George Lee (footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = George Lee


fullname = George Lee [Sources conflict on Lee's middle name, if indeed he had one at all. "The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion" lists him as George Thomas Lee, as does "Football League Players' Records 1888 - 1939", while "Citizens and Minstermen, A Who's Who of York City FC 1922-1997" refers to him as George Chester Lee.]
dateofbirth = June 4 1919
cityofbirth = York
countryofbirth = England
dateofdeath = death date and age|1991|4|1|1919|6|4
cityofdeath = Norwich
countryofdeath = England
height =
nickname =
position = Outside Left
years = 1936–1947
1947–1949
1949–1958
clubs = York City
Nottingham Forest
West Bromwich Albion
caps(goals) = 037 (11)
076 (20)
271 (59)
nationalyears = 1946
nationalteam = British Forces
nationalcaps(goals) = 010 0(6)

George Lee (June 4 1919 – April 1 1991) was an English footballer who played left wing for York City, Nottingham Forest And West Bromwich Albion. After retiring from playing he became coach at West Bromwich Albion and later Norwich City.

Biography

Lee was born in York and attended Knavesmire School.cite book | last = Matthews | first = Tony | title = The Who's Who of West Bromwich Albion | publisher = Breedon Books | date = 2005 | pages = pp137–138 | isbn = 1-85983-474-4] As a teenager he represented York City Schools, Yorkshire County Boys and Acomb F.C., before a trial at Tottenham Hotspur and a brief spell at Scarborough. He signed for his first senior team York City in 1936. He put pen to paper on the stroke of midnight on his seventeenth birthday, seventeen being the youngest age that a player could sign a professional contract at the time. His career at York City blossomed during the war when he was York's leading scorer for four consecutive seasons. In April 1943 Lee became the first player to score 100 goals for York City, reaching the milestone with a converted penalty in a World War II match against Sheffield Wednesday.

In 1946, after serving his country in World War II, Lee was selected to play for England in the European Championships, scoring six goals in 10 appearances. He signed for Nottingham Forest in 1947 for a fee of £7500, before a £12,000 move to West Bromwich Albion in 1949. He made his debut for Albion in a 1–0 win against Charlton Athletic on 20 August 1949, the opening day of the 1949–50 season, and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 defeat away to Liverpool on 18 February 1950. [cite book | last=Matthews | first=Tony | title=West Bromwich Albion: The Complete Record | publisher=Breedon Books | year=2007 | pages=p276 | isbn=978-1-85983-565-4] He became a regular in the no. 11 shirt in his first seven seasons at the club. Lee played in the 1954 FA Cup Final, setting up Ronnie Allen for the opening goal and picking up a winner's medal as the Baggies beat Preston North End 3–2. After scoring 65 goals in 295 appearances for Albion, Lee joined non-league Lockheed Leamington on a free transfer in June 1958, before a short period at Vauxhall Motors.

After retiring as a player, Lee returned to West Bromwich Albion as a coach/trainer in 1959. He became a coach at Norwich City in 1963, serving the East Anglia club until 1987. Lee died in Norwich in 1991 at the age of 71.

References