Georges Santos
Encyclopedia
Georges "George" Santos (born 15 August 1970 in Marseille
) is a former French
-born Cape Verde
professional footballer who played professionally between 1997 and 2009. He notably played for Tranmere Rovers
, West Bromwich Albion
, Sheffield United
, Grimsby Town
, Ipswich Town
and Queens Park Rangers
. His natural position was as a defensive midfielder, however after being successfully deployed as a centre back whilst with Grimsby in the 02-03 season he then adopted that position throughout the remainder of his career.
, before moving to England to join Tranmere Rovers
in 1998 who were managed by former Liverpool
striker John Aldridge
. He made his debut for Rovers on 8 August 1998 in a 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers
in the First Division. He went on to make 54 appearances for Rovers, scoring twice between August 1998 and March 2000.
he moved to Gary Megson
's West Bromwich Albion
, where he helped the club preserve their Division One status in a toughly fought relegation battle that saw The Baggies and Grimsby Town
scramble out of danger at the expense of Port Vale
, Walsall
and Swindon Town
. After featuring in only 8 games for Albion and after refusing to commit to a long-term deal at Albion, he left the club in the summer of 2000.
soon after departing The Hawthorns. Santos was in and out of the Blades team and notched up 68 appearances with 6 goals scored during his time under Neil Warnock
at Bramall Lane
. During the 2001-2002 season his departure from Sheffield would be a career low point for Santos as he was one of three Sheffield United players violently sent off in the notorious Battle of Bramall Lane
, a match against his former club West Brom that was abandoned when United's poor disciplinary had seen the team cut down to 6 players following the sending's off. With Goalkeeper Simon Tracey
already off the field, the match had turned truly ugly in the 65th minute, when Santos, whom United had just brought on seconds earlier, was sent off for a high and poorly timed two-footed lunging tackle on Andy Johnson
. With hindsight, one could have anticipated fireworks between the two; when Johnson was playing for Nottingham Forest
in the previous season, he had fractured Santos' cheekbone and seriously damaged his eye socket with a swinging elbow. The two teams then scuffled on the pitch; in the melee, another United substitute, Patrick Suffo
, was sent off for head-butting Derek McInnes
. Soon after, United captain Keith Curle
was fortunate to avoid a sending off after appearing to throw punches at McInnes. Warnock never selected Santos again and this was his final appearance as a Sheffield United player.
, signing a deal until the end of the season. He notably scored his only goal for Grimsby in a 2-0 victory over local rivals and fellow relegation strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
, towering above his marker to power home a header from the centre of the penalty area following a Stuart Campbell
corner. Santos became a popular figure amongst the clubs supporters and he was singled out for a lot of praise despite the clubs overall poor form during the season. Initially signed as a midfielder, Santos had been drafted in as a makeshift centre half when Steve Chettle
was ruled out for a lengthy period. He was usually paired with Jamaican youngster Simon Ford
or player/manager Paul Groves who incidentally this season had adopted playing at centre half in opposed to his regular central midfield sitting. Despite the best efforts of Santos he was unable to help save the Mariners from relegation from the First Division
, but went on to be awareded with the Player Of The Season
award for his stone wall like performances at the back. Despite winning this award and putting himself in the running for club captain for the 2003-2004 campaign, Santos rejected a new contract in order to stay in the First Division.
's Ipswich Town
on a three-month contract. He made his debut on 8 August 2003 in the clubs 1-1 league draw with Reading
He stayed at Portman Road
for the entire 2003-2004 season, scoring once against Cardiff City
, and would go on to make a total of 36 appearances in all competitions.
(QPR) in summer 2004. He remained with Rangers for several seasons notching up an impressive 77 appearances, scoring 6 goals for the London
based Loftus Road
club. He would depart the club at the end of the 2005-2006 season.
in August 2006, turning down an offer to return to former club Grimsby, something he later admitted in an interview as the biggest mistake in his career. Santos played only 12 times for Albion in all competitions before he joined Oxford United on 5 January 2007 on loan until the end of the 2006-07 season
. He was released by Brighton in May 2007.
for a month on non-contract terms, but failed to make an appearance and on 1 November 2007 he left Chesterfield.
but failed to impress the staff at Millmoor
. He later joined Conference North
club Alfreton Town
for his first taste of Non-League football.
where he remained for the remainder of the 2007-2008 campaign. Despite being an integral part of the first team, Santos left the club only a few weeks into the 2008-2009 season.
, who would go on to be his last club.
through his parents, who are both originally from the islands. He made his international début for Cape Verde
on 6 September 2002 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Mauritania
.
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
) is a former French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-born Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
professional footballer who played professionally between 1997 and 2009. He notably played for Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
, West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
and Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
. His natural position was as a defensive midfielder, however after being successfully deployed as a centre back whilst with Grimsby in the 02-03 season he then adopted that position throughout the remainder of his career.
Tranmere Rovers
Santos turned professional with ToulonSporting Toulon Var
Sporting Toulon Var is a football club from Toulon, France, who currently play in the French sixth division . The club, which was founded in 1944, is presided by Jacques Jayet and managed by Luigi Alfano.- History :...
, before moving to England to join Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
in 1998 who were managed by former Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
striker John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
. He made his debut for Rovers on 8 August 1998 in a 2-0 defeat against Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
in the First Division. He went on to make 54 appearances for Rovers, scoring twice between August 1998 and March 2000.
West Bromwich Albion
On transfer-deadline day in 1999–20001999-2000 in English football
-Premier League:Manchester United were crowned FA Premier League champions with an 18-point margin over runners-up Arsenal and with just 3 league defeats all season. This was despite their failure to retain the European Cup and withdrawal from the FA Cup in order to compete in the FIFA Club World...
he moved to Gary Megson
Gary Megson
Gary John Megson is an English former football player and is currently manager of Sheffield Wednesday.He has previously managed Norwich City, Blackpool, Stockport County, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers...
's West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, where he helped the club preserve their Division One status in a toughly fought relegation battle that saw The Baggies and Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
scramble out of danger at the expense of Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...
, Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
and Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
. After featuring in only 8 games for Albion and after refusing to commit to a long-term deal at Albion, he left the club in the summer of 2000.
Sheffield United
Georges signed for Albion's league rivals Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
soon after departing The Hawthorns. Santos was in and out of the Blades team and notched up 68 appearances with 6 goals scored during his time under Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock
Neil Warnock is an English former footballer who is currently manager of English Premier League club Queens Park Rangers....
at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...
. During the 2001-2002 season his departure from Sheffield would be a career low point for Santos as he was one of three Sheffield United players violently sent off in the notorious Battle of Bramall Lane
Battle of Bramall Lane
The Battle of Bramall Lane is the informal name given to an English First Division football match between Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion at United's Bramall Lane ground on 16 March 2002...
, a match against his former club West Brom that was abandoned when United's poor disciplinary had seen the team cut down to 6 players following the sending's off. With Goalkeeper Simon Tracey
Simon Tracey
Simon Peter Tracey is an English former professional football player who played as a goalkeeper. He is now goalkeeping coach at Barnsley.Playing Career=...
already off the field, the match had turned truly ugly in the 65th minute, when Santos, whom United had just brought on seconds earlier, was sent off for a high and poorly timed two-footed lunging tackle on Andy Johnson
Andy Johnson (Welsh footballer)
Andrew James "Andy" Johnson is an English born Welsh international football midfielder who last played for King's Lynn.-Career:He began his career at Norwich City, before joining Nottingham Forest in 1997 for £2.2m...
. With hindsight, one could have anticipated fireworks between the two; when Johnson was playing for Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
in the previous season, he had fractured Santos' cheekbone and seriously damaged his eye socket with a swinging elbow. The two teams then scuffled on the pitch; in the melee, another United substitute, Patrick Suffo
Patrick Suffo
Patrick Suffo Kengné is a footballer who is currently signed to Bedworth Liberal FC.- Club career :...
, was sent off for head-butting Derek McInnes
Derek McInnes
Derek John McInnes is a former Scottish football player and current manager of Bristol City. McInnes featured prominently for Greenock Morton, Rangers, West Bromwich Albion and Dundee United during his playing career. He won two caps for the Scotland national football team while with West...
. Soon after, United captain Keith Curle
Keith Curle
Keith Curle is an English former professional football player, who is currently first team coach at Queens Park Rangers.As a player, he was capped three times by England at senior level.-Playing career:...
was fortunate to avoid a sending off after appearing to throw punches at McInnes. Warnock never selected Santos again and this was his final appearance as a Sheffield United player.
Grimsby Town
After remaining without a club until December 2002, Santos joined Grimsby TownGrimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...
, signing a deal until the end of the season. He notably scored his only goal for Grimsby in a 2-0 victory over local rivals and fellow relegation strugglers Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, towering above his marker to power home a header from the centre of the penalty area following a Stuart Campbell
Stuart Campbell (footballer)
Stuart Pearson Campbell is an English-born Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Football League Two side Bristol Rovers. He has previously played for Leicester City, Birmingham City and Grimsby Town. At international level, he won 15 caps for the Scotland under-21...
corner. Santos became a popular figure amongst the clubs supporters and he was singled out for a lot of praise despite the clubs overall poor form during the season. Initially signed as a midfielder, Santos had been drafted in as a makeshift centre half when Steve Chettle
Steve Chettle
Stephen "Steve" Chettle is an English former footballer who currently works as the U13 team coach at Nottingham Forest. He is best known for his time as a player at Forest...
was ruled out for a lengthy period. He was usually paired with Jamaican youngster Simon Ford
Simon Ford
Simon Gary Ford is an English-born Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a defender for Football League One side Chesterfield....
or player/manager Paul Groves who incidentally this season had adopted playing at centre half in opposed to his regular central midfield sitting. Despite the best efforts of Santos he was unable to help save the Mariners from relegation from the 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....
, but went on to be awareded with the Player Of The Season
Player of the year award
Several sports leagues honour their best player with an award called Player of the Year. In the United States, this type of award is usually called a Most Valuable Player award...
award for his stone wall like performances at the back. Despite winning this award and putting himself in the running for club captain for the 2003-2004 campaign, Santos rejected a new contract in order to stay in the First Division.
Ipswich Town
In the summer of 2003 he parted company with Grimsby and joined Joe RoyleJoe Royle
Joseph "Joe" Royle is an English football manager. In his club career, he played for Everton , Manchester City, Bristol City, Norwich City, and the England national team...
's Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town F.C.
Ipswich Town Football Club are an English professional football team based in Ipswich, Suffolk. As of 2011, they play in the Football League Championship, having last appeared in the Premier League in 2001–02....
on a three-month contract. He made his debut on 8 August 2003 in the clubs 1-1 league draw with Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
He stayed at Portman Road
Portman Road
Portman Road is an association football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England. It has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C. since 1884. The stadium has also hosted a number of England youth international matches, and one senior England friendly international match, against Croatia in 2003...
for the entire 2003-2004 season, scoring once against Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, and would go on to make a total of 36 appearances in all competitions.
Queens Park Rangers
George moved on again, signing a two-year contract at Queens Park RangersQueens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
(QPR) in summer 2004. He remained with Rangers for several seasons notching up an impressive 77 appearances, scoring 6 goals for the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based Loftus Road
Loftus Road
Loftus Road is a football stadium in Shepherd's Bush, London. It is home to the English football team Queens Park Rangers of the Premier League and has a capacity of around 18,500. The four stands are called the Loftus Road End , Ellerslie Road Stand, South Africa Road Stand and the School End,...
club. He would depart the club at the end of the 2005-2006 season.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Santos joined Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
in August 2006, turning down an offer to return to former club Grimsby, something he later admitted in an interview as the biggest mistake in his career. Santos played only 12 times for Albion in all competitions before he joined Oxford United on 5 January 2007 on loan until the end of the 2006-07 season
2006-07 in English football
The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...
. He was released by Brighton in May 2007.
Chesterfield
On 31 August 2007 he joined ChesterfieldChesterfield 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...
for a month on non-contract terms, but failed to make an appearance and on 1 November 2007 he left Chesterfield.
Alfreton Town
On 7 November 2007 he went on trial at Rotherham UnitedRotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
but failed to impress the staff at Millmoor
Millmoor
Millmoor is a stadium in Rotherham, England. It was built and was used for football matches, and until the end of the 2007–08 season was the home ground of Rotherham United F.C., until a dispute over ownership forced them to move to the Don Valley Stadium in nearby Sheffield.The stadium was...
. He later joined Conference North
Conference North
The Conference North also known as Blue Square Bet North for sponsorship reasons, is a division of the Football Conference in England, taking its place immediately below the Conference National. Along with Conference South it is at Step 2 of the National League System and the sixth overall tier of...
club Alfreton Town
Alfreton Town F.C.
Alfreton Town F.C. is an English football club based in Alfreton, Derbyshire. The club was reformed after a merger between Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United in 1959...
for his first taste of Non-League football.
Farsley Celtic
In January 2008 he moved to Farsley CelticFarsley Celtic A.F.C.
Farsley Celtic Association Football Club was an English football club based in Farsley, in the City of Leeds. The club was known by the nicknames of the Villagers and the Celts; their colours were blue and white. Founded in 1908, the club spent their entire existence in non-league football, winning...
where he remained for the remainder of the 2007-2008 campaign. Despite being an integral part of the first team, Santos left the club only a few weeks into the 2008-2009 season.
Fleetwood Town
On 29 September 2008 he joined Fleetwood TownFleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
, who would go on to be his last club.
International career
Santos, although born in France, qualifies to play for Cape VerdeCape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
through his parents, who are both originally from the islands. He made his international début for Cape Verde
Cape Verde national football team
The Cape Verde national football team, nicknamed either the Tubarões Azuis or Crioulos , is the national team of Cape Verde and is controlled by the Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol.-Overview:...
on 6 September 2002 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Mauritania
Mauritania national football team
The Mauritania national football team, nicknamed Mourabitounes, is the national team of Mauritania and is controlled by the Fédération de Foot-Ball de la Républic Islamique de Mauritanie and is a member of CAF. They have not qualified for the FIFA World Cup or Africa Cup of Nations...
.