George Draycott

Seemingly destined for a life of toil down the mines, football offered George Draycott an escape from poverty. He was on the verge of first team football at Valley Parade when the Great War broke out. Sadly, his dreams of a better life were to end on the killing fields of France.

George was born into a Derbyshire mining family on 1 December 1887 at Newhall, near Burton-on-Trent. A sobering illustration of the hardships of the times was that his mother Charlotte ‘made her mark’ on the birth certificate in the shape of a scrawled cross. She was illiterate and unable to sign her name. By the age of thirteen, with his father dead, George was employed as a colliery horse driver. Fortunately, the world of football offered hope of a brighter future.

A central defender, he played for Newhall Swifts. He then joined Gresley Rovers, where, for reasons unknown, he attracted the nickname ‘Kibby’.

In March 1913 George was part of a triple transfer from Gresley Rovers to Bradford City. Along with Charlie Storer and Solomon Tremelling, George moved north for the then substantial sum of £150. All three made their City debuts on 6 March 1913; when City played a benefit game against a Steve Bloomers XI at Leicester. The game was played for Leicester’s long serving secretary George Johnson. Around 4,000 witnessed the game which City won 2-0, Tremelling and Oscar Fox were the scorers. The Steve Bloomers XI was made up from teams of the East Midlands, with the bulk from Leicester Fosse.

George was a reserve at Valley Parade and had yet to break into the first team when war broke out in 1914.

He enlisted at Gresley, Derbyshire and joined the Leicestershire Regiment as a private. He lived at 41, St. Stephen's Road, G Leicester and was married to Maggie.

By 1918 George had transferred to the 7th Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 18th September 1918 during the Battle of Epehy. He was only 30 years old. George is buried at Gauche Wood Cemetery, Villers-Guislain, Nord, France.

Images of George's grave and inscription by Chris Ambler

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