George Yardley (footballer)

George Yardley
Personal information
Full name George MacArthur Yardley
Date of birth (1941-10-08) 8 October 1941
Place of birth Kirkcaldy, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper, Centre forward
Youth career
Abbotshall Boy's Brigade
Novar Star Youth
Frances Colliery Juniors
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1959–1964 East Fife 62 (17)
1964 Forfar Athletic 4 (0)
1965 St. George-Budapest
1966 Luton Town 1 (0)
1966–1969 Tranmere Rovers 76 (49)
1969 St. George-Budapest
1969–1970 Tranmere Rovers 46 (19)
St. George-Budapest
1973–1974 Altrincham

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


George MacArthur Yardley (born in Kirkcaldy on 8 October 1941) is a Scottish former footballer. Yardley began his career as a goalkeeper before becoming a centre forward.

Playing career

Yardley played his first football as a goalkeeper as an eight-year-old playing for Dunnikier Primary School. However on moving to Temple Hall Secondary School he was forced to play as a forward because another goalkeeper was already playing.[2] At Frances Colliery Juniors he played mostly as a forward, occasionally playing in goal.[2]

In 1959 he signed an amateur contract with East Fife as a goalkeeper. After sustaining a hand injury in 1960 Yardley switched to primarily playing as a forward though he did play a number of matches in goal.[2][3] In 1964 Yardley trialled with Forfar Athletic, playing four matches. He then played out the second half of the 1963/1964 season with Montrose.[2]

Yardley played for Australian club St. George-Budapest in three separate stints. He played one season at St. George during the 1965 Australian season after emigrating to Australia in August 1964.[4][5][5]

On returning from Australia in October 1966, Yardley trialled for a month with English Fourth Division team Luton Town, playing one match.[2][6] In November 1966 he moved to Tranmere Rovers. In four seasons between 1966 and 1970 he played 123 matches, scoring 68 goals.[7] He was leading goal scorer for Rovers on four separate occasions.[2][4][5][8]

His second stint in Australia was in 1969 before returning to Tranmere Rovers.[4] At the completion of his career at Tranmere he moved again to Australia.[5] Yardley had a short stint with Altrincham in the 1973/1974 season.[3]

International career

Yardley played one match in 1959 for Scotland Amateurs against Wales.[2][9]

Personal life

After his football career, Yardley became a design draughtsman on the Wirral.[10]

References

  1. ↑ "Yardley Memories". Rovers Rearguard. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Voices from the past – George Yardley". merseyworld.com. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  3. 1 2 Rowley, Terry. "A to Z of Altrincham Football Club". Altrincham F.C. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 "Australian Player Database – Y". ozfootball.net. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 www.since1888.co.uk Retrieved 1 September 2009
  6. ↑ "LUTON TOWN : 1946/47 – 2007/08". neilbrown.newcastlefans.com. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  7. ↑ Hilton, Nick (21 August 2003). "On scent of Yardley run". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  8. ↑ "Some of Tranmere Rovers Top Scorers". www.tranmere-rovers.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "Luton Links". Altrincham F.C. Retrieved 2 September 2009.
  10. ↑ Edwards, Leigh (26 August 2012), "Back to the Future – Tranmere Rovers FC", Official Shrewsbury Town Matchday Programme: 32–33
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