*Indicates unconfirmed information. Figures in brackets after English team names indicate all appearances made and goals scored in competitive matches for Football League clubs from 1888 onwards. For Scottish League clubs the figures show details of all competitive appearances and goals scored from 1946/47 onwards.
Eric Worthington
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Appearances: 243 Goals: 36
Date / Year of birth: 29th December 1925
Position: Striker / Midfielder
Season of first appearance: 1953/54
Season of last appearance: 1960/61
Also played for: Golders Green, Willesden Town, Queens Park Rangers (0), Watford (30,4), Bradford City (2,1) and Dover
Tall, talented player born in Sheffield who started his career with amateur club Golders Green (later known as Hendon). Eric made his debut for them in November 1943, shortly before his 18th birthday, and went on to score three goals in 17 wartime matches. His older brother Roy (born in 1924) was also on Golders Green's books at the time.
In the summer of 1945 Eric moved on to Willesden before being signed by Queens Park Rangers in September 1947, Roy also joined QPR around the same time. Eric never made the R's first team and as a result he joined Watford in August 1949.
He played 30 senior games for the Hornets during the 1949/50 and 1950/51 seasons.
Eric then dropped out of league football and joined Dover for the 1951/52 campaign where he quickly gained a reputation for being one of the best centre-forwards in the Kent League. During the 1951/52 season Eric scored 37 goals and his tally included five hat-tricks. Three of them came in the space of four matches during January and February 1952. He added another 32 goals during 1952/53 and scored four further hat-tricks. They included four goals as Dover beat Ramsgate 5-3 in an FA Cup tie at Crabble on 11.10.52.
Eric stayed at Dover for the start of the 1953/54 campaign but in September 1953 he moved back into league football and joined Bradford City. He made two first team appearances there and scored once before making a swift return to Kent, signing for Margate in November 1953.
Initially Eric's appearances were restricted as they had to be fitted around a teacher training course that he was undertaking. He made his debut for Margate in an away game at his old club Dover on 19.12.53 and scored the only goal of the match to make an instant impact. However in only Eric's fourth game for the club he broke his jaw against Ramsgate and didn't appear again until April 1954. Eric finished the 1953/54 season having made a total of nine appearances, scoring twice.
Eric was made first team captain (Vic Pilcher was club captain) for the 1954/55 season and really established himself. He hardly missed a game and scored 12 times in 42 appearances. He also proved to be very versatile, playing up front and in midfield.
Eric retained the captaincy for the 1955/56 campaign and was virtually ever-present once more, making 42 appearances and scoring 11 times. On 19.11.55 he was in the Margate side that drew 2-2 with Walsall at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round and Eric also played in the replay at Walsall on 24.11.55 that the home side won 6-1. He was the only Kent League player who wore contact lenses and they caused Eric problems during a snowy spell.
During the 1956/57 season Eric played his 100th game for the club and he made a total of 30 appearances during the campaign. On 17.11.56 he played as Margate beat Dunstable 3-1 at Hartsdown Park in the FA Cup 1st Round and Eric also featured in a 4-0 defeat at Millwall in the 2nd Round on 8.12.56. However he suffered a slipped disc early in 1957 and was out for ten weeks. Eric managed six goals during the season and the best of them was a solo effort in a 4-2 home win over Chatham on 20.4.57, a match in which he scored twice.
The 1957/58 season saw Eric's work as a schoolmaster at Bexley Grammar School (he taught games) often causing him to miss midweek matches. However he still played 38 times although he only managed a single goal. Eric operated almost exclusively in midfield during the campaign and continued to display boundless energy, popping up all over the field. On 16.11.57 he was part of the Margate side that lost 3-2 to visitors Crystal Palace in the FA Cup 1st Round and a match report for Margate's 2-2 home draw with Sittingbourne on 26.4.58 singled him out for praise, saying that Eric "stood out like a giant amongst 21 dwarfs".
The 1958/59 season was his sixth at Margate and Eric made 37 appearances. On 15.11.58 he was in the side that lost 3-2 at Headington in the FA Cup 1st Round. He scored twice during a campaign disrupted by a hip injury and the second of his goals was a tremendous solo effort in an 8-0 win over Canterbury at Hartsdown Park on 28.3.59. Eric beat four players before firing home and the strike was described as "a great goal by a great player" in the local paper.
During the 1959/60 season Eric made 26 appearances to go past 200 for the club. He was a regular during the first half of the season and on 14.11.59 he played in a 1-1 draw at Kettering in the FA Cup 1st Round. Eric also featured in the replay at Hartsdown Park on 19.11.59 that Margate won 3-2. He was then in the side that drew 0-0 with visitors Crystal Palace in the 2nd Round on 5.12.59 and took part in the replay at Selhurst Park on 9.12.59 that the Eagles won 3-0.
In January 1960 Eric suffered a ruptured stomach muscle which kept him out for the remainder of the campaign. He'd managed one goal during the season - a 40 yard effort in a 3-3 draw at Trowbridge in the Southern League on 9.1.60. During his injury lay-off Eric kept himself busy by doing some scouting on behalf of Margate boss Almer Hall and in its end of season review the East Kent Times said that Eric had "found that Southern League soccer suited his cultured style admirably".
The 1960/61 season was Eric's last at Margate and it was a campaign that was disrupted by injury once more. He was only able to make 19 appearances and scored just once - in a 1-1 draw away to Cambridge United on 10.12.60. Eric played in various positions during the season and still displayed all his old class but in June 1961 he gave up football altogether to take up a position as a PE teacher at Loughborough College.
In later years he became the first manager of the England Women's team and was in charge for their first match, against Scotland, in 1972.
In April 1973 Eric emigrated to Melbourne, Australia and became a university lecturer there. He also took up a position as Director of Coaching for the Australian Soccer Federation and his brief was to upgrade the standard of coaching at all levels of the game. Eric initially spent 12 months making a comprehensive study of coaching in each state and in 1974 he travelled with the Australia squad to the World Cup Finals in West Germany. He then laid down a national coaching scheme which got off the ground in January 1975.
Later in 1975 Eric had a spell as caretaker coach of Australia's national team, taking charge of the side for four internationals following the sudden departure of Rale Rasic.
In 1999 he was inducted into the Australian 'Football Hall of Fame'.
Eric had at least one book about football coaching published and he was also an accomplished artist who had his paintings exhibited.
He died in Sydney, Australia on 16.11.06 aged 80 and an article about Eric's life in The Australian newspaper fittingly called him an "outstanding servant to Australian soccer". The piece concluded with "Worthington pioneered the first Australia-wide coaching structure and his influence is still felt today".
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1953/54 (MFC) |
9 (40) |
N/A |
2 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 16) |
2QR |
1R |
W |
1R |
|
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1954/55 (MFC) |
42 (46) |
N/A |
12 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 17) |
2QR |
2R |
RU |
RU |
|
|
Played in Kent League Cup
Final (30.04.55 - lost 3-2 to Tunbridge
Wells). Played in Kent Senior Shield Final (14.05.55 - lost 2-1 to Tunbridge Wells). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1955/56 (MFC) |
42 (45) |
N/A |
11 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 17) |
1R |
1R |
RU |
1R |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(19.11.55 - drew 2-2 with Walsall at home). Played in FA Cup 1st Round replay (24.11.55 - lost 6-1 at Walsall). Played in Kent League Cup Final (10.05.56 - lost 2-1 to Gillingham Reserves). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1956/57 (MFC) |
30 (47) |
N/A |
6 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (8TH OF 17) |
2R |
1R |
SF |
SF |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(17.11.56 - beat Dunstable 3-1 at home). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (08.12.56 - lost 4-0 at Millwall). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
|
|
1957/58 (MFC) |
38 (48) |
N/A |
1 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (2ND OF 18) |
1R |
SF |
RU |
SF |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(16.11.57 - lost 3-2 to Crystal Palace at
home). Played in Kent League Cup Final (10.05.58 - lost 3-0 to Deal Town). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
KSC |
KLC |
KSS |
TMC |
|
1958/59 (MFC) |
37 (51) |
N/A |
2 |
KENT LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (5TH OF 18) |
1R |
3R |
RU |
1R |
GR |
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(15.11.58 - lost 3-2 at Headington United). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1959/60 (MFC) |
26 (57) |
N/A |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (7TH OF 22) |
2R |
1R |
RU |
SF |
|
|
Played in FA Cup 1st Round
(14.11.59 - drew 1-1 at Kettering). Played in FA Cup 1st Round replay (19.11.59 - beat Kettering 3-2 at home). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round (05.12.59 - drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace at home). Played in FA Cup 2nd Round replay (09.12.59 - lost 3-0 at Crystal Palace). | |||||||||
|
SEASON (CLUB) |
FULL (MAX) |
SUB |
GLS |
|
FAC |
SLC |
KSC |
KSS |
|
|
1960/61 (MFC) |
19 (50) |
N/A |
1 |
SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE (15TH OF 21) |
4QR |
2R |
2R |
1R |
|