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Post by number5northcott on Feb 1, 2011 9:34:56 GMT
Hello All,
George Northcott was my Gramps and as some of you may know he sadly passed away in November last year. Since he passed I have started a scrapbook / memory type book so I can share with my children when they are older and I hope very much that you can help me. I really wish I had took the time to get information from my Gramps when he was here but I never thought there would be a day when he wasnt. And his illness took him so quickly I never got a chance.
I know he turned professional in October 1952, but his debut was in 1954-55 season and he left at the end of the 1961-62 season, he also played in their promotional winning team in 1959-60. I was wondering if anybody had any information to share or memorabilia to upload of him during this time.
Thanking you in advance
Gemma
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Post by Budleigh on Feb 1, 2011 9:48:25 GMT
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Jon
Admin 
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Post by Jon on Feb 1, 2011 23:56:51 GMT
Hi Gemma,
Always good to hear from family of old players.
It is so sad that so many of us lose friends or family and wish we had learned more about them while we had the chance.
George was one of the first products of the new TUFC "A team" that was launched at the start of the 1952/53 season - playing at Stoodley Knowle in the South Devon League. George was just 17 at the time and exactly the kind of local talent that the scheme was set up to encourage.
Indeed George was part of a golden generation of Torquay-born players, playing alongside Ernie Pym, Graham Bond and the most famous of all his brother Tom - not to mention Kingsbridge-born goalie Peter Wakeham who had been in that very first A team with him.
He very quickly got moved up to the reserves who played in the South Western League and was soon signed up as a professional.
His first team debut was at Aldershot on 23 October 1954 as a centre forward, although his real position was centre half.
First team opportunities were limited over the next three seasons, but you have to remember that young men had to undergo two years' compulsory National Service in those days that tended to take them away from home just at the time when they might have been breaking into the first team.
George took over from Griff Norman as our first-choice centre-half at the start of the 1957/58 season, just after we had missed out on promotion to the second division (the real one!) on goal difference and just before brother Tom returned to the club after spells at Cardiff and Lincoln.
George was a regular starter for four seasons - including the 1959/60 promotion season. He lost his place during the 1961/62 season and moved on to Cheltenham at the end of that season.
I think that George and brother Tom both ended their careers playing for Newton Spurs in the South Western League - perhaps our poster Stefano could confirm that for us.
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Post by stefano on Feb 2, 2011 7:48:46 GMT
Hi Gemma, Always good to hear from family of old players. ..... I think that George and brother Tom both ended their careers playing for Newton Spurs in the South Western League - perhaps our poster Stefano could confirm that for us. Hello Gemma, Yes 1970/71 season for Newton Abbot Spurs in the South Western League (this was Spurs last season in that league before pulling out and returning to the South Devon League). George at centre half and Tommy at centre forward, they signed at the same time as another ex-Torquay player Alan Smith but he never managed to recover from the injury that finished his professional career. George and Tommy were the only two Spurs players getting paid to play at £3 a game, which seemed a lot to me at that time as my weekly wage for a 40 hour week was only £6-1-0d. We travelled to away games in cars and I have loads of memories of travelling with George and Tommy to the far flung South Western League outposts like Truro, Falmouth, Penzance, and Porthleven, a journey that took ages in those days before dual-carriageways and by-passes around towns. Each journey with them seemed to involve a stop at Trago Mills near Liverton as one or other of them always had to pick up something urgently for the week of work ahead. Spurs manager Bill Anderson never could work out why we were the first car to leave but the last to arrive at the ground! Two great characters George and Tommy and stalwart servants to Torquay United. |
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Post by powles1 on Feb 2, 2011 17:12:43 GMT
Gemma
George played 163 league games for Torquay, 8 FA Cup matches and 1 League Cup match scoring 2 league goals - both penalties. He went to Cheltenham for the 1962 season and then joined Exeter City in 1963 where he stayed 6 months playing 1 game before returning to Cheltenham. He later played for Gloucester for 2 years and then Taunton.
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Jon
Admin
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Post by Jon on Feb 2, 2011 22:59:35 GMT
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Post by number5northcott on Feb 8, 2011 20:42:44 GMT
Hello All,
Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply to me, your information has been very intresting to me.
I lived in Toquay until the age of 6 when my parents moved to Cambridgeshire, nearly 25 years ago. I come and visit as often as I can but not as often as I would like. I never really spoke to my Gramps about his time playing football, to me he was just my Gramps whos hair I used to comb when I was a little girl while sitting on his shoulders.
As I said before since he pasted I have started a little scrapbook for his Great Grandchildren to treasure, and this information is wonderfull.
When I come and visit this year I think I will have to come and see the grounds my Gramps and Great Unlce played on.
Again thank you so much for your replies, it is very kind of you.
Best Wishes Gemma
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Post by phipsy on Feb 10, 2011 16:36:04 GMT
gemma, saw your grandad play many times.
he was a big uncompromising centre half.
i remember him scoring a penalty for united one day, he hit it so hard it nearly broke the net.
he was an excellant defender and solid as a rock.
of course he had to live in the shadow of older brother tommy, who i deservedly a gulls legend and would be worth a fortune on todays values.
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