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Geoff Morris (footballer, born 1949)

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Geoff Morris
Personal information
Full name Geoffrey Morris[1]
Date of birth (1949-02-08)8 February 1949[1]
Place of birth West Bromwich, England[1]
Date of death 16 February 2015(2015-02-16) (aged 66)
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)[2]
Position(s) Left winger
Youth career
1964–1965 Walsall
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1973 Walsall 177 (35)
1973–1975 Shrewsbury Town 75 (9)
1975 Bangor City
1975–1976 Port Vale 15 (1)
1976–1977 Kidderminster Harriers
1977–1978 Brisbane Lions 38 (13)
Total 305+ (58+)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Geoffrey Morris (8 February 1949 – 16 February 2015) was an English footballer who played for Walsall, Shrewsbury Town, Bangor City, Port Vale, Kidderminster Harriers, and Brisbane Lions (Australia). A winger, he scored 58 goals in 305 league games in an 11-year career in the Football League. He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Shrewsbury Town in 1974–75.

Career

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Born at Great Barr, West Bromwich,[3] Morris began his career in 1964[4] at Walsall, who finished ninth in the Third Division in 1965–66 under the stewardship of Ray Shaw. He became the youngest player in the club's history when he made his debut against Peterborough United in September 1965, aged 16 years and 218 days.[5] The "Saddlers" then finished 12th in 1966–67 and seventh in 1967–68. New boss Bill Moore took the club to 13th in 1968–69, 12th in 1969–70, 20th in 1970–71, and ninth in 1971–72. Morris left the club after a 17th-place finish in 1972–73. He scored 35 goals in 177 league games at Fellows Park.[6]

He moved on to Maurice Evans's Shrewsbury Town, who were relegated into the Fourth Division in 1973–74, in exchange for George Andrews and £6,000.[7] The "Shrews" then won immediate promotion with a second-place finish in 1974–75 under the stewardship of rookie manager Alan Durban. He scored nine goals in 75 league games at Gay Meadow.

He spent time in the Northern Premier League with Bangor City before he was signed by Port Vale manager Roy Sproson for a £200 fee in August 1975.[1] He was unable to make an impact for the "Valiants" in the 1975–76 season, making 15 Third Division and two FA Cup appearances, scoring one goal in a 1–1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion at Vale Park on 6 September.[1]

He was given a free transfer in May 1976 and moved on to Kidderminster Harriers.[1] He helped Harriers to an eighth-place finish in Division One North of the Southern League in 1976–77.

He left Aggborough and moved to Australia to score 13 goals in 38 National Soccer League games for Brisbane Lions in 1977 and 1978.

Later life

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Morris died on 16 February 2015 at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital after a short illness, aged 66. His funeral took place at Shrewsbury Crematorium on 5 March.[8]

Career statistics

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Source:[9]

Club Season Division League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Walsall 1965–66 Third Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1966–67 Third Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
1967–68 Third Division 12 3 0 0 0 0 12 3
1968–69 Third Division 34 9 4 0 3 0 41 9
1969–70 Third Division 33 2 3 0 1 0 37 2
1970–71 Third Division 37 7 2 2 2 0 41 7
1971–72 Third Division 42 11 4 1 1 0 47 12
1972–73 Third Division 18 3 3 3 1 0 22 6
Total 177 35 16 6 8 0 201 41
Shrewsbury Town 1972–73 Third Division 20 2 0 0 0 0 20 2
1973–74 Third Division 26 3 2 0 1 1 29 4
1974–75 Fourth Division 29 4 2 0 2 0 33 4
Total 75 9 4 0 3 1 82 10
Port Vale 1975–76 Third Division 15 1 0 0 2 0 17 1
Career total 267 45 20 6 13 1 300 52

Honours

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Shrewsbury Town

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 205. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
  2. ^ Rothmans football yearbook. 1976-77. London : Queen Anne Press. 1976. ISBN 978-0-362-00259-1. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
  3. ^ Shropshire Star, Tuesday 24 February 2015, Death Notice, page 26.
  4. ^ "Former [Shrewsbury] Town ace dies at 66". Shropshire Star. 24 February 2015. p. 5.
  5. ^ Baggaley, Mike (23 February 2015). "Former Port Vale winger Geoff Morris dies aged 66". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Former Saddler Passes Away". walsall.vitalfootball.co.uk. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. ^ "This week in history". Shrewsbury Town F.C. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Death Notices - MORRIS, Geoffrey". Shropshire Star. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2015.
  9. ^ Geoff Morris at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
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