delamonty 992 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 In these troubling times, it is good to look back at some of our players of yesteryear. Lifted unashamedly from wikipedia :-)The tragedy of Woodburn is that he was allowed to return after being suspended sine die -- but his playing career was effectively over... Wikipedia does not contain the circumstances around the headbutt -- but WIllie (as I have read before) was provoked while carrying a bad injury. (Probably up for debate.)GEORGE YOUNGGeorge Lewis Young (27 October 1922 - 10 January 1997) was a Scottish footballer, best remembered for his association with Rangers and for being the first player to receive over 50 caps for the Scotland national team.Born in Grangemouth, Young started his career with junior side Kirkintilloch Rob Roy before moving to Rangers in 1941. Although primarily considered a centre half, he was often played at right back during his 16 years in Govan, to accommodate Willie Woodburn in Rangers' renowned Iron Curtain defence.The Rangers side of the immediate post-War era was one of the dominant forces in Scottish football and Young was a key component in its success. Having won the League and League Cup in 1946-47 and the Scottish Cup the following season, Rangers became the first side to win all three trophies in the same season in 1948-49. Young himself scored twice (from the penalty sport) in the 4- Scottish Cup Final victory over Clyde which wrapped up the Treble.Young won further League titles in 1950, 1953, 1956 and 1957, also collecting Scottish Cup winners medals in 1950 and 1953, to take his senior medal haul to 12. The "lucky" Champagne cork he always carried with him - which earned him the nickname Corky - would appear to have worked! In total he played 428 times (scoring 31 goals) for the Rangers first team when he left in 1957.InternationalYoung also enjoyed a long and distinguished career for the Scottish national side. He was selected for a string of 34 consecutive matches between 1948 and 1953 and his total of 53 caps made him the first member of the Scotland Football Hall of Fame. Remarkably, Young was selected as captain on 48 of those appearances. He was also the first player to appear for Scotland as a substitute, when he replaced Bill Campbell of Morton in an unofficial international against Switzerland in May 1946. The SFA have since classified the match as an international, but it is not recognised by FIFA.His international career was not without disappointment. Young captained Scotland throughout the 1949-50 Home International tournament, which FIFA had decreed to be a British qualifying group for the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. The top two teams in the Home Internationals would qualify for Brazil, but the SFA decided Scotland would only travel as British Champions. England's 1-0 win at Hampden relegated the Scots to second place and they did not travel. Four years later, Scotland again qualified as second-placed country in the Home Internationals, and this time the SFA decided they would travel to Switzerland. Rangers, however, had arranged a tour of North America at the same time and refused to release their players, including Young.In the qualifying tournament for the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden, Scotland were placed in a group with Spain and Switzerland. The group began in May 1957, by which time Young had announced he would retire from playing at the end of that season. He led Scotland to a 4-2 victory over Spain in the opening game at Hampden on 8 May, and was again captain for their 2–1 victory over Switzerland, in Basle on 19 May. However, he sustained a thigh strain in that match and did not play in a 3-1 friendly win over then world champions West Germany in Stuttgart three days later. Young had announced the next match, the return game with Spain in Madrid on 26 May 1957, would be his final game. The SFA selectors decided, however, to make the minimum number of changes to the victorious team in Stuttgart. Young wasn't selected to face Spain, while his Rangers' team mates Ian McColl and Alex Scott were dropped. Spain won 4-1.Young also won 22 caps for the Scottish League XI, between 1947 and 1956.Later lifeAfter leaving Ibrox, Young had a three year spell as manager of Third Lanark between 1959 and 1962. He then left football, becoming a successful hotelier. He died, aged 74, in 1997.WILLIE WOODBURNWilliam 'Willie' Woodburn (8 August 1919 - 2 December 2001) was a Scottish footballer. He was the last footballer in Britain to receive a life ban from the game for indiscipline. He is also an inductee of the Scottish Football Hall of Fame and the Rangers F.C. Hall of Fame.Born in Edinburgh, he played for junior side Edinburgh Ashton before signing as a professional for Rangers in October 1937. He made his debut on 20 August 1938 in a 2-2 draw in the League against Motherwell. After the war he established himself in the Rangers side and won four League Championships with the club. He appeared in the first Scottish League Cup Final in April 1947, when Rangers beat Aberdeen 4-0.Woodburn won 24 caps for Scotland. He made his debut in a 1-1 draw with England at Wembley. Woodburn also appeared seven times for the Scottish League XI.In 1947 he received a 14-day ban for a "violent exchange" with Motherwell's Dave Mathie, then in 1953 he punched the Clyde striker Billy McPhail, which earned a 21-day ban. Later that year, Woodburn was sent off for retaliation in a match with Stirling Albion. The clubs met again, the following season, in a League Cup tie at Ibrox on 28 August 1954. Playing with a knee injury, Woodburn took exception to a bad foul and retaliated by headbutting a Stirling player.The SFA convened a disciplinary hearing the following month, which lasted just four minutes, and Woodburn was suspended sine die. The England international Tom Finney, one of many well-known forwards Woodburn had encountered in his international career, described the ban as "a grave injustice". The SFA revoked their punishment three years later, but by then Woodburn was 37 and his playing career was over.On his retirement from football he ran a garage business before becoming a sportswriter with The News of the World. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Dangerously 7,562 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 No doubt, Woodburn got a raw deal. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy9Millar 9 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Mighty giants in the Iron Curtain.The others - Bobby Brown, keeper, Tiger Shaw, left back, Ian McColl right half and the peerless Sammy Cox, left half.Only needed two forwards, Willie Waddell and Willie Thornton. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tartansmokie 36 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 George Young was my Dads idol. I never tired of hearing about him when I was a wee boy. My Dad used to travel from Arbroath to Glasgow for every home game, which was no mean feat in those days Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nvager 498 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 As a boy, I did see Young play, but never Woodburn. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
southcoastbear 1,639 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 When I was a kid I met Willie Woodburn in the stand at East End Park the night parlane knocked in 5 goals as rangers won 6-1. Remember be impressed my old man seemed to know an ex ranger and got me a signed portrait of Parlane a few weeks later.Think I got to meet big tam that year too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddrock 107 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 I have a signed copy of George Young's autobiographyIs that no the wan ah lent ye Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack1690 793 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Did Rangers not have to get specially made shorts for big Corky due to his 44" waist? Sure I read that somewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Mustard 380 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 George Young was Scotland's most successful captain ever (out of captains who skippered Scotland more than 15 times). In 48 games leading Scotland, we won 27, and drew 9.This means he led our country to be unbeaten in 75% of his games as skipper, and winning 56% of them.This wasn't playing against mugs either. As well as victories against England even at Wembley, we gubbed the other Home Nations, Spain, France, Yugoslavia, Portugal, Belgium and more.Under his captaincy we had a spell between 1948 and 1951 where we won 14 games, drew 2 and lost 1. Again, there weren't many mugs we were playing and the run included 2 Wembley victories and wins over the likes of France and Belgium.As a post script, the next most successful Captains of Scotland were Jimmy Simpson and Eric Caldow...53% and 66% winning percentages in 13 and 15 games respectively. (although Archie Gemmill's 52% win record over 23 games is right up there). Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocky Broon 207 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Did Rangers not have to get specially made shorts for big Corky due to his 44" waist? Sure I read that somewhere.Are you no mixing him up wi Jig and his big boaby? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack1690 793 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 Are you no mixing him up wi Jig and his big boaby?Maybe, but heard this before jig was born! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
californiadreamin52 339 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 George Young`s apron is on display in his Mother Lodge Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel Mustard 380 Posted February 20, 2012 Share Posted February 20, 2012 George Young`s apron is on display in his Mother Lodge Which Lodge is it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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