Elliott George Image 8 Middlesbrough 1920

Description

Double goal centurion George Elliott was born in Sunderland and his junior career encompassed Redcar Crusaders in 1907, South Bank in 1908 and Grangetown in 1909. A centre forward, he signed for Middlesbrough in May 1909, and holds the club record for most goals in a single match, with 11 for the Reserves in a 14-1 win over Houghton Rovers, making his Football League debut that September against Sheffield United, and he went on to make 366 appearances for ‘Boro scoring 214 goals over the following sixteen years, his scoring prowess would only be eclipsed by George Camsell and he remains the club’s second highest goalscorer of all time.

Described as “a rare schemer, a craftsman of undoubted skill, he has one of the most deadly shots in the country”, he first scored a hat-trick for Middlesbrough in a 4-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in March 1913, He was the country’s top scorer in 1913-14 with 31 goals as ‘Boro finished third in the League Championship (their highest ever League placing), including hat-tricks against Sunderland, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday, and he was rarely not ‘Boro’s top scorer, indeed he managed the feat in seven of the twelve seasons he played for them from 1910-11, when he first topped their charts.

He won three caps for England either side of the First World War, being first capped against Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast in February 1913, then against Ireland at Ayrsome Park, Middlesbrough a year later and finally against Wales at Highbury in March 1920, although he was on the losing side in each game, and he also played three times for The Football League.

He also played once for Glasgow Celtic on loan from ‘Boro on 19th October 1918, when he unfortunately missed a penalty in a 3-0 home defeat by Glasgow Rangers. After the War he returned to Ayresome Park in 1919, and he scored all four goals in a 4-0 win over Bradford City in April 1920 as he recorded a career best 34 goals in the first season of peacetime football, and over his ‘Boro career he recorded twelve other hat-tricks. Well into his mid 30’s and increasingly a fringe player after Middlesbrough were relegated in 1924, his last appearance was against Southampton in April 1925, and he retired that August.