George Geoffrey Hickson (26 September 1939 – 2 October 2026) was an English football goalkeeper who played in the Football League for Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Southport and Stoke City. He won promotion out of the Fourth Division with Crewe in 1962–63. He is one of six post-war players to have played for both the Potteries clubs and Crewe Alexandra.
Career Early career Hickson was born in Crewe and played as an amateur for Coventry City, Liverpool and Blackburn Rovers. He played five Mid-Cheshire League games on loan at Nantwich Town late in the 1956–57 season, having made his debut in a 3–2 home win over Knutsford on 30 March. He signed with Middlewich Athletic in May 1957, though had a trial with Stoke City in August 1957, subsequently joining the club on amateur terms without having featured for Middlewich.
He signed a professional contract at Stoke City in 1959. Long-time regular Bill Robertson sustained an injury in the 1959–60 season, and Hickson was drafted in to provide cover. He played ten Second Division matches in December through to March but was dropped after conceding five away at Liverpool and Tommy Younger took his place for the remainder of the season. He played just once more for Stoke, on the final day of the 1960–61 season in a 3–1 win over Liverpool at the Victoria Ground.
Crewe Alexandra Hickson joined his hometown club Crewe Alexandra in 1962, and played 43 of the club's 46 Fourth Division games as promotion was achieved in 1962–63. He then featured 30 times in the 1963–64 season, as Jimmy McGuigan's "Railwaymen" were relegated straight back out of the Third Division. He lost his place at Gresty Road to Willie Maley under new boss Ernie Tagg, and featured just nine times in the 1966–67 campaign and was completely absent in the 1965–66 and 1967–68 campaigns. He was loaned to Fourth Division side Port Vale in August 1968, as manager Gordon Lee needed cover for the injured Stuart Sharratt. Described as a "part-time, pipe-smoking civil servant", he featured for the "Valiants" in the next twenty matches, but was recalled by Crewe in November that year.
Later career Hickson joined Southport on trial. He played three Third Division games for the "Sandgrounders". He also had a loan spell with Shrewsbury Town but did not take to the field at Gay Meadow. He later emigrated to South Africa to play for Cape Town City.
Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsBlackburn Rovers1956–57Second Division0000—00Nantwich Town (loan)1956–57Mid-Cheshire League5000—50Stoke City1959–60Second Division10000—1001960–61Second Division100000101961–62Second Division00000000Total1100000110Crewe Alexandra1962–63Fourth Division43030004601963–64Third Division27020103001964–65Fourth Division26010002701965–66Fourth Division000000001966–67Fourth Division900000901967–68Fourth Division00000000Total105060101120Port Vale (loan)1968–69Fourth Division1700000170Southport1968–69Third Division30000030Career total141060101480
Honours Crewe Alexandra Football League Fourth Division third-place promotion: 1962–63
References