119.
Following his death, the George Hardwick Foundation charity was set up to look after carers, former carers and patients. The patron of which is his widow, Jennifer.


The Numbers
parties Appearances comp. apps minutes captain
13 13 6 1170 0 1 one 13
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors.
P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
13 10 2 1 49 12 +36 1 6 3.769 0.923 84.6 +9

Venue Record

Venue P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
Home 6 4 0 2 21 7 +14 0 2 3.50 1.167 66.7 +4
Away 7 6 0 1 28 5 +23 1 4 4.00 0.714 85.7 +5

Competition Record

Competition P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
British Championship 6 4 2 0 18 5 +13 0 3 3.00 0.833 83.3 +4
Friendly 7 6 0 1 31 7 +23 1 3 4.00 0.714 85.7 +5

Tournament Record

British Championship Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 1946-47 3 2 1 0 11 3 +8 0 1 3.667 1.00 83.3 +2
BC 1947-48 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 0 2 2.333 0.667 83.3 +2
BC All 6 4 2 0 18 5 +13 0 3 3.00 0.833 83.3 +4

All Competition
Type P W D L F A GD FTS CS FAv AAv Pts% W/L
BC 6 4 2 0 18 5 +13 0 3 3.00 0.833 83.3 +4
6 4 2 0 18 5 +13 0 3 3.00 0.833 83.3 +4

The England Match History of George Hardwick
 
 Club: Middlesbrough F.C. - thirteen full appearances (1170 min) ᶜ13 manager: Walter Winterbottom - thirteen full appearances (1170 min) ᶜ13x
 
apps match pic match details comp res. rundown shirt

Age 26
1 227 28 September 1946 - Ireland 2 England 7
Windsor Park, Belfast
BC AW   3ᶜ

one of nine who became the 655th player (657) to appear for England.
one of two to become the fourteenth player from Middlesbrough FC to represent England.
the 64th player to captain England.

2 228 30 September 1946 - Éire 0 England 1
Dalymount Park, Dublin
Fr AW   3ᶜ
3 229 13 November 1946 - England 3 Wales 0
Maine Road, Manchester
BC HW   3ᶜ
4 230 27 November 1946 - England 8 Netherlands 2
Leeds Road, Huddersfield
Fr HW 43saved 3ᶜ

Age 27
5 231 12 April 1947 - England 1 Scotland 1
Empire Stadium, Wembley
BC HD   3ᶜ
6 232 3 May 1947 - England 3 France 0
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury
Fr HW   3ᶜ
7 233 18 May 1947 - Switzerland 1 England 0
Hardturm Stadion, Zürich
tour AL   3ᶜ
B  
unused - Switzerland 21 May 1947
8 234 25 May 1947 - Portugal 0 England 10
Estádio Nacional, Lisboa
  AW 21 3ᶜ
9 235 21 September 1947 - Belgium 2 England 5
Stade du Heysel, Bruxelles
Fr AW   3ᶜ
10 236 18 October 1947 - Wales 0 England 3
Ninian Park, Cardiff
BC AW   3ᶜ
11 237 5 November 1947 - England 2 Ireland 2
Goodison Park, Liverpool
BC HD   3ᶜ
12 238 19 November 1947 - England 4 Sweden 2
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury
Fr HW   3ᶜ

Age 28
13 239 10 April 1948 - Scotland 0 England 2, Hampden Park, Glasgow BC AW  injured knee 3ᶜ
240 16 May 1948 - Italy 0 England 4, Stadio Comunale di Torino, Torino tour AW withdrew injured
B  
withdrew - Switzerland 19 May 1948;
  

  

 
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