G.O.A.T. - Accrington Stanley

 

George Stewart was born on the 11th of February 1927 in Buckie, Scotland where he was brought up in St Peter’s Road earning the nickname 'Seven-Goal Stewart' when he netted seven times in two consecutive matches for Buckie Thistle as a teenager. After a short spell at Worcester City, he signed for Accrington Stanley in 1954 for £1,500 from St Mirren in Scotland where he had been the clubs leading scorer in the previous four seasons, netting 38 goals in 69 games. On November the 15th, 1954 Stanley took on Blackburn Rovers in a friendly at their old Peel Park ground and welcomed a record attendance of 17,634. It was a Monday night and the game was one of the first floodlit friendlies in a post-war era. Accrington went in front thanks to Bert Scott and George Stewart on what was described as 'a gluepot' of a pitch. However Rovers pulled back to draw the match that also saw record gate receipts at the time of £1,750. 

George broke the club's goal scoring records with 35 goals in the 1955-6 season, including three hat-tricks and overall scored 136 goals in 182 games for the club. He played under manager Walter Galbraith in what is regarded as Accrington's best ever team in the old Third Division, which narrowly missed out on promotion to the Second Division. He also played in the all Scottish Stanley team against Rochdale in 1955, earning the club the nickname 'Accrington McStanley'. 

Jack Barrett, a founder member of Accrington Stanley, said of him, "He was a brilliant player and a grand chap. He would stop and talk to anybody and was very friendly. He was an all round player and scored his fair share of goals and was a very good header of the ball. When George was playing there were good players in the side but in particular the forward line."

George played some of the best football of his career at Peel Park and was renowned as a fast player and one of the finest headers of his time. 

The financial troubles of 1958 forced Accrington Stanley to sell him to Coventry City where he scored 23 goals in 40 games. He also played twice in representative games for Division 3 North against Division 3 South, before he moved to Coventry City.

George passed away on Saturday 4th June, aged 84 and was buried at Buckie North Church in Banffshire, Scotland. Such was his legendary reputation at Accrington Stanley, the League 2 side's website was inundated with tributes to his passing, and the club planned to place a Buckie Thistle strip in its Hall of Fame in his honour. In total, the Buckie-born-and-bred player netted more than 200 competitive goals on both sides of the Border, before finishing his impressive career back home with Partick Thistle in the Highland League.