Geordie Anderson

George Horsley "Geordie" Anderson (16 April 1870 – 1937) was a Scottish professional footballer. He played as a defender and, later, as a forward.

Geordie Anderson
Personal information
Full name George Horsley Anderson[1]
Date of birth 16 April 1870
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland
Date of death 1937[2]
Place of death Edinburgh, Scotland
Position(s)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1889–1892 Leith Athletic 27 (5)
1892–1896 Blackburn Rovers 131 (11)
1896–1897 New Brighton Tower ? (?)
1897 → Blackburn Rovers (loan) 2 (0)
1897–1898 New Brighton Tower 8 (0)
1898–1901 Blackburn Rovers 45 (8)
1901–1904 Blackpool 78 (29)
International career
1892 Scottish League XI 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Anderson was born in Edinburgh and played as a centre half, initially for Leith Athletic in the inaugural seasons of the Scottish Football League.[3] In 1892 played for the Scottish League XI against the rival Scottish Football Alliance[4][5] a short time before joining Blackburn Rovers. He replaced Jack Barton at centre-half, forming a half-back line-up with Jimmy Forrest and Geordie Dewar which was to remain at the heart of the Rovers' defence for the next three seasons, during which their league campaigns ended with finishes in ninth, fourth and fifth places respectively. Although Rovers reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1893 and 1894, their cup-winning exploits were over until 1928. However, it has been reported that his off-field decisions gave concern to the club hierarchy.[6]

Anderson left Blackburn Rovers for the first time in 1896; during his initial spell at the club he scored 11 goals in 131 league games. He then spent a few seasons moving back and forth between Blackburn and New Brighton Tower, who had joined the Lancashire League at the start of the 1897–98 season. After finishing as champions in their first season, the club were elected to the Second Division of The Football League when the League was expanded by four clubs. Anderson returned permanently to Blackburn midway through the 1898–99 season.

In 1901 Anderson joined Blackpool. He made his debut on 2 March 1901, in a 10–1 defeat at Small Heath, scoring the Seasiders' goal. He went on to make a further seven appearances in the 1900–01 season, scoring one more goal.

In 1901–02, Anderson was moved into a forward position. He made 29 league appearances and scored twelve goals. Two of these goals were game-winners: firstly, in a single-goal victory over Burslem Port Vale at Bloomfield Road on New Year's Day, 1902, and then in another one-goal game at Newton Heath on 25 January.

For the 1902–03 campaign, Anderson was moved back to centre-half. He made 21 appearances and scored eight goals — including a hat-trick in a 3–3 draw with Barnsley at home on 13 September 1902. He was the first Blackpool player to achieve the feat in a League game.[7]

In 1903–04, Anderson made 21 appearances and scored seven goals, including another hat-trick, this time in a 4–1 home victory over Burton United on 20 February 1904. He played as both a forward and centre-half in what was his final season as a player. His last appearance occurred on 30 April 1904, in a single-goal defeat at Preston North End in the West Lancashire derby. It has been reported that he disappeared from his family home in Blackpool in 1920 and was not heard of again,[6] although his eventual death in his Scottish hometown was recorded in 1937.[2]

References
Specific
  1. Marriages at All Saints in the Parish of Blackburn | Marriages recorded in the Register for 1887 - 1899, Lancashire OnLine Parish Clerks
  2. Statutory registers - Deaths - Search results, ScotlandsPeople
  3. John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Re: Matchfacts 1891/92". Scottish Referee. SFQAs. 11 November 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  5. "Football. | Scottish League V. Scottish Alliance". The Glasgow Herald. 31 May 1892. Retrieved 2 July 2021 – via London Hearts Supporters Club.
  6. Now You See Him, The Blackburn Rovers Miscellany, Harry Berry; History Press, 2012; ISBN 9780752490816
  7. Gillatt, Peter (30 November 2009). Blackpool FC on This Day: History, Facts and Figures from Every Day of the Year. Pitch Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-905411-50-4.
General
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