Irwin George Image 1 Southend United 1931

Description

Smethwick, Staffordshire born goalkeeper George Irwin began his football career after the First World War with local First Division club West Bromwich Albion. Irwin spent 1920-21 on their books as understudy to first team goalkeepers Hubert Pearson and George Ashmore, but didn’t make a first team appearance before joining Third Division (South) club Crystal Palace in the summer of 1921. At Palace he was understudy to Jack Alderson, and he made his Football League debut at South Shields in February 1922, making 15 appearances before the season end. But he only saw first team action on two further occasions in 1922-23 before moving to Reading in the 1923 close season, where he made 37 appearances for The Royals during a single season at Elm Park.

In 1924 he returned to The Midlands and joined non league Brierley Hill Alliance, joining Worcester City in 1925 before returning to Brierley Hill Alliance in 1926, before his eventual playing retirement. Irwin then moved into coaching, initially with Southend United, before moving to Sheffield Wednesday where he also served as assistant manager, and was on the staff when Wednesday won the 1935 FA Cup Final. Irwin returned to Crystal Palace, as coach, in 1937 before being appointed manager in July 1939. He remained with Palace during the years of wartime football winning regional league titles in 1940, 1941 and 1946. However the first post-war season, 1946-47, resulted in a disappointing eighteenth place in the Third Division (South) and Irwin resigned after the season end. He remained at Crystal Palace as a scout before being appointed manager of Darlington in April 1950, where he remained for two seasons, leaving the club in March 1952.