George Shutt

George Shutt (18 December 1861 – 6 August 1936) was an English international footballer who played at half-back. He won a cap for England in 1886, and played for Stoke in the 1880s. He also represented Hanley Town and Burslem Port Vale, and became a qualified referee in 1891.

George Shutt
Personal information
Full name George Shutt
Date of birth (1861-12-18)18 December 1861[1]
Place of birth Fenton, Staffordshire, England[1]
Date of death 6 August 1936(1936-08-06) (aged 74)[1]
Place of death Hanley, Staffordshire, England[1]
Position(s) Half-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Stoke Priory
1880–1889 Stoke 21 (1)
1889–1891 Hanley Town
1891–1893 Burslem Port Vale 1 (0)
Hanley Town
Total 22 (1)
International career
1886 England 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early and personal life

George Shutt was born on 18 December 1861 in Fenton, Staffordshire.[1] He was the eldest of six children to John and Sarah Ann (née Adderley); his father was a railway engine smith and writing clerk.[1] He worked as a flower painter at a pottery and later entered the beer trade.[1] He married Annie Hand on 6 October 1889, at St. Luke's Church, Wellington.[1] They had one son, John Adderley (born 1890), and employed two servants.[1] In 1891, Shutt qualified as a referee, becoming one of the youngest referees on the Football League list.[2] He later became the proprietor of the Borough Exchange Hotel in Hanley, Staffordshire, where he would die on 6 August 1936.[1]

Club career

Stoke

Shutt was born in Stoke-upon-Trent and played for Stoke Priory before becoming one of the first professional players signed by Stoke following their adoption of professionalism in August 1885, being paid half a crown (12+1⁄2p) per week. Following a threat of strike action amongst the players when the club wished to introduce different pay levels, he was given an increase to five shillings (25p).[2] He made his league debut on 8 September 1888, at centre-half for Stoke in a 2–0 defeat by West Bromwich Albion at the Victoria Ground.[3] He was part of a defence-line that achieved three clean-sheets whilst restricting the opposition to a single goal on four occasions.[3] Shutt remained with Stoke until 1889 and was a member of the Stoke side that were founder members of the English Football League in 1888, finishing at the bottom of the table in the inaugural season. He played in 21 league matches for Stoke and scored once in a 1–1 draw with Aston Villa at the Victoria Ground on 3 November 1888; Shutt's goal earned Stoke their first League draw.[4] His benefit match was played on 19 March 1888, against Mitchell St. George; Stoke won 5–1.[1]

Later career

Following a period with Hanley Town, Shutt joined Burslem Port Vale, most likely in the summer of 1891.[5] His first recorded game for the club was on 21 September 1891, in a 4–3 friendly win over Sheffield Wednesday at the Athletic Ground.[5] Five days later he played in the Midland League 4–0 home defeat of Doncaster Rovers and on 3 October he played in an FA Cup first round qualifier, which Vale lost 4–2 at home to Bolton Wanderers.[5] These were to be his only (recorded) games for the Vale, and he was released at the end of the 1892–93 season.[5] He then returned to Hanley Town.[5]

Style of play

Shutt was described as an intelligent, sure-tackling defender.[6]

International career

Shutt earned a cap with England in 1886. The match was a Home Championship game against Ireland on 13 March.[7] England "totally dominated the Irish"[8] to record a 6–1 victory, with Benjamin Spilsbury scoring four goals. He also represented "The Players" against "The Gentlemen" in January and March 1886, and turned out for "The South" versus "The North" in January 1886.[1]

Career statistics

Club

Source:[3][5]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Stoke 1883–84 – –1010
1884–85 – –0000
1885–86 – –2121
1886–87 – –2020
1887–88 – –4040
1888–89 Football League 21100211
Total 21191302
Burslem Port Vale 1891–92 Midland League 101020
Career Total 221101322

International

Source:[9]

National teamYearAppsGoals
England 188610
Total10

Honours

England

References
  1. "England Players - George Shutt". www.englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  2. Betts, Graham (2006). England: Player by player. Green Umbrella Publishing. pp. 218–219. ISBN 1-905009-63-1.
  3. George Shutt at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  4. Matthews, Tony: "The Encyclopedia of Stoke City " (Lion Press, 1994, ISBN 1-85983-100-1)
  5. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 265. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  6. Matthews, Tony (2005). The Who's Who of Stoke City. Breedon Books. p. 197. ISBN 1-85983-473-6.
  7. "Ireland 1 – England 6". englandstats.com. 13 March 1886. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  8. Gibbons, Philip (2001). Association Football in Victorian England – A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900. Upfront Publishing. pp. 85–86. ISBN 1-84426-035-6.
  9. Shutt, George at National-Football-Teams.com
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