George Torrance (footballer)

George Clark Torrance (born 17 September 1957) is a Scottish retired professional footballer who played as a left midfielder in the Football League for Brentford.

George Torrance
Personal information
Full name George Clark Torrance[1]
Date of birth (1957-09-17) 17 September 1957
Place of birth Rothesay, Scotland
Position(s) Left midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1981 Camberley Town (4)
Farnborough Town
1982–1984 Wokingham Town
1984–1986 Brentford 34 (1)
1986 → Maidstone United (loan)
1986–1987 Maidstone United 40 (6)
1987–1994 Falmouth Town 252 (55)
Porthleven
Teams managed
Porthleven (player-assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Non-league football

A left-sided midfielder, Torrance began his career with Isthmian League First Division club Camberley Town,[2] when he was stationed with the British Army in nearby Blackwater.[3] He moved on to join fellow Isthmian League club Farnborough Town, before being posted to Germany for two years.[3] While still in Germany, Torrance joined Isthmian League Premier Division club Wokingham Town where,[3] in the 1982–83 FA Cup, he scored the equaliser in a 1–1 first round draw with Third Division club Cardiff City.[4]

Brentford

Torrance and Wokingham Town teammate (and fellow soldier) Steve Butler joined Third Division club Brentford in December 1984,[1] with the Griffin Park club paying £400 to buy the pair out of the army.[3] Torrance found himself used as a utility player in his early time with the Bees, playing six different positions in his first eight games.[3] He became an integral part of the team, making 17 appearances during the 1984–85 season,[5] though an ankle injury saw him lose his place towards the end of the campaign.[3] Torrance was an unused substitute for the 3–1 1985 Football League Trophy Final defeat by Wigan Athletic and later recalled that failing to get onto the pitch at Wembley was his "greatest disappointment".[3] He played on into the 1985–86 season and departed the club during the campaign, having made 44 appearances and scored three goals.[5]

Return to non-league football

Torrance joined Alliance Premier League club Maidstone United on loan during the 1985–86 season,[3] helping the club stave off relegation on goal difference and signed on a permanent deal at the end of the campaign.[6] He moved to Cornwall in 1987 and joined South Western League club Falmouth Town, winning three titles and making over 250 appearances for the club.[7] Torrance later joined Porthleven, playing well into his 40s and serving as player-assistant manager at the club.[3]

Representative career

In December 1986, Torrance was called upon to represent the FA XI in a match versus an Isthmian League representative team.[8] He scored in a 4–1 victory.[9] Despite being Scottish, Torrance appeared for England Police in a match versus Scotland in 1994, with England winning 3–0.[3] Also playing for England was Torrance's Welsh former Brentford teammate, Gary Roberts.[3]

Personal life

Torrance served in the Royal Engineers and later ran a residential home with his parents-in-law in St Keverne.[6] He joined the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary in 1994, after moving to Falmouth.[3][10] He was later stationed in Truro and in 2010 was based at Royal Cornwall Hospital in the town.[10] Torrance has two children and lives in Helston.[10]

Honours

Falmouth Town

Career statistics
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Brentford 1984–85[5] Third Division 13 1 1 0 — 3[lower-alpha 1] 2 17 3
1985–86[5] 21 0 1 0 4 0 1[lower-alpha 1] 0 27 0
Career total 34 1 2 0 4 0 4 2 44 3
  1. Appearances in Football League Trophy

References
  1. "George Torrance". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  2. "1980/81". camberleytownfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  3. Brentford Official Matchday Magazine versus Camberley Town. London: Morganprint Blackheath Ltd. 14 November 1998. p. 19.
  4. Thomas, Bob. "Football FA Cup First Round 20th November 1982 Wokingham Town 1 v... News Photo 79019346". Getty Images. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  5. White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 398. ISBN 0951526200.
  6. Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the Eighties. Sunbury, Middlesex: Legends Publishing. p. 350. ISBN 978-1906796716.
  7. "Players with over 250 appearances". falmouthtown.net. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  8. Brentford F.C. Griffin Gazette versus Huddersfield Town. Quay Design of Poole. 21 February 1995. p. 33.
  9. "Representative Matches – History". The Ryman Isthmian Football League. Archived from the original on 20 March 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  10. "New police officer welcomed to RCHT". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
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