Milburn: George William (George)

1928-1937 & WW2 Guest: 1943-1944 (Player Details) (Leeds United War-time Guest Player Details)

Right Back

Born: Ashington: 24-06-1910

Debut: v Portsmouth (a): 03-05-1930

5’10” 13st (1935)

George Milburn was one of three brothers, all full-backs, who gave great service to Leeds. A fourth brother, Stan, played for Chesterfield, Leicester City and Rochdale, cousin Jackie Milburn was a legend with Newcastle and England and their nephews were Bobby and Jack Charlton. "George joined Leeds from Ashington Colliery Welfare in 1928, after having played for Newcastle United's third team as an Amateur. He was a centre-half with Ashington when he moved to Leeds but after also playing in a trial as a centre-forward, he was converted to a full-back and soon dropped into the consistent groove that was a hallmark of the Milburns, after making his debut at Portsmouth on 3rd May 1930." (Courtesy of Neil Roche) He partnered his brother Jack regularly, they were both ever-present in 1932-33, and George held his place until the emergence of Bert Sproston. George took his relegation to the Reserves in good grace and in 1936-37 he captained United to their only Central League Championship, until the last year's, of the millennium. He moved to Chesterfield in May 1937 for £1,500 and during World War Two he guested with Leeds and Yeovil Town, together with Ken Gadsby. He appeared three times at Right Back for United in wartime fixtures, in the 1943-44 Football League Northern Section (Second Championship) when he played three consecutive games. His first was on 4th March in a 1-3 defeat away at Sheffield United followed by a 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Elland Road and a 2-2 draw at Derby County. But as his wartime occupation at the local Tube Works prevented a call-up for the forces, he was able to play extremely regularly for the Spireites for the duration of the war and was a regular scorer as he took on the penalty duties. He managed eight in 1939-40 from twenty-two games, four in thirty-seven games in 1940-41, seven in thirty-six games in 1941-42, two in twenty-seven games in 1942-43, five in thirty games in 1943-44, seven in forty-two in 1944-45 and nine in twenty-seven games in 1945-46. A total of forty-two goals in two hundred and twenty-one War-time appearances. He also played twice in the aborted 1939-40 Football League season. At Chesterfield he linked up with his brother Stan and went on to become one of the few players to score a hat-trick of penalties in League football. He did it against Sheffield Wednesday on 7th June 1947, and that hat-trick came in the fifty-sixth, sixty-fourth and seventy-seventh minutes and saw the Spireites come from behind to beat the Owls 4-2. When he had been at Leeds his elder brother Jack was the acknowledged penalty-taker but George easily took on that role with Chesterfield to deadly effect. George rose to be one of the Spireite greats in a period of service that spanned the Second World War. A rugged, no-nonsense player, his somewhat stocky build and prematurely receding hairline gave the impression of his being an intimidating sort, but he had some neat edges to his uncompromising outlook. He retired the same year and became Chesterfield’s Assistant Manager, a position he held until he retired in 1961. He made one hundred and seven League appearances, including the two games in the aborted 1939-40 season, and scored sixteen goals for Chesterfield, in Football League games either side of World War Two. He died in Chesterfield on 24th June 1980, his seventieth birthday.