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George Hilsdon
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'''George 'Gattling Gun' Hilsdon''' (b:
10 August 1885,
Bromley-by-Bow. d:
1941,
Leicester) was a
football (soccer) footballer who began his career at
West Ham United F.C. West Ham United, making his debut in the 1903-04 season. His brother Jack Hilsdon also played for West Ham at this time.
In
1905 he moved to
Chelsea F.C. Chelsea and was earning
Pound sterling £4 a week wages. He scored five goals on his Chelsea debut, and the club programme described him as “living proof that to become a first-class footballer it is not necessary to be born north of the Tweed�.
Hilsdon scored 27 goals that season which helped earn Chelsea promotion in their first year of professional football.
Hilsdon received international recognition for
England national football team England and scored three goals in a 6-0 win over the
Irish Football League Irish League. In all, he managed to score 13 times in just eight international games for England.
In
1912 he returned to West Ham, and was top scorer for them in the 1912-13 season, scoring 17 goals in 36 games.
He was known at this point as the "old international", even though he was still only 27 years of age.
Hilsdon played for West Ham until 1915, and during his two spells there he recorded 92
Southern Football League Southern League appearances, and scored 35 goals. Hilsdon also played in four World War I games for the East London outfit.
He is also credited with helping the development of young West Ham striker
Syd Puddefoot.
During the war George tried to avoid active service and was caught by the police hiding in a chicken run, and was called up. This affected him greatly, and in the words of his son, he “copped the mustard gas at Arras.�
After the war George worked as a teaboy on building sites, ran a
Public house pub and organised raffles in
East End of London East End pubs.
He died in Leicester in 1941 and only four people came to the funeral. There is no stone to mark Hilsdon's grave.
References
*{{cite book | author=Kerrigan, Colm| title=Gattling Gun George Hilsdon | publisher=Football Lives | year=| id=ISBN 0953071804}}
*{{cite book | author=Blows, Kirk & Hogg, Tony| title=The Essential History of West Ham United | publisher=Headline | year=2000| id=ISBN 0747270368}}
-
West Ham United F.C. Player & People List
External links
-
EastLondonHistory.com: George "Gatling Gun" Hilsdon
Category:1885 births Hilsdon, George
Category:1941 deaths Hilsdon, George
Category:English footballers Hilsdon, George
Category:Chelsea F.C. players Hilsdon, George
Category:West Ham United F.C. players Hilsdon, George
Category:West Ham United F.C. forwards Hilsdon, George
{{England-footybio-stub}}
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