Post by Les on Aug 5, 2024 23:40:31 GMT
safc
Obituary: George Herd (1936-2024)
6 May 1936 - 5 August 2024
At Sunderland: 24 April 1961 - 8 June 1970
SAFC career: 318 appearances / 55 goals.
Club historian Rob Mason pays tribute to the life of George Herd:
“George was a fabulous footballer. He was so skilful, and although he scored a good number of goals, he would most often look to create goals for his teammates. He always worked hard and put the team first. He was a key member of the side when we won promotion for the first time in 1964. George was also a lovely man who would always do a lot for people. Until about six to eight weeks ago he would regularly turn up at mine and we’d enjoy a chat, often while going out for a walk together. He’ll be a really big miss, but he leaves so many memories as a person as well as a player,” said his lifelong friend Jim Montgomery.
Herd became Sunderland’s record signing when manager Alan Brown invested £42,500 to bring the Scotland international from Clyde, where George had won the Scottish Cup in 1958 and netted 32 times in 171 games. A right-winger at Clyde, George played most of his football on Wearside as an inside-forward.
Sixteen of his goals for Sunderland came in the promotion season of 1963-64, while in January 1967 Herd became the first-ever Sunderland substitute to score a league goal. A native of Gartcosh in Glasgow, George was 88.
From January 1968 to June 1970, George combined his playing role at Sunderland with coaching the youth team before leaving to complete his playing days with Hartlepool where he played 14 games. From July 1974 to October 1976, George coached Newcastle United’s youngsters before returning to SAFC in the summer of 1977. After three years on the coaching staff, he took over as manager of Queen of the South, leading the Dumfries club to promotion after persuading Dick Malone to come out of retirement to play for him.
Upon returning to the North East, George linked up with Sunderland old boy Billy Elliott to coach at Darlington prior to another return to Wearside, this time serving as Youth Development Officer for two years. After a four-year stint coaching in Kuwait, Herd returned to SAFC for a fourth spell, this time as youth team coach in 1993-94.
He then returned to Kuwait before a brief stint coaching Seaham Red Star and a lengthy association coaching Sunderland Ryhope C.A. Well into his seventies George would be heard cajoling his side through games with one regularly repeated word: “Pass”. Few could pass the ball as astutely as George Herd, one of Sunderland’s greatest players of the 1960s.
Obituary: George Herd (1936-2024)
6 May 1936 - 5 August 2024
At Sunderland: 24 April 1961 - 8 June 1970
SAFC career: 318 appearances / 55 goals.
Club historian Rob Mason pays tribute to the life of George Herd:
“George was a fabulous footballer. He was so skilful, and although he scored a good number of goals, he would most often look to create goals for his teammates. He always worked hard and put the team first. He was a key member of the side when we won promotion for the first time in 1964. George was also a lovely man who would always do a lot for people. Until about six to eight weeks ago he would regularly turn up at mine and we’d enjoy a chat, often while going out for a walk together. He’ll be a really big miss, but he leaves so many memories as a person as well as a player,” said his lifelong friend Jim Montgomery.
Herd became Sunderland’s record signing when manager Alan Brown invested £42,500 to bring the Scotland international from Clyde, where George had won the Scottish Cup in 1958 and netted 32 times in 171 games. A right-winger at Clyde, George played most of his football on Wearside as an inside-forward.
Sixteen of his goals for Sunderland came in the promotion season of 1963-64, while in January 1967 Herd became the first-ever Sunderland substitute to score a league goal. A native of Gartcosh in Glasgow, George was 88.
From January 1968 to June 1970, George combined his playing role at Sunderland with coaching the youth team before leaving to complete his playing days with Hartlepool where he played 14 games. From July 1974 to October 1976, George coached Newcastle United’s youngsters before returning to SAFC in the summer of 1977. After three years on the coaching staff, he took over as manager of Queen of the South, leading the Dumfries club to promotion after persuading Dick Malone to come out of retirement to play for him.
Upon returning to the North East, George linked up with Sunderland old boy Billy Elliott to coach at Darlington prior to another return to Wearside, this time serving as Youth Development Officer for two years. After a four-year stint coaching in Kuwait, Herd returned to SAFC for a fourth spell, this time as youth team coach in 1993-94.
He then returned to Kuwait before a brief stint coaching Seaham Red Star and a lengthy association coaching Sunderland Ryhope C.A. Well into his seventies George would be heard cajoling his side through games with one regularly repeated word: “Pass”. Few could pass the ball as astutely as George Herd, one of Sunderland’s greatest players of the 1960s.
