Biography
George William Cook was born in Welton-le-Wold near Louth in Lincolnshire but by his teenage years he was living in the Drypool area of East Hull. George was a goalkeeper who played for Hull-based side Brunswick Institute before signing for Hull City during the club’s inaugural 1904/05 season. Prior to then he had worked as a grocer and been involved with Brunswick Wesleyans, the predecessor club to Brunswick Institute, for nearly ten years as cricketer, footballer and football club secretary.
His only senior appearance came in October 1905 when a fixture clash between a home league game against Manchester United (a money-spinning Saturday fixture) and an FA Cup qualifier away at Denaby United prompted City to play both games on the same day, sending a second string squad to Denaby. Cook remained a prominent figure in City’s Reserves and Third elevens, but never again made the first team.
He joined local side Beverley Old in the summer of 1908 and in April 1909 he represented “Old” in the East Riding Cup Final. He later rejoined Hull City, appearing for the Reserves as late as 1916.
After football he lived on Clough Road and worked in a senior role for the Hull Oil Manufacturing Company located in Stoneferry – he later lived in the streets between Newland Avenue and Beverley Road. A long illness led to his death in March 1937.
Details
Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 3 September 1877, Welton-le-Wold
Hull City First Game: 28 October 1905, Denaby United A (FA Cup Second Qualifying Round), 28 years, 55 days old
Hull City Final Game: 28 October 1905, Denaby United A (FA Cup Second Qualifying Round, 28 years, 55 days old
Clubs
Brunswick Institute (1895-1904), Hull City (1904-1908), Beverley Old, Hull City
Hull City Record
Career: 1 apps, 0 goals
George Cook| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1904/05 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1905/06 | – | – | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1906/07 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1907/08 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Sorry if this upsets things, but George William Cook features in the inaugural Brunswick Wesleyans team photo taken in 1892. He subsequently became the club’s secretary. His address appears in the ‘Match Wanted’ columns in the local press. Cross-referencing this to the census returns indicates that he was actually born in Lincolnshire, at Welton le Wold, on 3 September 1877. He married Eleanor Clayton in 1900. After the First World War he worked for the Hull Oil Manufacturing Co (Homco for short). He died in Beverley Road Hospital on 16 March 1937 after a long illness. The notice of his death in the Hull Daily Mail (18 March) refers to his involvement with Hull City, and also Hull Cricket Club.
Many thanks Chris, that’s incredibly helpful. I’ve now fully revamped his page with your information and some further snippets gleaned from the press and genealogy sources.
Great job with the revamp, Mike!