498 George Cummins

Biography

Experienced Irish striker George Cummins joined the Tigers in November 1962 after a brief trial two months previously. His signing was an early indication of the added ambition that Hull City chairman Harold Needler was showing in the transfer market as the decade progressed, Cummins having been an Ireland international and a top flight player in his younger days. George was also well known to City manager Cliff Britton from his time in charge at Everton in the early 1950s.

Cummins played intermittently for the first team during the 1962/63 season, scoring his first goal for City in a 4-1 away win at Shrewsbury in early December 1962. He played four more games in October 1963 then three more times during the rest of the 1963/64 season before falling out of the first team scene when the strike force of Wagstaff, Chilton and Houghton came to the fore. Cummins left the Tigers and retired from playing in April 1965.

Hailing from Dublin, George Patrick Cummins began his playing career as a youngster at Dublin-based League of Ireland side St Patrick’s Athletic before moving to Division One side Everton in November 1950. In January 1951 Raich Carter’s Tigers XI defeated Everton in the FA Cup Third Round in front of a 36,000 gate at Boothferry Park, perhaps sowing a seed for Cummins that bore fruit nearly 12 years later. The Toffees were relegated in 1950/51 season before Cummins had made his league debut on Christmas Day 1951 against Doncaster Rovers. In the next two seasons George made 24 Second Division starts and a further 5 appearances in the FA Cup, including the March 1953 FA Cup Semi Final against Bolton Wanderers at Manchester City’s Maine Road ground, in which Everton were 0-4 down at half time and recovered to 3-4 by the end.

In August 1953 Cummins left Everton, who were struggling in the lower reaches of Division Two, and joined divisional rivals Luton Town – the Toffees netted a £10,000 fee from the transfer. Cummins was immediately introduced to the Hatters’ forward line and was a first team regular for several seasons, scoring his first Luton goal (and first senior goal) in September 1953 against Birmingham City. In Cummins’ second season at Kenilworth Road Luton were promoted to Division One and for the next five seasons George was a part of the Hatters’ first team squad as they compiled a series of mid-table finishes. In the 1958/59 season, which saw Cummins return to being a first team regular after a couple of seasons in a support role, Luton powered past three Division One rivals to reach the FA Cup semi-final against Division Three side Norwich City. A 1-1 draw at Tottenham’s White Hart Lane ground was followed by a 1-0 victory at Birmingham City’s St Andrews – six years after his first unsuccessful semi-final, George Cummins had reached a Wembley FA Cup Final. Alas two early goals for opponents Nottingham Forest meant that Cummins’ Luton Town side finished runners-up despite Forest playing the last hour of the match with ten men after winger Roy Dwight fractured his leg.

Luton Town finished bottom of the Division One table at the end of the 1959/60 season and with the Hatters rebuilding in Division Two, Cummins was used sparingly during the 1960/61 season. His final start for Luton against Leeds United in April 1961 took his tally in eight years to 25 goals in 201 senior appearances.

Released by Luton Town in May 1961, Cummins attracted the interest of several clubs including Hull City, led by George’s former boss at Everton Cliff Britton. However George chose to join Southern League promotion hopefuls Cambridge City in July 1961, who were able to offer better terms than many Football League sides. He spent 16 months at Cambridge, nearly returning to the League in January 1962 when Chester showed an interest in offering him a player/manager role only to eventually look elsewhere. In September 1962 he commenced a two week trial with Britton’s Hull City side and turned out for City’s Reserves, then returned to Cambridge before transferring to the Tigers two months later.

In August 1965 Cummins was appointed assistant trainer at Division Four side Southport, returning to the Boothferry Park bench in March 1966 when the Sandgrounders played Hull City in the FA Cup Fifth Round. He later retrained as an electrician, living and working in the Southport area for many years. He died at Southport in November 2009.

In the late 1940s Cummins was an Ireland schoolboy international, scoring four goals against England in one August 1947 schoolboy clash. He rose to become regular starter for the Ireland senior international team during his time at Luton Town, although he was first chosen for the Irish squad in March 1953 while still at Everton only to be denied by a domestic suspension. Cummins made his international debut in October 1953 against Luxembourg and scored his first goal against the same opponent in his second appearance five months later. A brace against Norway in May 1955 was followed by further goals in October 1957 against Denmark and in May 1958 against Poland. He won the last of his 19 senior caps in May 1961 against Scotland.

Details

Nationality: Ireland
Date/Place of Birth: 12 March 1931, Dublin
Hull City First Game: 17 November 1962, Bristol City H (Division Three), 31 years, 250 days old
Hull City Final Game: 30 March 1964, Oldham Athletic A (Division Three), 33 years, 18 days old

Clubs

St Patrick’s Athletic, Everton (1950-1953), Luton Town (1953-1961), Cambridge City (1961-1962), Hull City (1962-1965)

Hull City Record

Career: 25 apps, 2 goals

George Cummins
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1962/63182
1963/646010
1964/65

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