Stephenson George Image 2 Luton Town 1937

Description

Stillington, County Durham born outside left George Stephenson played junior football for Carlton Iron Works in 1925 and Stillington St John’s in 1926 before spending the 1927-28 season at Durham City without making a first team appearance. After returning to Stillington St John’s he had a trial with Huddersfield Town and subsequently joined First Division club Aston Villa in November 1930, for whom he made his debut in an FA Cup tie at West Bromwich Albion in January 1932, scoring on his Football League debut a week later in a 6-1 win over Liverpool in a brief spell of 4 first team appearances that month.

Unable to force his way back into the Villa team, he joined Luton Town in the 1934 close season, helping them to 4th place and then runners up spot (narrowly missing out on promotion) in the Third Division (South) in his first two seasons. A regular goalscorer, his 14 goals during the 1935-36 campaign included a hat-trick in a Third Division Cup win over Swindon Town in September 1935, and he scored 20 goals in their 1936-37 campaign which saw them promoted as Third Division (South) Champions, albeit as the club’s second top goalscorer his total was miles behind Joe Payne’s incredible 58 goal spree! It did however include a hat-trick against Cardiff City in January 1937.

He continued to be a consistent performer in the Second Division through to the advent of the Second World War, missing few matches, indeed only two in each of Luton’s 1934-35, 1935-36 and 1938-39 campaigns, but the outbreak of War in September 1939 effectively cut short his career after 70 goals in 215 appearances for The Hatters.