George Duck signed schoolboy forms at Tottenham in 1965 aged 13, which was almost too good to be true for a fan of the club and recent Double winners, but after a couple of years he stopped going not thinking he was good enough. A couple of his mates were playing at Millwall and set him up with a trial. Luckily enough he was offered apprentice forms as a 15-year-old in 1967. Benny Fenton was the manager and signed him on the say-so of Charlie Vaughan the chief scout. George says, " I had a terrific four years there as an apprentice, youth-team and reserve player, some great times. But I was so disappointed when I was released. I knew I needed a breakthrough in my last season but I didn't get a chance." He then joined Southend, but didn't get on with manager Arthur Rowley and called it 'a year best forgotten' as he was left totally disillusioned and went back to Bruce Castle Park with a chip on his shoulder. He then got a call out of the blue from Wealdstone's manager Sid Prosser and at first said 'No!' but Sid wouldn’t take no for an answer. He had a vision for the club and made it more attractive to him. George said, " I felt wanted. It wasn't about money. He'd been a good manager at St Albans and played for England Schoolboys with Johnny Haynes, who ended up playing for a spell at Wealdstone as well, and said ‘we can do well together’." Later George admitted it felt like he had made the right decision as soon as he set foot inside Wealdstone’s home ground. "I instantly felt comfortable the first time I went to Lower Mead. It was a proper little stadium with three covered ends. It took me eight games to score. I thought the jury was out but they could see I could play. I wasn't happy, I wanted goals, but then it really took off." George ended the 1972-73 season with 43 goals to his name, then followed that up with 62 the following term as 'Stones won the Southern League Division One South title. George again remembers, "I was playing with Terry Dyson, a Double winner and European Cup Winners' Cup winner with Tottenham and Johnny Haynes, an ex-England captain, it was brilliant."
 |
| A newspaper clipping of Wealdstone's FA Cup win over Reading - Credit: Archant |
He had dreams of playing at Wembley and got to the last 16 with Wealdstone before losing a replay in the North East. He then helped 'Stones reach the third round of the FA Cup in 1977-78, winning at Third Division Hereford in a replay and beating Fourth Division Reading 2-1 at home, with a three-times taken penalty finally smashed in by George to set up a date with neighbours QPR. They were second in the First Division behind Liverpool but George wasn't fit and shouldn’t have played. But the manager Alan Fogarty wasn’t going to leave him out. Stan Bowles produced a bit of magic in the second half and that was that. George continued to hit the net the following season, but it would prove to be his last for 'Stones.
He was a phenomenal goalscorer, and was as instrumental as anyone in having the championship flag flying at Lower Mead as he contributed a record 62 goals in 73/74 alone!
In total, George Duck scored 223 goals for the Stones in 349 appearances and went on to enjoy a successful career after leaving Wealdstone in 1979 at Dagenham, for who he scored in the FA Trophy Final under Presland, and at Harrow Borough, with whom he won an Isthmian League championship
No comments:
Post a Comment