Voices from the past - George Yardley

I recently came across an old football annual, and inside was an article by George Yardley of Tranmere Rovers. Not knowing much of the lads from thirty years ago, I asked around and received this reply : ......

"George Yardley was my hero as I used to watch him with my school friends standing behind the goal at the Kop End. He and George Hudson spearheaded the Rovers' attack with another exciting lad on the wing, Ken Beamish. He had that rare gift of scoring goals, most with perfectly executed shots. His close ball control and ability to turn and shoot accurately was tremendous. What a crying shame his career effectively came to an end at the age of 26 when he sustained a ruptured kidney in an infamous 3rd Div match at Shrewsbury (he was hospitalised at Shrewsbury for 6 weeks with serious internal injuries), March '68, barely a couple of weeks after Rovers' historic FA Cup win over 1st Div Coventry (Yardley and Hudson scored in the 2-0 result in front of a packed out PP, 20,996).At the time he was the Football League's top goal scorer with 27. 

Yardley was a Scot from Kirkaldy, born in '42, 5ft. 10in., 12 stone, and won international honours with Scotland's amateurs as a goalkeeper. He also played for East Fife and Montrose. Married, to Eileen, he and his family moved to Australia where he played for St. George Budapest from '64 to '66. Went to Luton for a month's trial but got rejected (their loss our gain!) and was snapped up by Tranmere. Although Yardley did return to play in '69 for 2 more seasons he was a shadow of his former self. " ......Pete  

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Flicking through 'Tranmere Rovers 1921-1997 A complete record' by Gil Upton and Steve Wilson, showed a number of facts about Yardley.

He figures in the Rovers top ten goalscorers, with 68 league goals, and 13 cup goals.

He was top scorer in seasons 66-67 with 16 goals, 67-68 with 27 goals, shared the top spot with Ken Beamish 68-69 with 14 goals, and in 69-70 with 20 goals to his name

General stats for his time at Prenton Park show:

League apps :123
League goals : 68
FA Cup apps : 10 (+2 as sub)
FA Cup goals : 6
League Cup Apps : 14
League Cup Goals : 7

Anyone wishing to contribute to this article is very welcome  

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taken from Charles Buchan's Soccer Gift Book 1968-69.

I started by keeping them out... now I keep putting them in!

It is often said that the harder one has to work for anything - the more one appreciates it. And this is certainly true in my case for the success I enjoyed last season as a marksman did not by any stretch of the imagination, come easily.

And it might never have happened at all had not fate taken a hand - for I originally stated as a goalkeeper, chiefly because as a boy I was tall for my age. It was in this last line of defence that I first played as a boy of 8 for Dunnikier Primary School in my home town of Kirkaldy.

But when at 11 I moved on to Temple Hall Secondary school they already had a goalkeeper and because I was big, they pushed me up field to centre-forward. And I wasn't short of game, for after turning out for the school on Saturday mornings, I played for Abbotshall Boy's Brigade team ion the afternoons.

And it was at this period that I played many times for Fife County Boys and had a trial for Scotland Boys. When I left school at 15 I continued my education with a year at Technical College, playing for a local under-18's side, Novar Star Youth.

My year at college completed, I started work as an apprentice draughtsman-fitter and signed for Frances Colliery Juniors, playing mostly at centre-forward but occasionally in goal. And to my surprise it was in this latter position that I was asked to have a trial with East Fife, the Scottish League Second Division club.

The trial consisted of the manager, Mr Charles McCaig, firing shots at me. he asked me to sign amateur forms on the spot and two days later I played (in goal) for East Fife reserves.

By the time I was 17 I had gained an amateur cap for Scotland, playing in goal against Wales at Kilmarnock which ended in a 3-3 draw. Also in our side was Alex Fergusen, now with Rangers. but in the next season my troubles began when I broke a bone in my hand and by the time I was fit again East Fife had secured a replacement 'keeper.

As a result, I was asked to revert to centre-forward after one game on the left wing in the reserve side. I did so against St. Andrew's University - we won 7-1 - and I scored 4goals. This brought quick promotion to the league side and in my first game we won 8-1 and although I didn't get any myself I had a good game laying-on for my team mates.

I was signed as a part-time professional but after cartilage operations in March 1962, and again in the same month of 1963 my confidence deserted me. My right knee joint was weak, I just wasn't fit enough for the team - and east Fife had scrapped their reserve team.

I was very depressed but as I had completed my apprenticeship I left my job and spent the summer of 1963 working hard to get 100% fit again.

In the new season I found myself in and out of the side and finally asked to be released - being very hurt when I was dropped for a Scottish League Cup game against Rangers in the quarter finals.

I wanted to try my luck in England but my fiancee (now my wife) was against this and after a trial with Forfar Athletic (their terms just didn't suit me!) I eventually played out the season as centre forward with Montrose.

I had been toying with the idea of emigrating to Australia and August 1964, I got married and off we flew.

We stayed for two years and I got all the football I wanted and not once did I have any sign of trouble from my knee. This was just the tonic I needed, my confidence surged back, we saved money madly - and spent £800 on return passages to Britain.

We stayed with my sister in Tonbridge, I trained for a while with Brighton, almost signed for Luton, then came to terms with Mr Dave Russell at Tranmere - which I don't think either of us has regretted.

Last season I was enjoying fair success on the goal front until my unfortunate injury in March - but what never ceased to amaze me was the number of chances that came my way. Trainer Jackie Wright insisted that this was because I naturally position myself correctly - but that doesn't alter the fact that I did get the chances.

And you have no idea how much I hate myself when I miss them - which, unfortunately, happened too often for my liking.