George Walker
Personal information
Full name George William Walker[1]
Date of birth (1934-05-30)30 May 1934[1]
Place of birth Sunderland, England
Date of death 8 August 2012(2012-08-08) (aged 78)[1]
Place of death Carlisle, England
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Chippenham Town
1956–1959 Bristol City 15 (5)
1959–1963 Carlisle United 164 (53)
1963–19?? Morecambe
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George William Walker (30 May 1934 – 8 August 2012) was an English footballer who played as an inside forward. He scored 58 goals from 179 appearances in the Football League for Bristol City and Carlisle United[2] before injury ended his career.

Life and career

Walker was born in Sunderland.[1] While doing his National Service, he played non-league football for Chippenham Town before signing for Second Division club Bristol City in May 1956.[1][3] He scored twice in 17 senior appearances, of which 15 were in the league,[1][4] before returning to the north of England to join Carlisle United of the Fourth Division on 2 March 1959 for a £1500 fee.[5]

He made his debut the following day, and scored twice as Carlisle beat Oldham Athletic 3–0.[3] He continued as a regular in the first team, scoring 58 goals from 177 appearances in all competitions (53 from 164 in the league).[1][6] Walker was the club's top scorer in both 1960–61 and 1961–62,[3] when the team went into the last two matches of the season in sixth place, two points outside the promotion positions.[7] He scored both goals in a 2–1 win at Doncaster Rovers and the first in a 2–0 win at home to Chester that gave Carlisle the four points they needed to overtake Bradford City and York City and make sure of their first ever promotion.[3][8] His Carlisle career was ended when he broke his leg playing in a reserve match,[3] although he was able to go back into non-league football with Morecambe.[2]

Walker settled in the Carlisle area, where he and former teammate Ginger Thompson went into the building trade.[9] They also founded a football club, Carlisle City, in 1975 "to give local lads somewhere to play".[10] Walker was married to Val; the couple had three sons.[9] He died of leukaemia in Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, in 2012 at the age of 78.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "George Walker". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  2. 1 2 "George Walker". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Players Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Steele, David (13 August 2012). "George Walker 1934–2012". Carlisle United F.C. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Player information: George Walker". citystats.org.uk. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  5. ↑ "Walker goes for £1,500". Daily Mirror. London. 3 March 1959. p. 21.
  6. ↑ Colman, Jon (13 August 2012). "'We need more depth and quality' admits Carlisle Utd boss". News and Star. Carlisle. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  7. ↑ "Carlisle United 1961–1962 Table on Wednesday 25th April 1962". Statto.com. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  8. ↑ "Carlisle United 1961–1962 Table". Statto.com. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 "Carlisle Utd pay tribute to promotion hero George Walker, 78". News and Star. Carlisle. 14 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  10. ↑ "Carlisle Utd legend Ginger Thompson celebrates his 80th". News and Star. Carlisle. 21 January 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
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