Strong George “Jimmy” Image 1 Portsmouth 1937

Description

Morpeth, Northumberland born goalkeeper George “Jimmy” Strong began his football career with Choppington Welfare in 1931 and played for Pegswood United in 1932 before joining Third Division (North) Hartlepools United in February 1934, for whom he made his Football League debut the same month against Gateshead, his only appearance for Pools. He joined Chesterfield in the summer of 1934 and had made 18 appearances for The Spireites before being signed by First Division Portsmouth in March 1935, where he spent his initial seasons as understudy to Jock Gilfillan.

He broke into the Pompey first eleven in December 1936 and was their regular first choice goalkeeper throughout 1937-38, after which he joined Gillingham that summer having made 62 appearances for Pompey. He returned to League action with Walsall in July 1939, playing in their three fixtures before the abandonment of the 1939-40 season after the outbreak of the Second World War, and after the War he resumed with Walsall, playing in two FA Cup ties in 1945 before joining Second Division Burnley in January 1946. He was an ever present at Turf Moor for the first four post war seasons, not missing a fixture until March 1951. During that time he played for Burnley in the 1947 FA Cup Final, which they lost to Charlton Athletic 1-0 after extra time, and having gained promotion to the First Division in 1946-47 as Second Division runners up, finished in 3rd place in the League Championship the next season. He made his last appearance of 285 for The Clarets in December 1952 before his retirement.