George Wall

George Wall
Personal information
Full name	George Wall
Date of birth	20 February 1885
Place of birth	Boldon Colliery, England
Date of death	June 1962 (aged 77)
Place of death	Manchester, England
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Outside left
Youth career
0000–1901	Boldon Royal Rovers
1901–1903	Whitburn
1903	Jarrow
Senior career*
Years	Team
1903–1906	Barnsley
1906–1919	Manchester United
1916–1917	→ Cowdenbeath (loan)
1919–1921	Oldham Athletic
1921–1922	Hamilton Academical
1922–1923	Rochdale
1923–1926	Ashton National
1926–1927	Manchester Ship Canal
International career
1907–1913	England
1909–1912	The Football League XI
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Born in Boldon Colliery, County Durham, Wall started his career with Boldon Royal Rovers and played for Whitburn and Jarrow before joining Barnsley in 1903. In almost three years with Barnsley, Wall scored 24 league goals at a rate of almost one goal in every three games. In 1906, he transferred to Manchester United and helped them win the 1908 and 1911 league titles, as well as the 1909 FA Cup. He left the club in 1915 because of World War I and joined Oldham Athletic after the war in 1919.

During the First World War George Wall served in the Black Watch Regiment. After the war he was sold to Oldham Athletic for £200. While at Manchester United he had scored 100 goals, becoming just the third player in the history of the club to achieve this feat, after Joe Cassidy and Sandy Turnbull. On 21 November 1914, in a league match against Tottenham Hotspur he became club's top appearance maker, overtaking Fred Erentz with 311 games to his name. His total of 319 matches was Manchester United's record until 26 April 1920, when Billy Meredith made 320th of his 335 appearances for the club.

He then played for two seasons with Oldham, before travelling north of the border to Hamilton Academical. He returned to England to play for Rochdale a year later, but dropped out of league football in 1923, playing for Ashton National and Manchester Ship Canal. He retired in 1927.

Wall also won seven caps for England, scoring two goals.

Personal life

Wall's brother Thomas was a reserve team player at Manchester United and was killed during the First World War. Wall died in Manchester, aged 77, in June 1962.

Career statistics

Club	Season	Division	League		National Cup		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Barnsley	1903–04	Second Division	16	4	0	0	—		16	4
	1904–05		30	6	1	0	—		31	6
	1905–06		31	14	4	1	—		35	15
	Total		75	24	5	1	—		80	25
Manchester United	1905–06	Second Division	6	3	—		—		6	3
	1906–07	First Division	38	11	2	2	—		40	13
	1907–08		36	19	4	3	2	1	42	23
	1908–09		34	11	6	0	—		40	11
	1909–10		32	14	1	0	—		33	14
	1910–11		26	5	3	1	—		29	6
	1911–12		33	3	6	1	1	1	40	5
	1912–13		36	10	5	2	—		41	12
	1913–14		29	11	1	0	—		30	11
	1914–15		17	2	1	0	—		18	2
	Total		287	89	29	9	3	2	319	100
Oldham Athletic	1919–20	First Division	40	4	0	0	—		40	4
	1920–21	First Division	34	8	0	0	—		34	8
	Total		74	12	0	0	—		74	12
Hamilton Academical	1921–22	Scottish First Division	34	6	0	0	—		34	6
Rochdale	1922–23	Third Division North	30	1	1	0	—		31	1
Career total			502	132	37	10	3	2	542	144

Honours

Club

Manchester United

Football League First Division (2): 1907–08, 1910–11
FA Cup (1): 1908–09
FA Charity Shield (2): 1908, 1911

Cowdenbeath

Eastern League (1): 1916–17

Individual

Cowdenbeath Hall of Fame