|
George
Woodger |
Crystal Palace FC,
Oldham Athletic FC
1 appearance, 0 goals
P 1 W 1 D
0 L 0 F 2: A 1
100%
successful
1908-11
captain: none
minutes played: 90 |
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 |
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Timeline |
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George
Woodger |
|
Birth |
Monday,
3 September 1883 at 65 Dermott Road in Croydon, Surrey
"I was born at Croydon, in Surrey, on
September 3, 1885." |
|
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registered in Croydon October-December 1883 |
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Education |
"..and was educated at Mitcham-road Board
School." |
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According to the 1891
census, George is the third of four children to John and Annie (née Leach). They live
at 65 Dennett Road in Croydon. His father is a genral labourer. |
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According to the 1901
census, George is a plumber, living at home with his parents and two of
his brothers. His father is still a labourer and they still live at 65
Dennett Road. |
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According to the 1911
census, professional footballer George is boarding with the Hyde family at
224 Horsedge Street in Oldham. |
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Marriage |
to Ethel Vera Charter, in
spring 1911 in Oldham |
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registered in Oldham April-June 1911 |
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Children |
George and Vera Woodger have one daughter
together. Ivy Rita (b.10 June 1912) |
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According to the 1921
census, George, a metal worker for the Wilton Carriage company, is now
married to Vera, and they have one daughter, Ivy, and they live
at 58 Fairholme Road in Croydon. |
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According to the 1939 register, George is a married plumber, still living at 58 Fairholme Road
still with their daughter. His wife is not on
this register.
His father died in early 1941 |
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Death |
Sunday,
12 March 1961, at Queen's Hospital in Queen's Road, Croydon, Surrey,
living at 42 Croydon Road in Waddon at the time. |
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aged
77 years 190 days |
registered in Croydon January-March 1961 |
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"WOODGER,
George (Lady), of 42
Croydon Road, Waddon, passed away March 12, 1961, aged 77."
- Croydon Times and
County Mail, Friday, 17 March 1961 |
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Obituary |
"'LADY'
WOODGER HAS DIED
"One of Croydon's
best ever footballers.
"STAR footballer of half a
century ago, George ('Lady') Woodger, died in Queen's Hospital, Croydon,
on Sunday at the age of 77. Born in Croydon, George was one of the
original Crystal Palace F.C. players when the club was founded in 1906,
and he quickly established himself as a brilliant inside-forward. The club
in those times played on the old F.A. Cup final pitch inside the Crystal
Palace exhibition grounds at Upper Norwood. He was 'capped' several times
for England. From the Palace he went to Oldham Athletic and from there was
transferred later to Tottenham Hotspur. His playing days ended when the
1914-18 war started. One of the most sporting and gentlemanly players of
his day, his style of play was so neat that he earned for himself the
nickname of 'Lady' Woodger. In fact, right up to the present time all his
friends speak of him as 'Lady'. George was never a great talker, but he
did tell a 'Times' sports reporter a few years ago: 'The game played today
is not quite like it was in my day. It is perhaps a little faster, but it
has lost a lot of its science. You do not see the clever individual
efforts that were a feature of soccer in my time. It is the crowds who
cause the 'kick-and-rush' tactics of today. No sooner does a man receive
the ball than the crowd roars for him to get rid of it.'
"After
leaving professional football, George worked for many years as a fitter in
Croydon Corporation Waterworks Department and since his retirement he had
lived with his married daughter and son-in-law Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Tarling,
at Croydon-road, Waddon..." |
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Funeral |
"...The funeral took place
yesterday (Thursday) at Croydon Crematorium (St. John Baptist)." - Croydon Times
and County Mail, Friday, 17 March 1961 |
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Source |
 Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & |
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Playing Career |
Club(s) |
Played junior football with Thornton Heath Wednesday FC, as well as
Croydon Glenrose FC and 'afterwards
transferring his affections to Croydon Wanderers in 1900 when he was 16
years of age. When the Wanderers broke up 'Lady' played for Croydon, whom
he assisted until...'
he signed amateur forms with Crystal Palace FC in the 1905-06 season,
turning professional towards the end of that season.
After 150 Southern League appearances and 36 goals, Appointed as captain
from the 1909-10 season. Oldham Athletic FC
signed Woodger on 30 September 1910 for a £650 transfer fee. Tottenham Hotspur FC then signed him in on 13 May 1914, Oldham wanted £1000,
but the League ordered the fee to be paid £325. Woodger retired
during the war. |
League honours
115 appearances, 22 goals |
Oldham Athletic FC 1910-14
115 appearances, 22 goals
debut: 1 October 1910 Woolwich Arsenal FC 0
Oldham Athletic FC 0.
last:
4 April 1914 Manchester City FC 2 Oldham Athletic FC 1. |
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Club honours |
FA Cup semi-finalist
1912-13 (6ᵃ 1ᵍ);
Football League Division One fourth
place 1913-14 (29ᵃ 4ᵍ) |
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Individual honours |
Surrey FA;
Southern League (1905); |
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Distinctions |
None |
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Height/Weight |
5'
7½", 11st.
0lbs [1907]. |
|
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
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England Career |
|
Player number |
One of four who became the 352nd
players (354) to appear for England. |
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Position(s) |
Inside-left |
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Only match |
No.
108,
11 February 1911, England
2 Ireland 1,
a British Championship match
at
Baseball Ground, Shaftesbury Crescent, Derby, aged
27 years
161 days. |
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Major tournaments |
British Championship 1910-11, 1913-14; |
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Team honours |
British Championship winners 1910-11; |
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Individual honours |
The South
(reserve twice, January 1908-January 1909) |
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Distinctions |
None |
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Beyond England |
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No additional information, but
newspaper reports confirm he was employed as a plumber by the Croydon
Corporation Waterworks Dept.. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.275. |
England
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