George Stillyards

George Stillyards
Personal information
Full name George Edward William Stillyards[1]
Date of birth (1918-12-29)29 December 1918[2]
Place of birth Whisby, England
Date of death 9 January 2010(2010-01-09) (aged 91)[2]
Place of death Leasingham, England
Playing position Full back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
– Lincoln Rovers
– Botolph United
1942–1949 Lincoln City 100 (1)
– Stalybridge Celtic
– Skegness Town
1953 Grantham Town 1 (0)
– Brigg Town
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

George Edward William Stillyards (29 December 1918 – 9 January 2010) was an English professional footballer who made 100 appearances in the Football League playing for Lincoln City. He played as a full back.[3]

Life and career

Stillyards was born in Whisby, Lincolnshire,[2] and joined Lincoln City during the Second World War. He went on to help the club to promotion to the Second Division in the 1947–48 season, and made his 100th Football League appearance, and last appearance for Lincoln, in August 1949.[2] He later played for Stalybridge Celtic,[3] Grantham Town and Brigg Town,[4] and was player-manager of Skegness Town, playing as a centre-half rather than his normal right-back position.[5] He was described as "not a dirty player, but he took few prisoners".[5]

He played cricket for Lincolnshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1950.[1]

Stillyards was working as a machinist for Ruston's when he married May in Washingborough in 1944. The couple had three daughters. After retiring from football, Stillyards resumed his employment at Ruston's, and later became a bookmaker.[4][6] He played bowls until well into his eighties.[7] He died at home in Leasingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, in January 2010 at the age of 91.[6][8]

References

  1. 1 2 "George Stillyards". Cricket Archive. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "George Stillyards". The Lincoln City FC Archive. Lincoln City F.C. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  3. 1 2 "George Stillyards". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  4. 1 2 "George Stillyards profile". Statistics: Grantham Town. thegingerbreads.co.uk. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  5. 1 2 "Still a place for Stillyards' style". Lincolnshire Echo. 30 April 2005. p. 14. Stillyards was not a dirty player, but he took few prisoners. To say he couldn't play, but could stop those who could, does not do him justice – although he could certainly mark and tackle opponents out of the game. Except on one day, against York City in 1948, when he was led a merry dance by the tricky left-winger Rudd. Eventually, George ignored the ball and shoulder-charged Rudd into the wooden white fence which bordered the Sincil Bank side of the ground.
  6. 1 2 "George plays at home for his longest match". Lincolnshire Echo. 3 June 2004. p. 2.
  7. ↑ "The dark arts of sledging and banter are all part of cricket". Lincolnshire Echo. 24 July 2004. p. 25.
  8. ↑ "George Stillyards: Obituary". Lincolnshire Echo. 14 January 2010. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
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