George Beel

George Beel (26 February 1900 – 30 December 1980) was a professional footballer who played as a centre forward. He is regarded as the best centre forward in Burnley's history and holds their records for the highest number of goals in a season and the highest number of league goals ever.

George Beel
Personal information
Full name George William Beel
Date of birth (1900-02-26)26 February 1900
Place of birth Bracebridge Heath, England
Date of death 30 December 1980(1980-12-30) (aged 80)
Position(s) Centre forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1919–1920 Lincoln City 23 (6)
1920–1921 Merthyr Town 55 (22)
1921–1923 Chesterfield 35 (23)
1923–1932 Burnley 316 (179)
1932 Lincoln City 9 (6)
1933 Rochdale 20 (8)
1933–1935 Tunbridge Wells Rangers
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He started playing football during World War I playing for Blackpool – as he was stationed in Blackpool – in the Wartime Leagues, where he impressed enough to earn himself a trial with Manchester United in 1919. However, he did not do enough to get a contract and went to his hometown team Lincoln City in October 1919. He went on to play in the lower reaches of the Football League for Merthyr Town and Chesterfield. After scoring 23 goals in 35 games for the Spirites, many Division One teams were interested in Beel. Burnley were the quickest to make a move and signed him in the summer of 1923. He spent nine years at Turf Moor, where he scored 188 goals in 337 games in all competitions for the Clarets,[1] being their top goal-scorer in six of those seasons and runner-up in another two.

His days at Burnley were numbered when they were relegated to Division Two after Beel had a mediocre year in front of goal. He ended up returning to Lincoln City in 1932 staying for just a year before finishing his career with a season at Rochdale. He then went on to become player-manager at non-league Tunbridge Wells Rangers and later manager of Maidstone United. He decided to stay in Maidstone for the rest of his life and was helping out with junior football throughout the 1970s until his death in December 1980.

Career statistics (incomplete)

Club performance League Cup Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
England League FA Cup Total
1919–20Lincoln CitySecond Division236
Career total 236
1920–21Merthyr TownThird Division5522
Career total 5522
1921–22ChesterfieldThird Division
1922–23
Career total 3523
1922–23Burnley[2]First Division1
1923–243419724121
1924–25351013610
1925–263314223516
1926–273624333927
1927–28393514035
1928–294130324432
1929–30331013410
1930–31Second Division412524325
1931–32231212412
Career total 316179219337188
1932–33Lincoln CitySecond Division96
Career total 96
1932–33RochdaleThird Division North208
Career total 208
Career total 458243

References

Specific

  1. Simpson (2007), p. 492
  2. LTD, Digital Sports Group. "George Beel - Clarets Mad". Claretsmad.co.uk. Retrieved 25 May 2018.

General

  • Simpson, Ray (2007). The Clarets Chronicles: The Definitive History of Burnley Football Club 1882-2007. Burnley Football Club. ISBN 978-0955746802.
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