George Kerr (footballer)

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George Kerr
Personal information
Full name George Adams McDonald Kerr
Date of birth (1943-01-09) 9 January 1943 (age 81)
Place of birth Alexandria, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1961–1965 Barnsley 166 (40)
1965–1966 Bury 15 (2)
1966–1968 Oxford United 41 (5)
1968–1973 Scunthorpe United 157 (32)
Total 379 (79)
Managerial career
1977 Lincoln City
1979–1982 Grimsby Town
1983–1985 Rotherham United
1985–1987 Lincoln City
1987–1990 Boston United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Adams McDonald Kerr (born 9 January 1943 in

the Football League playing for Barnsley, Bury, Oxford United and Scunthorpe United.[1] As a manager, he took charge of Lincoln City twice, Grimsby Town, Rotherham United[2] and Boston United
.

Playing career

After being spotted playing for the Renton Select junior side in Scotland,[3] Kerr joined Barnsley aged just 17. Following brief spells at Bury and Oxford United, Kerr found his home at Scunthorpe United under the guidance of manager Ron Ashman.

His then-teammate Kevin Keegan later remembered how "George was a tough, experienced Scot who knew how to handle himself."[4]

Two months into the 1970-71 season however, Kerr suffered a serious leg break in a

Gainsborough Trinity. Keegan recalled: "It was a diabolical challenge. I was the nearest teammate to him and heard the crack before seeing his bone jutting out of his sock. It was horrendous, the worst thing I had ever seen on a football pitch."[5]

Denied appearance and win bonuses for the year he was on the sidelines, Kerr was forced to rely on donated food parcels from two local butchers and a local greengrocer to feed himself and his family.[6]

Kerr recovered from injury to take part in Scunthorpe's 1971-72 promotion season, but was forced to retire from injury in 1973,[7] aged just 30, before joining Graham Taylor's coaching staff at Lincoln City.

Managerial career

Succeeding Graham Taylor after his departure to

Grimsby Town. In 1979 he became their manager and The Mariners won the Third Division championship in 1980 in Kerr's first season in charge. They finished 7th in the Second Division the following season after challenging for promotion, with the side third in the table with seven games remaining, and a return to Division One after a 33-year absence looked very much on the cards, but the club's form fell away afterwards, with them winning only one more game. That form was not maintained the following season despite a good start, and with Grimsby bottom of the league Kerr was sacked on 11 January 1982 to make way for his assistant, David Booth
.

He was appointed manager of

Boston United
and was a scout.

Media career

He is currently an expert summariser on BBC Radio Humberside. He usually co-commentates on Scunthorpe games and occasionally on Grimsby matches.

Personal life

George's younger brother

Leeds United, whilst his elder brother Willie represented Scotland at youth level and played for Queen's Park F.C.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ "George Kerr". UK A–Z Transfers. Neil Brown. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Managers: George Kerr". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  3. ISBN 978-1-9088471-9-5
  4. ISBN 978-1-5098-7720-1
    .
  5. ISBN 978-1-5098-7720-1
    .
  6. ISBN 978-1-9088471-9-5
  7. ISBN 978-1-9088471-9-5
  8. ISBN 978-1-9088471-9-5
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