George Hamilton (footballer)

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George Hamilton (born 7 December 1917) is a former Scottish international footballer, who spent most of his 21-year career with Aberdeen.

Born in Irvine, Hamilton started out with local junior side Irvine Meadow before moving south to join Queen of the South, aged 19. After a single season in Dumfries, Aberdeen purchased him for £3000 in April 1938.

Like many of his contemporaries, Hamilton's career was significantly disrupted by the Second World War and, when League football in Scotland went into abeyance in 1939, he returned to his native Ayrshire. Eventually, temporary Regional Leagues were established, and, due to war-time travel restrictions, players would guest for local sides. This resulted in Hamilton turning out for first Ayr United, then Rangers between 1940 and 1945.

Hamilton returned to Aberdeen at the end of global hostilities and enjoyed his most successful period, lifting the transitional 1945-46 League Cup then scoring the winner in the Scottish Cup Final against Hibernian the following season. His consistent good form also earned him a Scotland national team debut against Northern Ireland in 1946. Despite this, Hamilton was approaching veteran status, so when Heart of Midlothian offered £8000 plus the younger Archie Kelly for his services in December 1947, the ‘’Reds’’ considered it good value for a 30 year old, and accepted.

The move to Tynecastle did not work out though, and after only 18 appearances for Hearts, an unsettled Hamilton returned to Aberdeen. There he returned to form and, despite Aberdeen’s erratic league results, helped the side to two further (losing) Scottish Cup Final appearances, in 1953 and 1954.

Hamilton twice earned an international recall, initially in 1951, when he scored a hat-trick against Belgium, then remarkably in 1954 when aged 36. This latter return coincided with the 1954 FIFA World Cup and Hamilton was selected in the squad for Switzerland, although he did not play in either of Scotland’s two games.

Age eventually caught up with Hamilton and he was transferred to namesake Hamilton Academical in 1955, having largely watched from the sidelines as a young ‘’Dons’’ side won the 1954-55 League title. He retired a matter of months later, just after his 38th birthday.

[edit] Honours

Scottish Cup winner: 1947
Scottish League Cup winner: 1946

[edit] References

Hoggan, Andrew (1995). Hearts in Art (Hardcover), Mainstream. ISBN 1-85158-736-5.
Crampsey, Bob (1995). Scottish Football League: The First 100 Years (Paperback), The Scottish Football League. ISBN 0-9516433-0-4.

[edit] External links

	Scotland squad - 1954 FIFA World Cup
1 Martin \| 2 Cunningham \| 3 Aird \| 4 Evans \| 5 Docherty \| 6 Davidson \| 7 Cowie \| 8 Mackenzie \| 9 Hamilton \| 10 Brown \| 11 Machan \| 12 Fernie \| 13 Ormond \| 14 Anderson \| 15 Johnstone \| 16 Henderson \| 17 Mathers \| 18 Wilson \| 19 Binning \| 20 Combe \| 21 Copland \| 22 McMillan \| Coach: Beattie