Biography
Right back George Goldsmith joined the Tigers in December 1928 after a one week trial. He was immediately thrust into first team action and spent a month in the first team before stepping aside as more experienced practitioners Jock Gibson and Tommy Bleakley returned to fitness. George started two games towards the end of the season and when the 1929/30 season commenced Goldsmith was a first team regular, missing only six games as the Tigers had a topsy turvy season that saw them reach the FA Cup Final only to lose in controversial circumstances to Arsenal after a replay, then collapse and end the season relegated to Division Three North – throughout Goldsmith maintained a reputation for pace and resilience and was a noted exponent of offside tactics, something that was still quite rare in the professional game at that time.
Goldsmith retained his place during the 1930/31 season, missing only five games, but at the start of the 1931/32 season he lost his first team place to Yorkshireman Cliff Woodhead. Eventually manager Hayden Green accommodated both Goldsmith and Woodhead in the two full back berths and in October 1932 George commenced a run of 77 consecutive appearances that featured promotion back to Division Two in May 1933 and ended eighteen months later in March 1934 – that chain of unbroken appearances was a significant feat for a full back where hard knocks were a regular occurrence. By this time Goldsmith was attracting the attention of clubs from higher divisions, such was his form, and he left the Tigers in June 1934.
Goldsmith hailed from Margrove Park in East Cleveland, a model mining village between two North Riding market towns, Guisborough and Loftus. He played lower league football for Bishop Auckland and Northern League side Loftus Albion prior to starting a handful of trial games for Darlington’s Reserves side in April and May 1928. He returned to Loftus Albion and impressed in the early months of the 1928/29 season, earning his move to Hull City.
In June 1934 Goldsmith switched to high flying Division One club Tottenham Hotspur but he made only one senior appearance for the White Hart Lane side against Derby County in September 1934. In March 1935 George switched to Division One rivals Bolton Wanderers where he started the last three games of the 1934/35 season. He began the 1935/36 season as the Trotters’ first choice right back but dropped out of the side in December 1935 and made the last of his 19 senior appearances for Bolton in March 1936. At the end of August 1936 Goldsmith transferred to Cheshire League side Runcorn, he served the Linnets for two seasons before ending his career in the summer of 1938.
By 1939 Goldsmith was living in Hemsworth near Barnsley, where he was listed as a general labourer. He remained in the Barnsley area until his death in September 1974.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 11 March 1905, Loftus
Hull City First Game: 29 December 1928, Southampton A (Division Two), 23 years, 293 days old
Hull City Final Game: 5 May 1934, Burnley H (Division Two), 29 years, 55 days old
Clubs
Bishop Auckland, Loftus Albion, Darlington (1928), Hull City (1928-1934), Tottenham Hostspur (1934-1935), Bolton Wanderers (1934-1936), Runcorn (1936-1938)
Hull City Record
Career: 190 apps, 0 goals
George Goldsmith| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1928/29 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1929/30 | 36 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1930/31 | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1931/32 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1932/33 | 35 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1933/34 | 40 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |