George Longridge

Longridge was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1931, the son of Warnock Longridge and his wife, Jean McCorkle.[2] He began his football career with Dennistoun Juveniles, represented his country at youth international level, and in April 1950, signed for English Third Division South club Leyton Orient.[2][3] Manager Alec Stock invited the Dennistoun club to play a friendly match against an Orient junior side in September in the hope of making more such signings.[4] Longridge played for the club's reserve team,[5] but not for the first team, and moved on to Division North club in September 1951.[1]

He began his Darlington career in the reserves,[6] and played twice in the League after regular goalkeeper Billy Dunn asked for a transfer, before returning to the reserves again.[7][1] In 1952, he returned to Scotland where he joined Third Lanark. Again, he played no senior League football for the club,[8] instead playing for the reserve team in the C Division and in friendlies.[9]

Longridge returned to England in 1954, where he played in the Kent League for Sittingbourne and then Ramsgate Athletic, for whom he kept a clean sheet against Margate on 9 November 1957.[8][10] In 1959, he signed for Southern League club Chelmsford City, for whom he made his first-team debut on 22 August in a 2–2 draw with Worcester City.[11] After a spell with West Ham United, Longridge returned to Scotland where he signed for East Stirlingshire in September 1961.[12] He made five appearances in Division Two that season.[8]

Longridge moved to the United States in 1967.[2] He coached semi-professional football in Canada and in New Jersey, and was involved with the development of youth football after moving to Pennsylvania.[2][13] He was married to Margaret Whalen; the couple settled in Effort, Pennsylvania, where he ran a plumbing and heating company. They had three children, George, Jane and Christine. Longridge died at home on 8 June 1998 at the age of 66.[2]