George Wright

DOB: 19th March 1930

Position: Full-back

Season of first appearance: 1950/51

Season of last appearance: 1950/51

Full Appearances: 22

Substitute: 0

Goals: 0

Also played for:

Ramsgate Athletic, West Ham United (170,0), Leyton Orient (88,1) and Gillingham (4,0).

Player Profile:

5' 9" tall Ramsgate-born, fair-haired skilful defender who played locally for Thanet Press as an 18 year-old during the 1948/49 season before starting his senior career with Ramsgate.

George didn't make any first team appearances for the Rams and in the summer of 1950 he signed for Margate.

He made his debut in a 3-0 defeat at Snowdown on 23.8.50 - the first match of the legendary Almer Hall's reign as Margate manager - and played in the unfamiliar role of inside forward. George went on to make 22 appearances as a right-back or centre-back during the first half of the 1950/51 season before being transferred to West Ham in February 1951, just a month after team-mate Doug Bing had joined the Hammers.

George went on to spend over seven years with the Hammers and made 170 first team appearances for them. He also played twice for the FA XI. In addition George played for London in the 2nd leg of the first-ever Inter-Cities Fairs Cup away to Barcelona. He and Doug Bing were known as 'the Margate blondes' by the national press while at Upton Park.

In February 1957 there were rumours of George returning to Margate as he was transfer-listed and watched a Margate game from the bench with Almer Hall but there was no substance in the stories.

In June 1958 he moved to Leyton Orient and was a regular in their side from 1958/59 to 1961/62.

In July 1962 George joined Gillingham and made a handful of first team appearances for them during the early part of the 1962/63 season.

In September 1962 he dropped back into non-league football to rejoin Ramsgate. The Rams released him at the end of the 1962/63 campaign.

George was the son of a local fishmonger and at one stage was in business in both the confectionery and carpentry trades. He later moved into cabinet-making and ran a second-hand car dealership.

George died in Ramsgate aged 70 during September 2000.