George Hadley (footballer)

George Amos Hadley (5 June 1889 – 2 November 1954)[2] was an English footballer who played at wing-half either side of the First World War.

George Hadley
Personal information
Full name George Amos Hadley[1]
Date of birth (1889-06-05)5 June 1889
Place of birth Darlaston, England
Date of death 2 November 1954(1954-11-02) (aged 65)
Place of death Rushall, England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[2]
Position(s) Half-back
Youth career
Willenhall Swifts
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1913–1919 Southampton 57 (4)
1919–1920 Aston Villa 4 (0)
1920–1922 Coventry City 72 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Hadley was born in Darlaston, Staffordshire and worked as a press-tool setter with a lock manufacturer[2] while playing football with Willenhall Swifts.[3]

In July 1913, he moved to the south coast to join Southampton of the Southern League. A "stocky, versatile half-back (who) could also play up front",[3] Hadley made his first-team debut in a 2–0 defeat at Reading on 1 November 1913 when he replaced Jim McAlpine at left-half. After four matches, McAlpine was recalled and Hadley switched to right-half where he remained until February when he lost his place to Jack Small. Hadley returned after three matches and ended the season with four matches at inside-left, scoring twice.[4]

The following season, Hadley only missed five matches,[5] generally playing as a wing-half but with the occasional appearance as an outside-forward.[6] By the end of the season, England was at war and normal football was suspended. The "Saints" retained Hadley's registration throughout the war, and he played in the occasional wartime fixture.

After the end of the war, Hadley was sold to Aston Villa of the Football League First Division, for whom he made four appearances before a transfer to Coventry City in July 1920. Hadley remained at City until 1922,[1] when a broken collarbone brought his career to a close.[2]

References
  1. Joyce, Michael (2004). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. p. 110. ISBN 1-899468-67-6.
  2. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Southampton: Hagiology Publishing. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-9926-8640-6.
  3. Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (1992). The Alphabet of the Saints. ACL & Polar Publishing. p. 152. ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
  4. Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan (1987). Saints – A complete record. Breedon Books. pp. 54–55. ISBN 0-907969-22-4.
  5. "Southampton Squad Statistics 1914/15". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  6. Saints – A complete record. pp. 56–57.
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