George Philip (goalkeeper)

For other people with the same name, see George Philip.

George Philip
Personal information
Full name George Philip
Date of birth 29 July 1878[1]
Place of birth Edinburgh, Scotland[2]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Banefield[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1898–1906 Heart of Midlothian 74 (0)
1901–1902 → Cowdenbeath (loan)
1906–1908 Portsmouth 1+ (0)
1908–1911 Dundee 6 (0)
Total 100+ (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Philip (born 29 July 1878) was a Scottish footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Heart of Midlothian, Portsmouth and Dundee.

Raised in the west end of Edinburgh,[2] he was contracted to Hearts for eight years, though only played regularly in three seasons,[3][4] being the most frequently used of several 'goalies' tried out during 1900–01, before being loaned out to non-league Cowdenbeath when George McWattie joined the club and acting as back-up to McWattie until 1904. He became the starting 'keeper for two years, only to lose the place after the arrival of Tom Allan. However despite this lack of consistent selection, he managed to claim two winner's medals in the Scottish Cup, in 1901[5] and 1906.[6][7][2]

After his Hearts spell, it was reported in May 1906 that Philip had signed for Plymouth Argyle.[8] In 1911 it was noted retrospectively that he had in fact been with Portsmouth[2] making him one of several men brought to the South Coast via former Hearts player Albert Buick (and Plymouth therefore merely a confusion between the club names). He is recorded as playing at least once for Pompey in the Southern League against Swindon Town[9] (Fred Cook played in the return fixture) but probably featured more often, as a squad summary listed him as the club's only goalkeeper for the start of the 1906–07 season.[10]

In 1908 he returned to Scotland and joined Dundee – at Dens Park it is known that he was a reserve behind Bob Crumley, playing in only six Scottish Football League fixtures in three seasons[11][12] (an outfield player of the same name also joined the club in that period).[13]

  1. ^ Statutory registers - Births - Search results, ScotlandsPeople. Retrieved 30 March 1878
  2. ^ a b c d e Mainly About Players. The Scottish Referee, 10 April 1911. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  3. ^ (Hearts player) George Philip, London Hearts Supporters Club
  4. ^ Philip George Image 1 Heart of Midlothian 1905, Vintage Footballers
  5. ^ "Scottish Cup–Final Tie. | Heart of Midlothian v. Celtic". The Scotsman. 8 April 1901. Retrieved 4 September 2020 – via London Hearts Supporters Club.
  6. ^ Football. | Association Game In Scotland. | Scottish Cup–Final Tie, The Glasgow Herald, 22 April 1907
  7. ^ The History of Heart of Midlothian Football Club | 1904 - 1914, Heart of Midlothian FC
  8. ^ Still They Go. The Scottish Referee, 18 May 1906. Scan via London Hearts Supporters Club
  9. ^ Match Report | Portsmouth 1–0 Swindon Town Swindon-Town-FC. Retrieved 30 March 2022
  10. ^ Southern Football Players (from Leng's Football Handbook), Berkshire Chronicle, 25 August 1906, via Play Up Liverpool
  11. ^ John Litster (October 2012). "A Record of pre-war Scottish League Players". Scottish Football Historian magazine. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ George Phillip Player Profile, Dee Archive. Retrieved 26 February 2022
  13. ^ George Phillip Player Profile [defender / forward], Dee Archive. Retrieved 30 March 2022