George Hilsdon

Who was George Hilsdon?

George Richard Hilsdon was a footballer who began his career at West Ham United, making his debut in the 1903–04 season. His brother Jack Hilsdon also played for West Ham at this time. Hilsdon transferred to Chelsea in 1906, and was the first player to score 100 goals for the West London club, reaching a then-record 108 goals from 134 games by the time of his return to West Ham in 1912. His career was ended by the First World War, to which he was conscripted in 1914 and crucially injured by a gas attack.

Hilsdon was nicknamed "Gatling Gun" because his shots "were simply unstoppable and which travel like shots from a gun."