George Charles Whitcombe (21 January 1902 – 30 April 1986) was a Welsh
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
. He also captained Wales at
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
, winning a total of five caps.
A product of the Welsh club,
Bargoed
Bargoed ( cy, Bargod) is a town and community in the Rhymney Valley, Wales, one of the South Wales Valleys. It lies on the Rhymney River in the county borough of Caerphilly. It straddles the ancient boundary of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, wit ...
, He was then discovered by the club of his native town,
Cardiff City in 1922, before he was sold on to
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
in 1925. In August 1926, he moved on to
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
. He would remain at the club for five years, playing 55 games, as the club topped the
Third Division North
The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
in
1929–30. On 27 June 1928 George took a break from football to marry Gwendoline Thomas in Grangetown, Cardiff. He was then sold on to
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
in December 1930, a club that won the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
title in
1930–31
Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condit ...
. He later turned out for non-league sides
Ashton National Gas and
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...
. After retiring, he became a publican.
He was part of a famous sporting family; his brother
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
represented
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
and
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
at
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
, his nephew
Frank Whitcombe Jr played
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
for Bradford RFC and Yorkshire, and his great-nephew
Martin Whitcombe played rugby union for
Leicester Tigers and
England Saxons
England A is England's men's second national rugby union team. The team has previously been known by a number of names, such as England B, Emerging England and, most recently, England Saxons. England A play a key role in the development of emer ...
.
Football career
A "dogged, hard working" right-half, who could also play at centre-half, Whitcombe began his football career with local side Grange Albion in 1921. In summer 1922, Whitcombe signed for
First Division Cardiff City. He spent three years at
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in the Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovations during its lifespan and hosted fixtu ...
, during which time, in
1923–24, the "Bluebirds" finished second in the
Football League. However following the
Welsh Senior Cup tie with
Swansea City on 2 March 1925, which Cardiff lost 4–0, he was sold on to
Stockport County
Stockport County Football Club are a professional football club in Stockport, England, who compete in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed Stockport Co ...
of the
Second Division
In sport, the Second Division, also called Division 2 or Division II is usually the second highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Following the rise of Premier League style compet ...
.
The "Hatters" were relegated in last place in
1925–26, and Whitcombe left the club due to a dispute over wages. In total he played fifteen times for County, before joining
Port Vale
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley o ...
back in the Second Division in August 1926.
He made his Port Vale debut in a 3–1 home win against
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
on 27 September. He later appeared for the "Valiants" in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
Fourth Round clash with
Arsenal, which ended in a 1–0 defeat at
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was sit ...
, following a 2–2 draw at
The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground was a football stadium located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England, and home to Port Vale F.C. from 1913 to 1950. It was the sixth ground the club used.
Structure and facilities
The stadium was in rather bad condit ...
. The "Gunners" went on to
the final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, only to be beaten by Cardiff City. Whitcombe finished the
1926–27 campaign with 24 appearances to his name. He played fourteen games in
1927–28, and appeared twelve times in
1928–29, as the club were relegated into the
Third Division North
The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to ...
. Following the death of manager
Joe Schofield, Vale won promotion as the division's champions under
Tom Morgan in
1929–30; however Whitcombe made just the one appearance throughout the season. Despite only playing a further three games in
1930–31
Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condit ...
, he was sold to
Notts County
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team participate in the National League, the fifth tier of the English football league system. Founded on the 25 November 1862, it is the ...
for a 'substantial amount' in December 1930, having played a total of 55 matches for the club (51 in the league).
He made only seven appearances for Notts County, having been sent off, for the only time in his career, in a county cup game against
Frickley Colliery, and hit with a monthlong suspension as punishment. Despite this, the "Magpies" topped the
Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
table by the end of
the season.
Whitcombe returned to Cardiff, though his playing days were not quite over. He moved to be player-coach to a works team in
Ashton-under-Lyne
Ashton-under-Lyne is a market town in Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. The population was 45,198 at the 2011 census. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the north bank of the River Tame, in the foothills of the Pennines, east of Manche ...
called
Ashton National Gas, before ending his football career at
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay ( cy, Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales overlooking the Irish Sea. It lies within the historic county of Denbighshire. Eight neighbouring communities are incorpo ...
.
Baseball career
Grange Albion
In the summer months George played
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
for Grange Albion one of the longest standing and most successful clubs in Wales. The club has produced 52 players who have been
capped
In sport, a cap is a player's appearance in a game at international level. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of rugby football and association football. In the ea ...
by Wales and no less than 13 Welsh international
captains
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
, including George Whitcombe.
During George's time at Grange Albion the club enjoyed great success winning the Welsh Baseball Union Cup in 1921–22,1923–24 & 1931–32. The club backed the cup success up by winning the Welsh League Championship, the (Dewar Shield) in 1921–22, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1929–30 & 1931–32. After his retirement from Baseball George Whitcombe became a life member of Grange Albion Baseball Club
Welsh International
George Whitcombe won a total of five
caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Ja ...
for
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
, all against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. His first cap came at the
Cardiff Arms Park Cricket Ground
Cardiff Arms Park ( cy, Parc yr Arfau Caerdydd), also known as The Arms Park, is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. It is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green. The Arms Park was host to the 1958 Brit ...
on 2 August 1926, when he fielded at 1st Base and opened the Welsh batting; he made 4 out of 94, and England scored 47 and 43. His second cap came at The Police Athletic Ground (
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
) on 30 July 1927, when he batted 6th, scoring 1 and 2; Wales made 48 and 83, England made 41 and 27. He won his third cap on 20 July 1929, at the same ground in Liverpool; he scored 2 and 2 batting second out of 83 and 52 for 5, England made 71 and 62.
He captained Wales at
The Old Recreation Ground
The Old Recreation Ground was a football stadium located in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, England, and home to Port Vale F.C. from 1913 to 1950. It was the sixth ground the club used.
Structure and facilities
The stadium was in rather bad condit ...
(home of his then football team
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in . Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a place; their name being a reference to the valley of ...
) in an international match on 17 May 1930; Wales made 45 and 70, England made 59 and 27. Whitcombe's fourth cap came at The Police Athletic Ground on 11 July 1931, where Wales won 46 and 41 against England's 36 and 17; batting 11th he scored 6 and 1. His final cap came on 1 July 1933, again at The Police Athletic Ground; he batted first scoring 0 and 13 out of 33 and 55, but England won with 48 and 43 for 3. Whitcombe's time in the Welsh team was when the sport was at it strongest in both Wales and England.
Post-retirement
At the end of his football career, Whitcombe returned to
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
and firstly ran the "Lord Windsor Hotel" in
Grangetown, and later "The Ninian Park Hotel" in
Leckwith
Leckwith ( cy, Lecwydd) is a small village in the Vale of Glamorgan, just west of Cardiff. Historically, the parish of Leckwith also included land on the east side of the river Ely that is now part of Cardiff itself. This area is also commonly kn ...
near to
Cardiff City's
home ground
In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...
. He then ran the "Coldstream Hotel" at
Riverside just outside
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
city centre for a twenty-seven-year period between 1937 and 1964.
Whitcombe served in the
Home Guard
Home guard is a title given to various military organizations at various times, with the implication of an emergency or reserve force raised for local defense.
The term "home guard" was first officially used in the American Civil War, starting w ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Family
He was one of ten children growing up at 52 Wedmore Road in
Grangetown. His father, Frederick William Whitcombe, was a prize fighter in
bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing (or simply bare-knuckle) is a combat sport which involves two individuals throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time without any boxing gloves or other form of padding on their hands. It is a regulated ...
at
Cardiff Docks
Cardiff Docks ( cy, Dociau Caerdydd) is a port in southern Cardiff, Wales. At its peak, the port was one of the largest dock systems in the world with a total quayage of almost . Once the main port for the export of South Wales coal, the Port ...
, known locally as
Tiger Bay
Tiger Bay ( cy, Bae Teigr) was the local name for an area of Cardiff which covered Butetown and Cardiff Docks. Following the building of the Cardiff Barrage, which dams the tidal rivers, Ely and Taff, to create a body of water, it is re ...
.
He attended Ninian Park Council School in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
, along with his brother
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
. Frank played
rugby league
Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
for
Bradford Northern
The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is pre ...
, and also represented
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. Another brother, Teddy, played baseball for Grange Albion. His nephew,
Frank Whitcombe Jr, played
rugby union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...
for Bradford RFC and Yorkshire. Another nephew,
Brian Whitcombe, was a back row forward for Bradford RFC.
He was also the great uncle of
Martin Whitcombe, who was a prop for the rugby union side
Leicester Tigers, and
England 'B',
The city of Cardiff celebrated the sporting achievements of eight "local sporting heroes" as part of the city's celebrations as European Capital of Sport 2014. George Whitcombe along with his brother Frank were two of them. An event was held in their home town at Grangetown, in the local library, on 8 April 2014 where their sporting achievements were recognized.
Career statistics
Source:
Honours
Port Vale
*
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of the Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated t ...
:
1929–30
Notts County
*
Football League Third Division South
The Third Division South of The Football League was a tier in the English football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran in parallel with the Third Division North with clubs elected to the League or relegated from Division Two allocated to ...
:
1930–31
Year 193 ( CXCIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Sosius and Ericius (or, less frequently, year 946 ''Ab urbe condit ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whitcombe, George
People from Grangetown, Cardiff
Footballers from Cardiff
Welsh footballers
Association football midfielders
Cardiff City F.C. players
Stockport County F.C. players
Port Vale F.C. players
Notts County F.C. players
Ashton National F.C. players
Colwyn Bay F.C. players
English Football League players
Association football coaches
Players of British baseball
British Home Guard soldiers
British publicans
1902 births
1986 deaths