| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George MacArthur Yardley | ||
| Date of birth | 8 October 1941 | ||
| Place of birth | Kirkcaldy, Scotland | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper, Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Abbotshall Boy's Brigade | |||
| Novar Star Youth | |||
| Frances Colliery Juniors | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1959-1964 | East Fife | 62 | (17) |
| 1964 | Forfar Athletic | 4 | (0) |
| 1965 | St. George-Budapest | ||
| 1966 | Luton Town | 1 | (0) |
| 1966-1969 | Tranmere Rovers | 76 | (49) |
| 1969 | St. George-Budapest | ||
| 1969-1970 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | (19) |
| St. George-Budapest | |||
| 1973-1974 | Altrincham | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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George MacArthur Yardley (born in Kirkcaldy on 8 October 1941) is a Scottish former footballer. Yardley began his career as a goalkeeper before becoming a centre forward.
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Yardley played his first football as a goalkeeper as an eight year old playing for Dunnikier Primary School. However on moving to Temple Hall Secondary School he was forced to play as a forward because another goalkeeper was already playing.[1]
At Frances Colliery Juniors he played mostly as a forward, occasionally playing in goal.[1]
In 1959 he signed an amateur contract with East Fife as a goalkeeper. After sustaining a hand injury in 1960 Yardley switched to primarily playing as a forward though he did play a number of matches in goal.[1][2]
In 1964 Yardley trialled with Forfar Athletic, playing four matches.
He then played out the second half of the 1963/1964 season with Montrose.[1]
On returning from Australia in October 1966, Yardley trialled for a month with English Fourth Division team Luton Town, playing one match.[1][3]
In November 1966 he moved to Tranmere Rovers. In four seasons between 1966 and 1970 he played 123 matches, scoring 68 goals.[4] He was leading goal scorer for Rovers on four separate occasions.[1][5][6][7]
Yardley played for Australian club St. George-Budapest in three separate stints.
He played one season at St. George during the 1965 Australian season after emigrating to Australia in August 1964.[5][6][6]
His second stint was in 1969 before returning to Tranmere Rovers.[5] At the completion of his career at Tranmere he moved again to Australia.[6]
Yardley had a short stint with Altrincham in the 1973/1974 season.[2]
Yardley played one match in 1959 for Scotland Amateurs against Wales.[1][8]