George Wynn

George Arthur Wynn (14 October 1886 – 28 October 1966) was a Welsh professional footballer who played as a forward or as a half back for Oswestry United, Wrexham, Manchester City, Coventry City and Halifax Town.[1] He also won 12 caps for Wales.[3] He had a record of being an accomplished finisher in and around the box, his seasons' tallies laying claim to that.

George Wynn

Personal information
Full name	George Arthur Wynn[1]
Date of birth	14 October 1886
Place of birth	Treflach, England
Date of death	28 October 1966(1966-10-28) (aged 80)[2]
Place of death	Abergele, Wales
Playing position(s)	Inside right
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Pant Glas
	Chirk
	Oswestry United
	Wrexham
1909–1919	Manchester City	119	(54)
1919–1920	Coventry City	24	(4)
	Llandudno Town
1921–1922	Halifax Town	1	(0)
1922–1923	Mansfield Town
	Mossley	61	(25)
National team
1909–1914	Wales	11	(1)
1919	Wales (wartime)	1	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Wynn made his footballing debut for Oswestry United in 1906 and scored in the final as the club lifted the Welsh Cup in 1906.[4]

Within weeks of the Welsh Cup final, Wynn had been snapped up by Wrexham, who were playing in the Football Combination at the time.[2] Whilst at Wrexham, Wynn made his international debut on 1 March 1909 in a Home Championship match against Scotland at The Racecourse, Wrexham, which Wales won 3–2.[3] He scored his only international goal in a 3–2 victory over Ireland, also at The Racecourse.[3] Several league clubs were believed to be interested in signing Wynn, and in May 1909, he moved to Manchester City for £250.[2]

Wynn made his Manchester City debut on Christmas Day 1909 in a 2–0 defeat to Bradford Park Avenue.[2] He scored his first goal for the club two days later against Grimsby Town.[5] In the 1909–10 season he scored 12 goals in 24 appearances as Manchester City won the Second Division championship.[5] In each of the next three seasons he was the club's leading goalscorer with 9, 18 and 16 goals respectively.[2] The onset of World War I shortened Wynn's playing career.[2] His final game for Manchester City came shortly after the resumption of competitive football, in a match against Oldham Athletic on 8 September 1919.[5] In total he made 127 appearances for the club, scoring 60 goals.[2]

Having appeared for Wales in both Victory internationals – unofficial international matches between Wales and England to mark the end of World War I – Wynn was sold to Coventry City for £300.[2] At Coventry he made a total of 27 appearances in two seasons.[2] He made a solitary appearance for Halifax Town before bringing his career to an end with Cheshire League side Mossley.[2]

Internationally he was capped a total of 12 times by Wales and was a prominent figure for the national team during the pre-Great War period.[3] He was one of the key members of the XI alongside former Manchester City team-mate and legend Billy Meredith.

Personal life

Wynn served as a private in the Lancashire Fusiliers and the Lincolnshire Regiment during the First World War.[2] In 1918, he was shot in the left leg and received wounds from a shell burst.[2]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Manchester City	1909–10[2]	Second Division	20	10	4	2	24	12
	1910–11[2]	First Division	20	9	0	0	20	9
	1911–12[2]		31	17	2	1	33	18
	1912–13[2]		31	14	2	2	33	16
	1913–14[2]		12	3	0	0	12	3
	1914–15[2]		1	0	0	0	1	0
	1919–20[2]		4	1	—		4	1
	Total		119	54	8	5	127	59
Coventry City	1919–20[2]	Second Division	17	2	2	0	19	2
	1920–21[2]		7	1	0	0	7	1
	Total		25	3	2	0	27	3
Halifax Town	1921–22[2]	Third Division North	1	0	0	0	1	0
Career total			145	57	10	5	155	62

References

1. Joyce, Michael (16 October 2012). Football League Players' Records 1888–1939 (3rd Revised ed.). Tony Brown. p. 321. ISBN 9781905891610.
2. "George Wynn – Manchester City and the First World War". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
3. "George Wynn". 11v11.com. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
4. Oswestry Utd 2–0 Witchurch Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine at Welsh Football Data Archive
5. "Wynn George Image 1 Manchester City 1912". Vintage Footballers. Retrieved 23 December 2018.

• James, Gary (2006). Manchester City – The Complete Record. Derby: Breedon. ISBN 1-85983-512-0.
• Davies & Garland (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Wrexham: Bridge Books. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.