Biography
George Hall was a versatile forward hailing from the Sunderland coalfields who joined the Tigers in May 1922 from his local side Herrington Swifts. He was thrust into the first team at outside left for a drab Monday night fixture against Port Vale. He returned to the first team in February 1923 when new manager Bill McCracken took over the reins, Hall played at inside right and scored four goals in seven starts. Despite this brief period of rich form, Hall returned to the Reserves and made only two further starts during the 1923/24 season before leaving the Tigers in May 1924. He spent the start of the 1924/25 season on trial at Division Three North side Durham City but failed to break into the first team and quickly returned to Sunderland’s local leagues.
Hall had previously served as Gunner in 92 Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery during World War One, serving in France and Mesopotamia between 1914 and 1916 when he was wounded. Either side of the war he worked as a coal miner in several East Durham colleries – Blackhall, Easington, Horden and Hesleden – and by 1939 he was again working undergound and living in the coastal mining community of Blackhall Colliery. He died in October 1956 after heart problems.
Many thanks to George’s grandson Julian Hawkins for providing his photograph and various biographical details.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 26 August 1895, Newbottle
Hull City First Game: 4 September 1922, Port Vale A (Division Two), 27 years, 9 days old
Hull City Final Game: 20 October 1923, Stoke H (Division Two), 28 years, 55 days old
Clubs
Herrington Swifts, Hull City (1922-1924), Durham City (1924), Hesleden Rising Star
Hull City Record
Career: 12 apps, 4 goals
George Hall| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922/23 | 10 | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1923/24 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
George was my maternal Grandfather but sadly died before I was born in 1961. He also served in the Artillery regiments during 1st World War from 1914 until 1916 so either the date of birth above is wrong or he must have lied about his age when enlisting!
George was born in either 1895 or 1896 but definitely in Shiney Row, Nr Houghton-le-Spring County Durham.