George Samuel Eccles Explained

George Eccles
Fullname:George Samuel Eccles
Birth Date:c. 1874
Birth Place:Newcastle-under-Lyme, England
Death Date: (age 70–71)
Death Place:Bolton, England
Position:Right-back
Youthclubs1:Middleport
Years1:1893–1896
Clubs1:Burslem Port Vale
Caps1:50
Goals1:0
Years2:1896–1898
Clubs2:Wolverhampton Wanderers
Caps2:36
Goals2:1
Years3:1898–1901
Clubs3:Everton
Caps3:56
Goals3:0
Years4:1901–1902
Clubs4:Preston North End
Caps4:0
Goals4:0
Years5:1902–1904
Clubs5:West Ham United
Caps5:59
Goals5:0
Years6:1904–1905
Clubs6:Bolton Wanderers
Caps6:6
Goals6:0
Totalcaps:207
Totalgoals:1

George Samuel Eccles (1874 – 18 December 1945) was an English footballer who played at right-back in the Football League and Southern League for Burslem Port Vale, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Preston North End, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers. He helped Bolton Wanderers to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1904–05.

Career

Eccles played for Middleport before joining Burslem Port Vale in June 1893.[1] He played six Second Division games in the 1893–94 season.[1] He featured once in the FA Cup and made 27 league appearances in the 1894–95 season, claiming one goal in a 4–4 draw with Newcastle United at the Athletic Ground on 6 October.[1] On 26 February, when heading for a match against Notts County at Trent Bridge, he misread the train timetables. He selected a non-existent train that only ran on market days, thereby missing the game.[1] He played 17 league and two FA Cup games in the 1895–96 season, and broke his collarbone in February 1896.[1] He was sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a 'considerable' fee in May 1896.[1] "Wolves" finished tenth and third in the First Division in 1896–97 and 1897–98. Eccles scored one goal in 36 league games during his two years at Molineux and then moved on to league rivals Everton. The "Toffees" finished fourth, eleventh, and seventh in 1898–99, 1899–1900, and 1900–01. He played 56 league games during his three seasons at Goodison Park before switching to Preston North End. He did not feature in the Second Division for the "Lambs" in 1901–02, and instead transferred to West Ham United. The "Hammers" finished tenth and twelfth in the Southern League in 1902–03 and 1903–04, with Eccles playing 59 league games at the Memorial Grounds. He then made a brief return to the Football League, playing six league games to help Bolton Wanderers win promotion out of the Second Division in 1904–05.

Career statistics

Source:[2]

ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueFA CupTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Burslem Port Vale1893–94Second Division600060
1894–95Second Division27010280
1895–96Second Division17020190
Total50030530
Wolverhampton Wanderers1896–97First Division18100181
1897–98First Division18010190
Total36110371
Everton1898–99First Division10000100
1899–1900First Division20010210
1900–01First Division12020140
1901–02First Division14010150
Total56040600
Preston North End1901–02Second Division000000
West Ham United1902–03Southern League First Division25010260
1903–04Southern League First Division34040380
Total59050640
Bolton Wanderers1904–05Second Division600060
Career total20711302201

Honours

Bolton Wanderers

Notes and References

  1. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 93. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. Web site: George Eccles. www.westhamstats.info. 24 April 2018.