George Stevens (Scottish footballer) explained

George Stevens
Fullname:George Stevens
Birth Date:24 February 1891[1]
Birth Place:Dundee, Scotland
Height:[2]
Position:Inside left, outside left
Years1:19??–1926
Clubs1:Darlington
Caps1:130
Goals1:38
Years2:1926–1927
Caps2:6
Goals2:0
Totalcaps:136
Totalgoals:38

George Stevens (24 February 1891 – after 1926) was a Scottish footballer who scored 38 goals from 136 appearances in the English Football League playing as a left-sided forward for Darlington and Crewe Alexandra.[3]

Life and career

Stevens was born in Dundee, Scotland,[3] and by 1920, he was playing football for English North Eastern League club Darlington. He scored their second goal as they eliminated Football League First Division club Sheffield Wednesday from the 1919–20 FA Cup in front of a Monday-afternoon crowd of 52,388.[4] The following season, he contributed to Darlington's winning the North Eastern League title, thus ensuring their inclusion in the newly formed Northern Section of the Third Division. Stevens helped Darlington to second place in their first season in the Football League, and went one better three years later, when they gained promotion to the Second Division as champions.[5]

Together with teammate Davie Brown, Stevens was released on a free transfer at the end of the 1925–26 season,[6] and returned to the Third Division with Crewe Alexandra. The Daily Express thought their inclusion "should considerably strengthen the attack".[7] Brown scored heavily for Crewe,[8] but Stevens played only rarely, and finished his league career at the end of that season.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player search: Stevens, G (George) . English National Football Archive . 22 April 2020.
  2. News: League Clubs and their Player for the Coming Season: The Northern Section: Darlington . Athletic News . Manchester . 4 August 1924 . 3.
  3. Book: Joyce, Michael . Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939 . SoccerData . Nottingham . 249 . 2004 . 978-1-899468-67-6.
  4. News: Wednesday's black day . Daily Express . London . 20 January 1920 . 8.
  5. Web site: Darlington . Football Club History Database . Richard Rundle . 4 April 2014.
  6. News: Signings-on . Daily Express . London . 20 May 1926 . 12.
  7. News: Altered Crewe . Daily Express . London . 31 July 1926 . 10.
  8. Joyce, Football League Players' Records, p. 36.