George Beel

Who was George Beel?

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.