Speak George Image 1 Preston North End 1921

Description

Blackburn born left back George Speak started his football career with Clitheroe Central in 1908 before joining Darwen in 1909. After a spell on West Bromwich Albion’s books in 1910-11 during which he didn’t make their first eleven, he joined Grimsby Town in May 1911, making his Football League debut against Clapton Orient in February 1912, but he played only 4 games before joining non league Gainsborough Trinity in July 1913. He then joined Southern League West Ham United in May 1914 and played 13 times for The Hammers in the final season of peacetime football and also 3 wartime matches in 1915-16.

In May 1919, with the conflict over, he joined First Division Preston North End for £25, having guested for them during wartime football, and although part of their 1921 FA Cup semi final team when they lost to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur at Hillsborough, he wasn’t part of their FA Cup Final team that lost to Huddersfield Town a year later. After 72 appearances for the Deepdale club he joined Leeds United in the summer of 1923 for £250, making 32 appearances over the next 2 seasons and winning a Second Division Championship medal with Leeds in 1923-24 when he made 23 League appearances in their successful campaign, before retiring in 1925 at the age of thirty four.