Tranter George Image 1 Aston Villa 1908

Description

Quarry Bank, Staffordshire born wing half George Tranter began his football career with Netherton Recreation in 1903, playing for Brierley Hill Alliance in 1904 and Stourbridge in 1905, before joining First Division Aston Villa, for whom he made his Football League debut against Notts County in April 1907. By the end of September that year he got his next first team opportunity and immediately established himself as a first team regular, helping Aston Villa to the League Championship in 1909-10, when he played 28 League games in their triumph, and to four League runners up positions in 1908, 1911, 1913 and 1914, albeit that in each of the latter two campaigns, Tranter, hampered by injuries that forced his retirement in 1914, only made 10 and 9 League appearances respectively, having averaged 28 appearances in each of the previous five campaigns. He also played in the 1910 Charity Shield match which Aston Villa lost 1-0 to Southern League Champions Brighton & Hove Albion.

In Tony Matthews’ book Who’s Who of Aston Villa he was described as “as hard as nails, he never shirked a tackle, was totally committed, had an infallibly cool temperament and was a good passer of the ball, very rarely hoofing it downfield.” In his 8 seasons at Aston Villa he scored once in 175 appearances, his goal coming in a 1-1 draw with Notts County in November 1908.

His son, also George Tranter, was a 1930’s and 1940’s footballer who played for West Bromwich Albion and Hereford United.