George Reay Explained

George Thompson Reay
Birth Date:2 February 1900
Birth Place:Pit Row, East Howdon, North Tyneside
Death Date:29 May 1970
Death Place:Rushden, Northamptonshire, England
Height:5ft 11in
Position:Outside Right
Years1:1921-1922
Clubs1:Percy Main Amateurs
Years2:Sep 1922-1923
Clubs2:South Shields
Caps2:4
Goals2:0
Years3:1923
Clubs3:Blyth Spartans
Years4:1923-1924
Clubs4:Reading
Caps4:1
Goals4:0
Years5:1924-1925
Clubs5:Kettering Town
Years6:1925-1928
Clubs6:Raith Rovers
Caps6:69
Goals6:17
Years7:1928-1930
Clubs7:Bristol Rovers
Caps7:67
Goals7:9
Years8:1930-1931
Clubs8:Coventry
Years9:1931-?
Clubs9:Burton Town
Clubs10:Rushden Town
Clubs11:Kettering Town
Years12:Nov-Dec 1934
Clubs12:Gresley Town
Caps12:1
Goals12:0

George Thompson Reay (2 February 1900 – 29 May 1970) was an English professional footballer who played for several British football clubs during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the eldest brother of Ted Reay, who himself played for Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers, before emigrating to Perth, Australia.

George was born in a miner's row cottage at Howdon, now part of Wallsend on 2 February 1900.[1] He was the fourth child and eldest son of caulker William Reay and his wife Mary Thompson Peel, who had married in 1893. After leaving school, George sought employment at Percy Main Colliery and joined the pit's football team at the end of the First World War. In September 1922, he was scouted and signed for South Shields F.C.. A newspaper article at the time described him as a "22 year-old outside right with a good turn of speed".[2] However, scoring no goals for the club during the 1922-23 season, George was transferred and spent only a short time playing for both Blyth Spartans and Reading F.C.

Following the aforementioned moves in the north east of England, George gained his first notable move when he was bought by Northamptonshire-based club Kettering Town F.C. in the summer of 1924. From here, he was transferred to the Scottish side Raith Rovers after being signed by manager James Henry Logan on 6 December 1925. A letter confirming an appeal by George for his transfer fee to be paid stipulates that the transfer fee was £700.[3]

It was at Raith that George came into his own as an influential outside right. He scored his first goal for Raith on 27 February 1926 in a 2–0 victory over Clydebank, which was witnessed by a crowd of 2,000. George's goal came when he "nodded" the ball into the Clydebank goal after the ball fell in front of him.[4]

George's first appearance for Coventry City took place on 11 October 1930 at home to Northampton Town F.C.[5]

Notes and References

  1. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]
  2. Article in the Portsmouth Evening News 14 September 1922
  3. Article in The Nottingham Evening Post | 11 December 1925
  4. Article in The Sunday Post | Sunday 28 February 1926.
  5. Article in Birmingham Daily Gazette | 10 October 1930