George Armstrong (footballer)
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | George Armstrong[1] | ||
Date of birth | [1] | 9 August 1944||
Place of birth | Hebburn, County Durham, England | ||
Date of death | 1 November 2000[1] | (aged 56)||
Place of death | Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England | ||
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[2] | ||
Position(s) | Winger | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1961–1977 | Arsenal | 500 | (53) |
1977–1978 | Leicester City | 15 | (0) |
1978–1979 | Stockport County | 34 | (0) |
1980–1981 | Mjølner | 33 | (3) |
Total | 582 | (56) | |
Managerial career | |||
Enderby Town
1984/5. Worcester City | |||
1980–1981 | FK Mjølner | ||
1988–1989 | Kuwait | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
George "Geordie" Armstrong (9 August 1944 – 1 November 2000) was an English football player and coach, who was mostly associated with Arsenal. A winger, Armstrong made his Arsenal debut in 1962 at the age of 17 and went on to make 621 appearances – which was then an all-time club record – before he left Highbury in 1977. He spent a season each with Leicester City and Stockport County, and then took up coaching, both domestically and abroad. After a year as Kuwait national team manager, Armstrong returned to Arsenal as reserve-team coach in 1990, a post which he held for the remaining ten years of his life.
Playing career
Armstrong was born in Kipling Avenue,
Armstrong arrived at
Over time Armstrong became one of Arsenal's most consistent players, who was noted for the quality and accuracy of his crossing and corner kicks, as well as for his tireless running along the wing.[2] He primarily played on the left, but was also effective on the right.[8] Signed by George Swindin but maturing under Billy Wright's management, he was one of several players from the Wright era such as Jon Sammels and Peter Storey who became an integral part of successor Bertie Mee's Arsenal side.[4][9]
After losing two successive
Armstrong remained with the club through the 1970s, as Arsenal failed to win any further trophies after their Double win; he played at least thirty matches in each season he was at the club during that decade.[10] However, after falling out with Mee's successor, Terry Neill, he moved to Leicester City in September 1977 for £15,000. He played only 14 League matches in his single season with the Foxes, and finished his career in England with Stockport County.[1][4] In 1980-81 he was the player-manager for Mjølner, Norway, playing his last match against Bodø/Glimt on 5 July 1981.[14][15][16]
Having spent fifteen full seasons at Arsenal, most of them as an ever-present, Armstrong set an all-time club record for appearances – 621 competitive first-team appearances,
Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Armstrong moved into coaching, and worked for clubs including
Death
On 31 October 2000, Armstrong collapsed after a
In 2022 it was announced that his medals and awards, given to him throughout his career, would be sold at auction in April, 2022.[25] Memorabilia items were also auctioned in 2022.[26]
Playing statistics
Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Arsenal | 1961–62[27] | First Division | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | ||
1962–63[28] | First Division | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 2 | |||
1963–64[29] | First Division | 28 | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | 3[a] | 0 | 35 | 5 | ||
1964–65[30] | First Division | 40 | 4 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 42 | 5 | |||
1965–66[31] | First Division | 39 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 6 | |||
1966–67[32] | First Division | 40 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 47 | 8 | ||
1967–68[33] | First Division | 42 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 55 | 5 | ||
1968–69[34] | First Division | 29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 38 | 8 | ||
1969–70[35] | First Division | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10[a] | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
1970–71[36] | First Division | 42 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8[a] | 1 | 64 | 8 | |
1971–72[37] | First Division | 42 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5[b] | 1 | 59 | 5 | |
1972–73[38] | First Division | 30 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | ||
1973–74[39] | First Division | 41 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | ||
1974–75[40] | First Division | 24 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 2 | ||
1975–76[41] | First Division | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 4 | ||
1976–77[42] | First Division | 37 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 45 | 3 | ||
Total | 500 | 53 | 60 | 10 | 35 | 3 | 26 | 2 | 621 | 68 | ||
Leicester City | 1977–78[43] | First Division | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 13 | 1 | |
1978–79[43] | Second Division | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
Total | 15 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |||
Career total | 515 | 53 | 62 | 11 | 35 | 3 | 26 | 2 | 638 | 69 |
- ^ a b c Appearances in Inter-Cities Fairs Cup
- European Cup
Honours
Club
Individual
- Arsenal Player of the Season: 1970
References
General
- James, Josh; Andrews, Mark; Kelly, Andy (15 October 2018). Arsenal: The Complete Record. Liverpool: deCoubertin Books. ISBN 978-1909245754.
- Seager, Dave (20 November 2014). Geordie Armstrong: On the Wing. Legends Publishing. ISBN 978-1906796549.
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f "George Armstrong". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g "George Armstrong". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Seager 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Attwood, Tony (2 April 2012). "George Armstrong: signed by Swindin but came good under Mee". woolwicharsenal.co.uk. AISA Arsenal History Society. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ "George Armstrong Arsenal FC". sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Seager 2014, p. 44.
- ^ Kelly, Andy. "Arsenal first team line-ups". The Arsenal History. Retrieved 10 November 2017. Select season required.
- ^ Seager 2014, p. 147.
- ^ Attwood, Tony (30 March 2012). "Bob Wilson, Billy Wright's problem and Bertie Mee's solution". woolwicharsenal.co.uk. AISA Arsenal History Society. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ a b c "George Armstrong". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Seager 2014, pp. 16–17.
- ^ "All Arsenal football club players: 1971". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Ley, John (23 April 2004). "Arsenal hoping history repeats itself in N17". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
- ^ "Poengdeling også i Narvik". Nordlys (in Norwegian). 6 July 1981. p. 9.
- ^ "ÅRS-TOPP av Mjølner – tross uavgjort igjen". Fremover (in Norwegian). 6 July 1981. pp. 11–12.
- ^ Bakkejord, Tore (1988). Rødt, hvitt og godt : med Mjølner mot 1. divisjon (in Norwegian). pp. 73–74. Player stats at Mjølner.
- ^ Mubarak, Hassanin (8 May 2014). "Kuwait national team coaches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Seager 2014, p. 201.
- ^ Bateman, Cynthia (10 July 1990). "Edwards deal sets up United to go public". The Guardian. London. p. 16.
Arsenal's manager George Graham has appointed George Armstrong, a colleague in the 1971 Double team, as reserve-team coach.
- ^ a b "Arsenal legend Armstrong dies". BBC Sport. 1 November 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ^ Haylett, Trevor (22 February 1995). "Graham vows to contest his dismissal". The Independent. London. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
Collins, Roy (2 May 2004). "Arsenal solid on Rioch foundations". Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
Haylett, Trevor (13 September 1996). "Football: Red faces as Houston walks out". The Independent. London. Retrieved 9 March 2017. - ^ a b Glanville, Brian (2 November 2000). "George Armstrong". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ Seager 2014, p. 23.
- ^ Deeks, Jo (14 June 2001). "George is strip off old block". haverhill-uk.com. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
- ^ George Armstrong's Medals and Awards Auction Sale Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ "Arsenal team-signed George Armstrong Testimonial Committee Dinner & Ball programme held at the". bidlive.grahambuddauctions.co.uk. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 268.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 272.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 276.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 280.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 284.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 288.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 292.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 296.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 302.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 306.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 310.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 314.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 318.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 322.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 326.
- ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 330.
- ^ a b "George Armstrong Club stats". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 January 2024.