George Beel
Encyclopedia
George Beel was a professional footballer who played as a centre forward. He is regarded as the best centre forward in Burnley
's history and holds their records for the highest number of goals in a season and the highest number of league goals ever.
He started playing football during World War I
playing for Blackpool F.C.
– as he was stationed in Blackpool
– in the Wartime Leagues, where he impressed enough to earn himself a trial with Manchester United in 1919. However, he did not do enough to get a contract and went to his hometown team Lincoln City
in October 1919. He went on to play in the lower reaches of the Football League for Merthyr Town and Chesterfield
. After scoring 23 goals in 35 games for the Spirites, many Division One
teams were interested in Beel. Burnley
were the quickest to make a move and signed him in the summer of 1923. He spent nine years at Turf Moor
, where he scored 187 goals in 337 games in all competitions for the Clarets, being their top goal-scorer in six of those seasons and runner-up in another two.
His days at Burnley were numbered when they were relegated to Division Two
after Beel had a mediocre year in front of goal. He ended up returning to Lincoln City
in 1932 staying for just a year before finishing his career with a season at Rochdale. He then went on to become player-manager at non-league Tunbridge Wells Rangers and later manager of Maidstone United
. He decided to stay in Maidstone
for the rest of his life and was helping out with junior football throughout the 1970s right up until his death in December 1980.
|1919–20 || Lincoln City
|| Second Division
|| 23 || 6 || || || ||
|-
23|| 6 || || ||
|-
|1920–21 || Merthyr Town
|| Third Division
|| 55 ||22 || || || ||
|-
55 || 22|| || ||
|-
|1921–22 ||rowspan="2"| Chesterfield
||rowspan="2"| Third Division
|| || || || || ||
|-
|1922–23 || || || || || ||
|-
35 || 23 || || ||
|-
|1922–23 ||rowspan="10"| Burnley
||rowspan="8"| 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 ||rowspan="2"|Second Division
|| 41 || 25 || 2 || — || 43 || 25
|-
|1931–32 || 23 || 11 || 1 || — || 24 || 11
|-
316 || 178 || 21 || 9 || 337 || 187
|-
|-
|1932–33 || Lincoln City
|| Second Division
|| 9 || 6
|| || || ||
|-
9 || 6|| || ||
|-
|-
|1932–33 || Rochdale || Third Division North
|| 20 || 8|| || || ||
|-
20 || 8 || || || ||
|-
|-
458 || 243 || || || ||
|-
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
's history and holds their records for the highest number of goals in a season and the highest number of league goals ever.
He started playing football during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
playing for Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
– as he was stationed in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
– in the Wartime Leagues, where he impressed enough to earn himself a trial with Manchester United in 1919. However, he did not do enough to get a contract and went to his hometown team Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in October 1919. He went on to play in the lower reaches of the Football League for Merthyr Town and Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
. After scoring 23 goals in 35 games for the Spirites, many Division One
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
teams were interested in Beel. Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
were the quickest to make a move and signed him in the summer of 1923. He spent nine years at Turf Moor
Turf Moor
Turf Moor is a football stadium in Burnley, Lancashire. It is the home ground of Burnley Football Club, which has played there since moving from its Calder Vale ground in 1883. The stadium, which is situated on Harry Potts Way, named so after the club's longest serving Manager, has a capacity of...
, where he scored 187 goals in 337 games in all competitions for the Clarets, being their top goal-scorer in six of those seasons and runner-up in another two.
His days at Burnley were numbered when they were relegated to Division Two
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
after Beel had a mediocre year in front of goal. He ended up returning to Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
in 1932 staying for just a year before finishing his career with a season at Rochdale. He then went on to become player-manager at non-league Tunbridge Wells Rangers and later manager of Maidstone United
Maidstone United F.C.
Maidstone United Football Club is an English football team from Maidstone, Kent.The current club is a continuation of the old Maidstone United, which was a member of the Football League between 1989 and 1992. The club was forced out of the league by financial ruin but the youth squad formed the...
. He decided to stay in Maidstone
Maidstone
Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town linking Maidstone to Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river was a source and route for much of the town's trade. Maidstone was the centre of the agricultural...
for the rest of his life and was helping out with junior football throughout the 1970s right up until his death in December 1980.
Career statistics (incomplete)
|-|1919–20 || Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
|| Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
|| 23 || 6 || || || ||
|-
23|| 6 || || ||
|-
|1920–21 || Merthyr Town
Merthyr Town F.C.
Merthyr Town Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. For the 2011–2012 season the club will be playing in the Western Football League Premier Division at Penydarren Park in Merthyr....
|| Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
|| 55 ||22 || || || ||
|-
55 || 22|| || ||
|-
|1921–22 ||rowspan="2"| Chesterfield
Chesterfield F.C.
Chesterfield Football Club is an English football club based in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. The club currently plays in Football League One, the third tier of English football. Despite being the fourth oldest Football League club in England, they have spent most of their existence in the lower...
||rowspan="2"| Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
|| || || || || ||
|-
|1922–23 || || || || || ||
|-
35 || 23 || || ||
|-
|1922–23 ||rowspan="10"| Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
||rowspan="8"| First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
|| 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 ||rowspan="2"|Second Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
|| 41 || 25 || 2 || — || 43 || 25
|-
|1931–32 || 23 || 11 || 1 || — || 24 || 11
|-
316 || 178 || 21 || 9 || 337 || 187
|-
|-
|1932–33 || Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....
|| Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
|| 9 || 6
|| || || ||
|-
9 || 6|| || ||
|-
|-
|1932–33 || Rochdale || Third Division North
Football League Third Division North
The Third Division North of The Football League was a tier in the English association football league system from 1921 to 1958. It ran parallel to Third Division South with clubs elected to the League or relegated from a higher division allocated to one or the other according to geographical position...
|| 20 || 8|| || || ||
|-
20 || 8 || || || ||
|-
|-
458 || 243 || || || ||
|-