{{short description|Northern Irish footballer (1895-1975)}} {{about||the British military surgeon|George Alexander Moorhead}} {{use British English|date=July 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox football biography |name = George Moorhead |image = |fullname = George Henry Moorhead |birth_date = {{birth date|1895|5|27|df=y}} |birth_place = Christchurch, New Zealand |death_date = {{death date and age|1975|6|20|1895|5|27|df=y}} |death_place = Lurgan, Northern Ireland |height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}<ref name="FATS" /> |position = Half back |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = |years1 = 1918–1920 |clubs1 = Glenavon |caps1 = |goals1 = |years2 = 1920–1921 |clubs2 = Southampton |caps2 = 9 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 1922 |clubs3 = Brighton & Hove Albion |caps3 = 1 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 1922–1924 |clubs4 = Linfield |caps4 = |goals4 = |years5 = 1924–1925 |clubs5 = Glenavon |caps5 = |goals5 = |years6 = 1925–1930 |clubs6 = Linfield |caps6 = |goals6 = |years7 = 1930–1931 |clubs7 = Heart of Midlothian |caps7 = 0 |goals7 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 1923–1929 | nationalteam1 = Ireland |nationalcaps1 = 3 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |nationalyears2 = 1924–1928 |nationalteam2 = Irish League |nationalcaps2 = 9 |nationalgoals2 = 0 }}
'''George Henry Moorhead''' (27 May 1895 – 20 June 1975)<ref name = FATS>{{cite book| last1=Chalk|first1=Gary |last2=Holley|first2=Duncan |last3=Bull |first3=David |title=All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC|year=2013|location=Southampton|publisher=Hagiology Publishing |isbn=978-0-9926-8640-6|page=138}}</ref> was a Northern Irish international footballer who played as a centre half in the 1920s. Although born in New Zealand, Moorhead made three international appearances for Ireland. He played his club football with Southampton in England and with Linfield and Glenavon in Northern Ireland.
==Club career== Moorhead was born in Christchurch, New Zealand<ref name=NIFG>{{cite web|title=George "Barney" Moorhead |url=http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2008/11/george-barney-moorhead.html|publisher=Northern Ireland Football Greats|accessdate=24 October 2012|date=9 November 2008}}</ref> but moved to Ireland as a child. During the First World War, he enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles,<ref name =ABC>{{cite book | title=The Alphabet of the Saints|last= Holley |first= Duncan|author2=Chalk, Gary|publisher= ACL & Polar Publishing|year=1992|isbn=0-9514862-3-3|page=248}}</ref> and played football for the regimental team. On the cessation of his military service, he played for Glenavon.<ref name=NFT>{{NFT player|pid=38845|name=Moorhead, George 'Barney'|accessdate=24 October 2012}}</ref>
Moorhead joined Southampton in August 1920, at the start of their first season in Division Three of the Football League. He made his debut on 18 December 1920, when manager Jimmy McIntyre dropped Alec Campbell after two defeats against Grimsby Town. The match at Reading ended in a 4–0 victory and Moorhead retained his place for 13 matches, including four in the FA Cup.<ref name = Chalk>{{cite book | title=Saints – A complete record|last= Chalk|first= Gary|author2=Holley, Duncan |publisher= Breedon Books|year=1987|isbn= 0-907969-22-4|pages=64–65}}</ref> With his "talent for giving precise passes", Moorland seemed to be heading for a long career with the Saints,<ref name =ABC/> when he had his registration cancelled by the Football Association and was suspended for twelve months because of an "irregularity covering amateurs".<ref name=NIFG/><ref name =ABC/>
After serving his suspension, he joined Brighton & Hove Albion in August 1922,<ref name =ABC/> where he made one league appearance<ref name = Joyce>{{cite book |title=Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939|last=Joyce|first=Michael |year=2004 |publisher=Tony Brown |location=Nottingham|isbn=1-899468-67-6|page=188}}</ref> before moving back to Northern Ireland in December.<ref name =ABC/>
He then joined Linfield where he remained for nine years, interrupted by a spell back at Glenavon. At Linfield, he became "one of their all-time greats" and helped them win the Irish League and defeat Glentoran in the final of the Irish Cup in his first season.<ref name=NIFG/> He was also on the losing side in the 1926 cup final but was left out, at his own request, of the side that defeated Ballymena United in 1930.<ref name=NIFG/> In the 1926 final, he was closely marking Belfast Celtic's centre-forward Sammy Curran, thus preventing him from getting much time with the ball, when he was hit with a "fearful kick" from Curran's colleague, Jimmy Ferris. Moorhead spent much of the rest of the match trying to gain retribution against Ferris, allowing Curran to score three goals.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jimmy Ferris |url=http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/11/jimmy-ferris.html|publisher=Northern Ireland Football Greats|accessdate=24 October 2012 |date=26 November 2006}}</ref>
Described as "an extremely consistent performer", Moorhead rarely missed a match for Linfield and on match days he used to walk from his home at Lurgan to Windsor Park in Belfast (21 miles) – he referred to this as his "morning dander".<ref name=NIFG/>
Moorhead wound up his career in Scotland with Heart of Midlothian for the 1930–31 season.<ref name=NFT/>
==International career== Moorhead made his international debut for Ireland on 3 March 1923, in a 1–0 British Home Championship defeat to Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Scotland's Success at Belfast|url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1923/1923030302.htm|work=Ireland 0 Scotland 1 |publisher=londonhearts.com|accessdate=24 October 2012|date=3 March 1923}}</ref> He then had to wait five years before his next international appearance, in an unofficial friendly against France on 21 February 1928,<ref name=NIFG/> followed four days later by a British Home Championship match against Scotland, this time ending 1–0 to the Irish. In this match, Moorhead was described as being "most conspicuous for cleverness and consistency".<ref>{{cite web|title=Scotland Beaten at Firhill |url=http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/images/1928/1928022501.htm|work=Scotland 0 Ireland 1 |publisher=londonhearts.com|accessdate=24 October 2012|date=25 February 1928}}</ref>
Moorhead's fourth and final cap came a year later, also against Scotland; Scotland won comfortably 7–3, with four goals from Hughie Gallacher.<ref>{{cite web|title= Ireland 3 Scotland 7|url=http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/international_fixture_details.cfm?page=1921&matchID=57795 |publisher=Scottish FA|accessdate=24 October 2012|date=23 February 1929}}</ref>
Moorhead also made nine appearances for the Irish League between 1924 and 1928.<ref name=NIFG/>
===International appearances=== Moorhead made three appearances for Ireland in official international matches, as follows:<ref>{{cite web|title=George "Barney" Moorhead|url=http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=14314|work=International career details|publisher=eu-football.info|accessdate=26 October 2012}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" ! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result<ref>Ireland score first</ref>!! Goals!! Competition |- |- style="background:#ffdddd;" | 3 March 1923 || Windsor Park, Belfast || {{fb|SCO}} || [http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=4990 0–1] || 0|| British Home Championship |- |- style="background:#ddffdd;" | 25 February 1928 || Firhill Park, Glasgow || {{fb|SCO}} || [http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5320 1–0] || 0 ||British Home Championship |- |- style="background:#ffdddd;" | 23 February 1929 || Windsor Park, Belfast || {{fb|SCO}} ||[http://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=5392 3–7] || 0 ||British Home Championship |- |} {| class="wikitable" |style="background-color: #ddffdd;"|<small>Win</small> |style="background-color: #ffffdd;"|<small>Draw</small> |style="background-color: #ffdddd;"|<small>Loss</small> |}
==Honours== ;Linfield
*Irish League champions: 1922–23, 1929–30 *Irish Cup winners: 1923 *Irish Cup finalists: 1926
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.11v11.com/players/george-moorhead-46933/ Club career details on 11 v 11.com] *[http://www.11v11.com/players/george-barney-moorhead-142388/ National career details on 11 v 11.com]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moorhead, George}} Category:1895 births Category:1975 deaths Category:Association footballers from Christchurch Category:Men's association footballers from Northern Ireland Category:Southampton F.C. players Category:Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. players Category:Glenavon F.C. players Category:Linfield F.C. players Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players Category:English Football League players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Pre-1950 IFA men's international footballers Category:Royal Ulster Rifles soldiers Category:NIFL Premiership players Category:Irish League representative players Category:British Army personnel of World War I