Frederick Charles "Charlie" George
(born
October 10,
1950)
is an
English former
footballer.
Born in
Islington,
London, George supported
Arsenal
as a boy, and joined his favourite club in May
1966. He made his
debut for the Gunners in August
1969, and quickly
became a regular in the side, playing in both legs of Arsenal's
1970 Fairs Cup
final win over
RSC
Anderlecht.
Despite breaking his
ankle at the
start of the following season, George quickly recovered, and played a
significant part in Arsenal's run-in to the
1971
Division One title. However, his greatest moment for the club came in the
FA Cup final
against
Liverpool that year; Charlie George scored a spectacular 20-yard winner in
extra time
to make the score 2-1, famously celebrating by lying flat on his back with arms
aloft. With that Cup win Arsenal completed their first "Double".
George played four more seasons at
Highbury, but his career was hampered with injuries and loss of form, and he
gradually fell out with the club and the manager,
Bertie Mee.
In 1975 he moved to
Derby County, where he memorably scored a
hat-trick
against
Real Madrid in a
European Cup match. He would later play for
Southampton,
Nottingham Forest, before trying his luck in
Australia,
the
United States and
Hong Kong.
In all he played 179 matches for Arsenal, scoring 49 goals. He won a solitary
cap for
England, playing for 60 minutes against the
Republic of Ireland in
1976.
After retiring he worked as a
mechanic
for some years; he is now a tour guide at Arsenal's club museum.
