George Ephgrave

George Arthur Ephgrave (29 April 1918 – 12 December 2004) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Born in Reading, Ephgrave began his professional career with Aston Villa in 1936, and later played for a number of Football League clubs including Southampton and Norwich City before retiring from professional football in 1954.

George Ephgrave
Personal information
Full name George Arthur Ephgrave
Date of birth (1918-04-29)29 April 1918
Place of birth Reading, England
Date of death 12 December 2004(2004-12-12) (aged 86)
Place of death Castel, Guernsey
Height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Guernsey Rangers
1935–1936 Northfleet
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1936–1939 Aston Villa 0 (0)
1939–1946 Swindon Town 1 (0)
1946–1948 Southampton 36 (0)
1948–1951 Norwich City 5 (0)
1951–1952 Watford 4 (0)
1952–1954 Deal Town
1954–1955 March Town United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Born in Reading but brought up in Guernsey, George Ephgrave began his youth football career with local side Guernsey Rangers, and was later signed by Tottenham Hotspur feeder club Northfleet in October 1935.[2] A year later, Ephgrave signed a professional contract with recently relegated Second Division side Aston Villa,[2] although he failed to make a single appearance in his three seasons at the club.[3]

In March 1939, at the end of the last full season before the Second World War, the goalkeeper signed for Swindon Town,[2] where he made his first appearance in the Football League.[3] During the conflict, Ephgrave served his country in the Royal Marines, resulting in him being captured on Crete and held as a prisoner of war in Odessa, Ukraine for four years.[4] On his return to England he was signed by Southampton, where he was used as the first-choice goalkeeper for the first season after the war.[2] In the 1946–47 season he played in 29 of the 42 Second Division league games,[5] as well as in both of the FA Cup games the Saints played,[6] although in the following season he was second choice to Len Stansbridge and, later, Ian Black, making only seven league appearances in the first half of the campaign.[7]

In July 1948 Ephgrave moved to Norwich City for a transfer fee of £500,[2] where he made just five appearances in three seasons.[3] He was later transferred to Watford in August 1951,[2] playing just four times in his only season at the club,[3] and ended his career with seasons at non-league sides Deal Town and March Town United.[2]

After his retirement, Ephgrave moved back to Guernsey, and he died on 12 December 2004 at the age of 86.[8]

References
  1. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. p. 310. ISBN 978-0-9926864-0-6.
  2. Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. p. 509. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
  3. "George Ephgrave". Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Database. Neil Brown. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
  4. "George Ephgrave". SaintsPlayers. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  5. In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 5.
  6. In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC. pp. 302–303.
  7. In That Number: A Post-War Chronicle of Southampton FC. p. 9.
  8. "Search Results for Ephgrave, George". Obituary Daily Times. Ancestry.com. Retrieved 23 December 2012.
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