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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | George William Beel | ||
| Date of birth | (1900-02-26)26 February 1900 | ||
| Place of birth | Bracebridge Heath, England | ||
| Date of death | 30 December 1980(1980-12-30) (aged 80) | ||
| Height | 5 ft8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1919–1920 | Lincoln City | 23 | (6) |
| 1920–1922 | Merthyr Town | 54 | (22) |
| 1922–1923 | Chesterfield | 35 | (23) |
| 1923–1932 | Burnley | 316 | (179) |
| 1932–1933 | Lincoln City | 9 | (6) |
| 1933–1934 | Rochdale | 20 | (8) |
| 1933–1935 | Tunbridge Wells Rangers | ||
| Total | 457 | (244) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
George Beel (26 February 1900 – 30 December 1980) was a professional footballer who played as acentre forward. He is regarded as the best centre forward inBurnley's history and holds their records for the most number of goals in a season and the highest number of league goals ever.
During theFirst World War, Beel was based inBlackpool and would regularly play for the club in theWartime league. During this period, he caught the attention ofManchester United and in 1919 they offered him a trial. He was not offered a contract and returned home to play forLincoln City in October the same year.[2] He scored 6 goals in 23 league games who then moved to South Wales after signing forMerthyr Town.[2] He scored 22 goals in 54 appearances over two years in the newly formedThird Division South before crossing the border back to England, signing for newly promotedChesterfield. Chesterfield scored 68 goals in 1922–23, finishing fourth in their debut season, with Beel finishing joint top scorer in thethird division north league with 23 goals in 35 games. Many first division scouts watched the Spireites, all interested in Beel.[2]Burnley made their move and signed him in 1923, in time for him to play in the last game of the season. Here he would spend nine years, going onto score 188 goals in 337 appearances in all competitions for the Clarets. In six of those seasons, he would finish as the club's top scorer.[3]
He scored 19 league goals in his first season, then scored 24 over the next two seasons before having his best spell. He found the net 24 times in the1926–27 season and then the1927–28 season saw Beel score 35 goals in 39 appearances, a club record for most goals in a season that still remains today.[3] The next season he hit 30 goals in 41 matches, however the goals dried up in the 1929–30 season, managing only 10 in 33 games as Burnley suffered relegation.[3]
Beel also had an impressive hat-trick record. He netted his first hat trick in a 5–1 home victory againstWest Ham United on 17 November 1923. He would have to wait until September 1926 before he scored another, in a 7–1 win away atNewcastle United atSt James' Park. He only had to wait ten days this time before hitting another treble, at home againstBolton Wanderers. He scored another hat-trick at St James Park two years later, this time in a 7–2 win over Newcastle United.[4]
He scored ten league hat-tricks as he scored 142 goals in 252first division league matches, which, at that time, made him one of three players as the 23rd highest scorer ever, in the first division. He would never play in the top flight again spending his last two seasons at Burnley in thesecond division, where he scored a further 37 goals. He scored his eleventh and last hat trick for Burnley in February 1931 againstWolves in a 4–2 home win.[4]
He returned tosecond divisionLincoln City, making 9 league appearances and scoring 6 goals for the Imps after signing at the back end of the 1932–33 season. The following season he was back in thethird division, this time atRochdale in the northern division, where he scored 8 times in 20 league matches. He took the role ofplayer-manager at non-leagueTunbridge Wells Rangers and remained there the following season before retiring. Beel had scored 244 league goals in 457 league appearances in his career.[5] He later became the manager ofMaidstone United, remaining with the Kent club in various capacities, including junior coaching, until his death on 30 December 1980, aged 80.[3]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| England | League | FA Cup | Total | |||||
| 1919–20 | Lincoln City | Second Division | 23 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 23 | 6 | ||||||
| 1920–21 | Merthyr Town | Third Division | 55 | 22 | ||||
| Career total | 55 | 22 | ||||||
| 1921–22 | Chesterfield | Third Division | ||||||
| 1922–23 | ||||||||
| Career total | 35 | 23 | ||||||
| 1922–23 | Burnley[6] | First Division | 1 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1923–24 | 34 | 19 | 7 | 2 | 41 | 21 | ||
| 1924–25 | 35 | 10 | 1 | — | 36 | 10 | ||
| 1925–26 | 33 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 35 | 16 | ||
| 1926–27 | 36 | 24 | 3 | 3 | 39 | 27 | ||
| 1927–28 | 39 | 35 | 1 | — | 40 | 35 | ||
| 1928–29 | 41 | 30 | 3 | 2 | 44 | 32 | ||
| 1929–30 | 33 | 10 | 1 | — | 34 | 10 | ||
| 1930–31 | Second Division | 41 | 25 | 2 | — | 43 | 25 | |
| 1931–32 | 23 | 12 | 1 | — | 24 | 12 | ||
| Career total | 316 | 179 | 21 | 9 | 337 | 188 | ||
| 1932–33 | Lincoln City | Second Division | 9 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 9 | 6 | ||||||
| 1932–33 | Rochdale | Third Division North | 20 | 8 | ||||
| Career total | 20 | 8 | ||||||
| Career total | 458 | 243 | ||||||