George Hunt (forward)

Infobox Football biography
playername = George Hunt


fullname = George Samuel Hunt
dateofbirth = birth date|1910|2|22|df=y
cityofbirth = Barnsley, Yorkshire
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1996|9|19|1910|2|22|df=y
cityofdeath = Bolton
countryofdeath =
height =
nickname =
position = Inside or centre forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1929-1930 1930-1937 1937-1938 1938-1946 1946-1948
clubs = Chesterfield Tottenham Hotspur Arsenal Bolton Wanderers Sheffield Wednesday
caps(goals) = 014 00(9) 185 (125) 018 00(3) 045 0(24) 032 00(8)
nationalyears = 1933
nationalteam = England
nationalcaps(goals) = 003 00(1)

George Samuel Hunt (22 February 1910 – 19 September 1996) was an English footballer who played at inside or centre forward.

Born in Barnsley, Yorkshire, Hunt spent his early career playing for local sides in his native county, having trials with both Barnsley and Sheffield United, both of whom rejected him. He eventually joined Chesterfield in 1929 and in his only season there scored nine times in fourteen games.

He moved on from Chesterfield to Tottenham Hotspur in June 1930 and spent seven seasons with the club, and was a prolific goalscorer, hitting 138 goals in 198 matches for Tottenham as they were promoted to the First Division and becoming the club's top scorer for five consecutive seasons, from 1931-32 through to 1935-36. He also won three caps for England during this time, scoring one goal.

His scoring form attracted the attention of Spurs' neighbours and rivals Arsenal, who signed him in 1937, making him the first player to move directly from Spurs to Arsenal since the latter's move to Highbury in 1913. Intended as a replacement for Ted Drake (who was injured at the time), Hunt made his debut against Manchester City on October 2 1937 at Highbury, having coincidentally played there for Spurs in a reserve match three days earlier, on September 29.

In 1937-38, Hunt played 21 matches for Arsenal and earned a First Division winners' medal; however, he only scored three goals and was sold to Bolton Wanderers in the summer of 1938 after Drake's recovery, and to make way for the subsequent signing of Bryn Jones. At Bolton, Hunt returned to form and hit 23 goals in the 1938-39 season. After that his career was interrupted by the Second World War, although he still played wartime matches for Bolton. He finished his career with a one-year stint at Sheffield Wednesday between 1946 and 1948.

After retiring from playing, he returned to Bolton as a coach and trainer in 1948, and was a member of the club's backroom staff when they won the 1957-58 FA Cup. He died aged 86 in 1996, having suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the last few years of his life.

References

*cite book | author=Harris, Jeff & Hogg, Tony (ed.) | title=Arsenal Who's Who | publisher=Independent UK Sports | year=1995 | id=ISBN 1-899429-03-4
*cite news | url=http://archive.thisislancashire.co.uk/1996/9/20/844510.html | title=Burnden star George Hunt dies at 86 | work=This Is Lancashire | date=1996-09-20
*Englandstats|id=524|name=George Hunt