MY ACCOUNT
England World Cup hero George Cohen has died at the age of 83.
Cohen, who played every minute as the Three Lions won the tournament on home soil in 1966, won 37 caps for his country.
Confirming the news of his passing, his former club Fulham tweeted: “Everyone at Fulham Football Club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of one of our greatest ever players — and gentlemen — George Cohen MBE.”
Cohen was a one-club man, playing 459 times for the Cottagers between 1956 and 1969.
A knee injury brought his playing days to an end at the age of just 29 and he later worked within the club’s hospitality suites, regaling guests with stories from his career.
His contribution was recognised by the Cottagers in 2016 when they announced a statue of him to be situated at Craven Cottage had been commissioned — it was unveiled in October of that year.
Described by Manchester United legend George Best as “the best full-back I ever played against”, Cohen was born in Fulham but actually lived closer to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge than the Cottage.
Speaking in 2016, he joked: “It was easier to bunk into Fulham than it was to get into Chelsea.
“There was this big tree at Craven Cottage and my friends and I used to climb up it and drop over the wall into the ground.
“The club knew we used to sneak in that way but didn’t mind — I suppose it was a way of recruiting young supporters!”
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