Statue of Middlesbrough FC's all-time top scorer George Camsell unveiled outside Riverside Stadium

It is like a scene from the late 30s, with Camsell (foreground) looking poised to pounce on a Wilf Mannion (background) rebound. Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees

A statue commemorating Middlesbrough FC's greatest all-time goalscorer has been unveiled outside the Riverside.

Durham-born George Camsell scored 325 goals in 419 appearances for the club between 1925 and 1939.

On the evening of Friday 2 September, crowds gathered to watch the striker's son and namesake George Camsell Jr reveal a fitting tribute to a remarkable career.

Camsell now takes his rightful place alongside teammates Wilf Mannion and George Hardwick outside the Ayresome Gates.

  • An emotional George Camsell Jr unveils the piece.

The statue is the latest work of sculptor Sean Hedges-Quinn, known for his statues of Bobby Robson, Alf Ramsey and Bob Stokoe.

Calls for the statue gathered speed in the mid-2010s. The installation coincides with the writing of the striker's biography by Teesside historian Dr Tosh Warwick.


Who was George Camsell? A life in numbers

  • Born in 1902

  • Scored a club record 325 league goals in 419 games for Boro

  • His 59 goals in the 1926-27 season was a Football League record until the following year. It has never been surpassed since.

  • Still holds the record for most hat-tricks in a Football League season - 9

  • Scoring 18 goals in 9 international appearances, he still holds the highest goals-to-games-ratio of any England player.

  • After retiring in 1939, he became a factory worker during the war and went on to discover a young Brian Clough while a scout for Boro.

  • Died in 1966


The statue will remind future generations of Camsell's unrivalled legacy. Credit: ITV Tyne Tees

"It is with pride I can unveil the statue of my father," said George Camsell Jr.

"I thank Alistair, Sean [Hedges-Quinn], Middlesbrough Football Club, my family and all the people who have contributed to it. Thank you."