George Kirby (20 December 1933 – 24 March 2000) was an English footballer and manager. Playing career Kirby was born in Liverpool. He was a centre forward who played for Everton, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth Argyle, Southampton, Walsall, Swansea City, Coventry City, New York Generals and Brentford. His career lasted from 1952 to 1969 during which he made 309 Football League appearances and scored 119 goals. Management career His first post in management was at Halifax Town, initially as coach to Alan Ball Senior and then in 1970 as first team manager. He spent only one full season in charge, giving the club their most successful ever campaign just missing out on promotion to the old second division. He started the 1971–72 season by leading Halifax to a 2–1 Watney Cup victory over a full strength Manchester United side, which included George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton. Just a week later Kirby left Halifax to take charge at Watford where he remained until May 1973. At Watford, injuries, boardroom unrest, and a shortage of luck and money, conspired to produce two terrible winters consisting of one humiliation and very nearly a second. He later moved to Iceland where he managed one of the country's leading clubs; Íþróttabandalag Akraness (ÍA) In 1978, he left Akranes and returned to Halifax. Kirby inspired the team to another famous victory over Mancunian rivals; this time it was the turn of Malcolm Allison's Manchester City, who fell to a single Paul Hendrie goal in an FA Cup 3rd round tie in January 1980. His second spell with the Yorkshire club ended in June 1981 after a string of poor results saw his team finish second bottom of the old 4th division. References The Watford Football Club Illustrated Who's Who by Trefor Jones 1933 births 2000 deaths Footballers from Liverpool English footballers Association football forwards Everton F.C. players Sheffield Wednesday F.C. players Plymouth Argyle F.C. players Southampton F.C. players Coventry City F.C. players Swansea City A.F.C. players Walsall F.C. players New York Generals (NPSL) players New York Generals players Brentford F.C. players Worcester City F.C. players English Football League players National Professional Soccer League (1967) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players English football managers Halifax Town A.F.C. managers Watford F.C. managers Íþróttabandalag Akraness managers English Football League managers English expatriates in Iceland English expatriate sportspeople in the United States Expatriate soccer players in the United