|
|
George Shipley
(1979/80-1984/85)
Full Name: Shipley, George Michael
Date Of Birth :
07/03/1959
Birthplace : Newcastle-upon-Tyne
LCFC career record :
Apps : 273 ;
Subs : 1 ;
Goals : 52
LCFC Football League record :
Apps : 229 ;
Subs : 1 ;
Goals : 42
LCFC Debut : 26/01/1980, Torquay United (h) 2-0, FL Division 4
Last Match : 11/05/1985, Bradford City (a) 0-0, FL Division 3
|
CLICK HERE FOR APPEARANCE SUMMARY
CLICK HERE FOR BREAKDOWN BY OPPOSITION
Untitled
When George Shipley joined the Imps from Southampton in January 1980
he became the Club's record signing with the £45,000 fee
eclipsing the £36,000 City had paid Barnsley for Derek Bell.
He turned out to be an excellent acquisition by manager Colin Murphy
and was one of the most influential figures in City's successful side
of the early 1980s.
An all-round sportsman, George played football for Newcastle Boys
from U11 to U16 levels whilst he also turned out for the
Northumberland county team, he was captain of the county basketball
team and a member of the school athletics and cross country teams.
George, who used to spend Saturday afternoons watching his beloved
Newcastle United in action, was watched by a number of clubs whilst
playing for both his school and St. Mary's Boys Club.
His lack of height put a few clubs off but Southampton weren't
deterred and in 1975 he was offered an apprenticeship with the Saints.
He signed as a professional and in the last two months of the 1978/79
season he went on loan to Reading, helping them win eight and draw
three of the matches which helped give them the Fourth Division championship.
He turned down the chance of a permanent move to Reading and in
October 1979 went on a month's loan to Blackpool but returned to the
Dell after three weeks without playing a game.
He then played for Southampton's reserve team for a couple of months
and after being watched by Lennie Lawrence, moved up to Lincolnshire,
penning his record deal with the Imps.
A consistent performer and a firm favourite amongst the Lincoln
supporters, George missed just eight League games during his first
five seasons at Sincil Bank and provided tenacity, skill and goals.
The joint top scorer in the 1981/82 season, George also became the
Club's regular penalty taker with seven of his 11 goals during the
previous campaign coming from the spot.
Only two players, namely Dave Smith and Gordon Hobson, can boast more
League Cup appearances for City than Shipley whilst nobody has yet to
better his eight goal tally in that competition.
The 1984/85 season was George's last at Sincil Bank and he was one of
five players whose final game in a City shirt came at Bradford City
in May 1985, the day when celebration turned to tragedy.
George joined Charlton Athletic, managed by the man who brought him
to Sincil Bank, Lennie Lawrence, for a fee of £15,000 a couple
of months later and helped them to promotion to the top flight in his
first season. After two years and 61 League appearances for Charlton,
he linked up with Gillingham for a couple of seasons.
He returned to Sincil Bank for a brief trial in the summer of 1989
but aggravated an old injury in a pre-season Yorkshire &
Humberside Cup tie and announced his retirement shortly afterwards.
George later scouted and coached at a number of clubs, including
Maidstone United, Southampton, Middlesbrough and Bradford City whilst
in 2007 he joined the Football in the Community department at
Newcastle United - the one club he always wanted to play for.
|
Untitled
ON SALE NOW!
|
|
