Lydon: George Michael (Micky)

1954-1955 (Player Details)

Outside Left

Born: Sunderland: 05-11-1933

Debut: v Bury (h): 15-01-1955

5’8 1/2” 10st 7 ˝ lb (1957)

Lydon enjoyed an outstanding schoolboy career before arriving at Leeds via Sunderland. He went to school at St Benet’s and represented Sunderland Boys and Durham County Boys before winning English Schoolboy and two England Youth caps in 1949, as an inside-left. He had represented Sunderland School in the 1947-48 and 1948-49 seasons and, along with Stan Anderson, later of Sunderland and England and George Willis, later of Leeds United, he had also represented Durham Schools. He had represented "The North against "The South" in an England Schools trial at Oakwell, Barnsley, on 19th March 1949. In the North team was Stan Anderson and the future Manchester United and England striker Dennis Viollet, along with Jeff Whitefoot of Manchester United and England Under-Twenty-threes fame, while future England Goalkeeper, Reg Matthews, had helped limit the score, with Lydon excelling. Lydon was also selected for England against the Rest at Bristol City's Ashton Gateon 2nd April 1949. The Rest team contained Matthews, and Tosh Chamberlain, later of Fulham and a certain Johnny Haynes who would go on to also play for Fulham and England and also captain both. Two goals from Lydon won the game for "England" and ten of their players, along with Chamberlain from "The Rest" were selected to play against Wales at the Vetch Field Swansea. So Micky Lydon had been preferred to Johnny Haynes at inside left and he lined up with Whitefoot, Anderson, Viollet and Chamberlain against the Welsh team that contained Johnny King, later of Swansea Town, in goal, and a forward line containing Harry Griffiths, who had trials at Leeds along with John Charles and later, like his fellow winger on the day, Len Allchurch, played for Swansea Town and Wales. Wales won 4-3 and Anderson knew he had not played well and as they trooped off the pitch Lydon said to him "Well, we’ll be out next time". Both were dropped for the following match with the Republic of Ireland. The next international was at St James’ Park, Newcastle, against Scotland. The selectors, possibly in consideration of the "local boy" appeal to the Geordie football fans, selected the local, Jimmy Jackson, and Anderson to play, But Micky Lydon was left out and future Leeds United Inside Forward, Peter Vickers was given his chance, which he took and also scored in the next match against Wales. After gaining two England Schoolboy caps in 1949, Lydon joined Sunderland as a seventeen-year-old from Durham Junior League club, Hylton Colliery Juniors in December 1950. Anxious for first team football, he moved to Leeds in June 1954. However, after playing regularly for the Reserves as an Outside Left, he was unable to make an impression there, as he was up against the incumbent Andy McCall. He did eventually take over for a short while when McCall was absent, scoring on debut, with the only goal of the game at home to Bury on 15th January 1955, playing in a 0-2 defeat at Swansea Town a week later. He missed two games but was preferred to McCall in the 1-0 home win over Derby County on 26th February 1955 and maintained his spot as Leeds lost 0-2 at Birmingham City a week later. However, when the energetic and talented George Meek returned from National Service, Lydon was consigned to Reserve team football once more. With Jackie Overfield already showing signs of the quality left winger he turned out to be, Lydon could see no future at Elland Road and signed for Gateshead in November 1955. He made one hundred and six League appearances for them, scoring twenty-four goals, until he stopped playing in June 1959.