George Summers (footballer)

George Summers (born 30 July 1941) is a retired Scottish professional football forward, manager and coach who played in the Football League for Brentford. He later moved to South Africa.

Brentford

Summers began his career in Glasgow at junior side Shawfield Juniors and moved to England to sign for Division Three South side Brentford in January 1959, who were at the time managed by Scot Malky McDonald. With George Francis and Jim Towers ahead of him in the pecking order up front, Summers initially played for the reserve team. He failed to make a first team appearance during the remainder of the 1958–59 season and failed to receive a call at all during the 1959–60 season. Summers finally made his professional debut nearly two years after signing in a 4–3 League Cup second round victory over Sunderland at Griffin Park on 25 October 1960. He made something of a breakthrough into the first team during what remained of the 1960–61 season, making a total of 16 appearances and scoring six goals.

The departures of Towers and Francis in the summer of 1961 (though Francis would soon return) saw a space open up in the Bees' forward line alongside new signing Johnny Brooks and Summers got his chance, making 35 appearances and scoring eight goals during the 1961–62 season, an unsuccessful campaign in which the club suffered relegation to Division Four for the first time in the division's history. The acquisition of new forwards Billy McAdams and John Dick pushed Summers back into the reserves for the 1962–63 season in the basement, but he still managed six goals in 15 league games and claimed the first silverware of his career, with Brentford returning to Division Three as Division Four champions. Summers was mostly confined to the reserves over the next two seasons, making just 12 first team appearances, though he did enjoy some success with the reserves by winning the London Challenge Cup in 1965 and scoring in the final versus Chelsea. Not in favour with new manager Tommy Cavanagh, Summers was released towards the end of the 1964–65 season. Despite never breaking into the first team, Summers scored 27 goals in 79 appearances in his six years at Griffin Park, an average of one goal every three games.

Port Elizabeth City

Summers moved to South Africa to link up with former Brentford teammates Matt Crowe and George McLeod at National Football League side Port Elizabeth City in 1965. He remained with the club for three years and was a part of its most successful period, finishing as National Football League runners-up in 1966 and winning the title in 1967.

Johannesburg Corinthians

Summers joined fellow National Football League side Johannesburg Corinthians in 1968, staying with the club for one season.

Summers managed South African club Hume Park in the early 1980s and coached the Eastern Province representative team under managers Colin Trader and Daan van der Mescht, helping the side to win the football edition of the Currie Cup in 1981 and 1982.

Brentford

• Football League Division Four: 1962–63
• London Challenge Cup: 1964–65

Port Elizabeth City

• National Football League: 1967