George Handley (footballer, born 1912)

George H. Handley (5 July 1912 – 9 July 1943) was an English professional footballer who played as an inside forward in the Football League for Crystal Palace.[1]

George Handley
Personal information
Full name George H. Handley[1]
Date of birth (1912-07-05)5 July 1912[1]
Place of birth Wednesbury, England[1]
Date of death 9 July 1943(1943-07-09) (aged 31)[2]
Place of death Sicily, Fascist Italy
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[3]
Position(s) Inside forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1931–1932 Hednesford Town 1 (0)
1933–1934 West Bromwich Albion 0 (0)
1934–1935 Crystal Palace 5 (0)
1935 Brierley Hill Alliance
1936–1939 Darlaston
International career
1933–1934 English Amateurs 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Football career

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Handley began his football career in September 1931 with Hednesford Town.[1][3] He soon came to the attention of West Bromwich Albion, for which he signed in June 1932.[3] Despite playing many matches in the reserves and being capped at the amateur level for England, Handley never appeared for the first team at West Brom.[3][4] Transferred to Crystal Palace in 1934, he played 5 matches in the Football League Third Division South before being signed by Brierley Hill Alliance the next season.[3] Handley's next and final club was Darlaston, where he played until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939.[3]

Personal life

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Handley was married.[2] He served as a lance corporal in the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment during the Second World War and was killed during the invasion of Sicily on 9 July 1943.[2][4] Handley's body was never recovered, and he is commemorated on the Cassino Memorial.[2]

Career statistics

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Crystal Palace 1934–35 Third Division South[1] 5 0 0 0 5 0
Career total 5 0 0 0 5 0

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f George Handley at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  2. ^ a b c d "Casualty Details: George Handley". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "No 52 George H. Handley" (PDF). Hednesford Town. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b Smith, Scott (9 July 2013). "70 years on and still remembering". Hednesford Town. Retrieved 25 July 2020.