Portsmouth mourn passing of Hall of Famer and Fratton Park favourite George Ley
The Hall of Fame inductee made 204 appearances for the Blues, scoring 11 times
Pompey are mourning the loss of Hall of Famer George Ley, who this week passed away at the age of 80.
A former left winger who was converted into an attacking left-back before his Fratton Park arrival, he was a hugely popular figure with the Blues, amassing 204 appearances and 11 goals.
Pompey boss George Smith paid Exeter £8,000 to recruit him in May 1967, with the League Two side increasing his pay from £20 a week to £30, plus a £1,000 signing-on fee.
Having been signed after the transfer deadline, Pompey had to obtain Football League permission to hand Ley his debut in the final match of the 1966-67 campaign at Huddersfield. With neither side involved in promotion or relegation issues, he was allowed - and it finished in a 1-1 draw.
Challenged with adapting to playing in front of 20,000 rather than the 4,000 at St James’ Park, the full-back flourished, representing Pompey with distinction during seven successive seasons.
Ley made 47 appearances in his first full campaign in 1967-68, with Smith’s men topping the table at Christmas and seemingly on course for promotion to Division One.
However the Blues went on to win just three of their final 13 league matches and, following three consecutive losses, finished a disappointing fifth. During Ley’s remaining time on the south coast, Pompey never finished higher than 15th.
That same season, though, they beat Division One side Fulham 1-0 at Fratton Park in an FA Cup fourth round replay in front of 44,050, with the likes of Johnny Hayes and Allan Clarke lining up for the visitors in the February 1968 clash.
Ley and his Pompey team-mates enjoyed another notable FA Cup run in 1970-71, when an Arsenal side pursuing the Double were held 1-1 at Fratton Park following Mike Trebilcock’s last-gasp leveller.
The fourth-round replay at Highbury would be the left-back’s favourite Pompey match. Trailing 2-1 to the Gunners, Ley unleashed a 30-yard shot which rocketed into the top corner to level at 2-2. Although the visitors went on to lose 3-2.
There was also the moment in 1969 when Pompey manager George Smith challenged Ley to a boxing match in front of all the club’s staff. Unbeknown to Smith, his opponent had boxed as a youth, with aspirations to become professional.
In 2020, Ley told Played Up Pompey Three: ‘I was aged 22, with my 55-year-old football manager in the opposite corner. I produced another combination and whacked him pretty good, down he went and landed on his back.
‘He tried to get up, but Bobby Campbell said “Boss, I think you've had enough”. I just stood there - and again there was silence. Everybody started to leave, while I remained motionless, I couldn’t exactly run around and celebrate. Then it was onto training - yes, we still had to play football that morning.
‘To give Smith his credit, despite a split lip, he came out and took the session at Fratton Park. As for me, I was floating. We were working at one end of the pitch and I volunteered to go in goal, I was so sharp it was unreal, on an absolute high. However, none of the boys were talking to me.
‘After training, I decided to see the boss in his office. “Hey boss, no hard feelings,” I said and offered my hand. He replied “Okay son, that’s all right”, and we shook. We never spoke about it again.
‘Then I headed to Mumms Cafe on Highland Road, where the lads would meet after training for a cup of coffee and a chat. The long-serving Harry Harris was there with four others and he welcomed me with “I’ve got you a coffee, George”. It was the first time he ever bought me a coffee, most of the time you had to get him one.
‘I sat down and he said: “Right, I’ve got you another fight next Wednesday. You’re up against the chairman”.’
Ley was the subject of transfer interest from Ipswich boss Bobby Robson on two occasions, including travelling to Portman Road for talks in May 1970, including meeting inebriated Ipswich chairman John Cobbold at his home.
Ley claimed Cobbold urinated on his roses at one point in front of Robson and the prospective new signing. The deal eventually fell through, entirely unconnected with the incident.
He eventually left Pompey in September 1972, joining Brighton in a £28,000 deal and reuniting with close friend Brian Bromley, before ending his English career with Gillingham.
Ley then relocated to America, where he featured for Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League and then Wichita Wings in the Major Indoor Soccer League.
Turning to coaching, he worked as player-assistant coach at Oklahoma City Slickers, returned to England as a youth coach at Luton, before getting employment at Austin Sockadillos and River City Rangers back in America.
Ley, who was once voted by readers of the Football Review as the best-looking player in the country ahead of George Best, was inducted into Pompey’s Hall of Fame in 2015.
A keen golfer and lover of horse racing, he relocated back to Devon in May 2018 and passed away in a Tiverton nursing him on Wednesday, almost two weeks after his 80th birthday. He leaves behind his daughter Gina and son Stephen.