George Reay

For the Scottish biochemist, see George Adam Reay. For the organist and organ builder, see George Agnew Reay.

George Thompson Reay (2 February 1900 – 29 May 1970) was an English professional footballer who played for several British football clubs during the 1920s and 1930s. He was the eldest brother of Ted Reay, who himself played for Sheffield United and Queens Park Rangers, before emigrating to Perth, Australia.

George Thompson Reay

Personal information
Date of birth	2 February 1900
Place of birth	Pit Row, East Howdon, North Tyneside
Date of death	29 May 1970
Place of death	Rushden, Northamptonshire, England
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Outside Right
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1921-1922	Percy Main Amateurs
Sep 1922-1923	South Shields	4	(0)
1923	Blyth Spartans
1923-1924	Reading	1	(0)
1924-1925	Kettering Town
1925-1928	Raith Rovers	69	(17)
1928-1930	Bristol Rovers	67	(9)
1930-1931	Coventry
1931-?	Burton Town
	Rushden Town
	Kettering Town
Nov-Dec 1934	Gresley Town	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George was born in a miner's row cottage at Howdon, now part of Wallsend on 2 February 1900.^[1] He was the fourth child and eldest son of caulker William Reay and his wife Mary Thompson Peel, who had married in 1893. After leaving school, George sought employment at Percy Main Colliery and joined the pit's football team at the end of the First World War. In September 1922, he was scouted and signed for South Shields F.C.. A newspaper article at the time described him as a "22 year-old outside right with a good turn of speed".^[2] However, scoring no goals for the club during the 1922-23 season, George was transferred and spent only a short time playing for both Blyth Spartans and Reading F.C.

Following the aforementioned moves in the north east of England, George gained his first notable move when he was bought by Northamptonshire-based club Kettering Town F.C. in the summer of 1924. From here, he was transferred to the Scottish side Raith Rovers after being signed by manager James Henry Logan on 6 December 1925. A letter confirming an appeal by George for his transfer fee to be paid stipulates that the transfer fee was £700.^[3]

It was at Raith that George came into his own as an influential outside right. He scored his first goal for Raith on 27 February 1926 in a 2–0 victory over Clydebank, which was witnessed by a crowd of 2,000. George's goal came when he "nodded" the ball into the Clydebank goal after the ball fell in front of him.^[4]

George's first appearance for Coventry City took place on 11 October 1930 at home to Northampton Town F.C.^[5]

George Reay (middle row, second left) with the Raith Rovers first team in 1927.

Reay enjoying his retirement outside his Corby home.

References

1. England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 [database on-line]
2. Article in the Portsmouth Evening News 14 September 1922
3. Article in The Nottingham Evening Post | 11 December 1925
4. Article in The Sunday Post | Sunday 28 February 1926.
5. Article in Birmingham Daily Gazette | 10 October 1930