Middlesbrough Football Club lost one of its most famous sons yesterday when George Hardwick passed away at the age of 84. Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson remembers the life and times of 'Gentleman George'.

GEORGE Hardwick's professional football career didn't get off to the best of starts. After playing for Middlesbrough Reserves at the age of 14, Hardwick was handed his first-team debut three years later and promptly scored an own goal with his first touch of the ball.

Hardly an ideal introduction but, from that point onwards, the full-back barely made another mistake in an 18-year career that saw him captain Middlesbrough, England and, uniquely, Great Britain as well.

Born at Lingdale in East Cleveland, Hardwick followed in the sporting footsteps of his grandfather who had played football for Middlesbrough Ironopolis and cricket for the MCC.

After being passed over by Arsenal Hardwick joined his hometown club and went on to make his mark as the best defender ever to pull on a Middlesbrough shirt.

His Boro record eventually stretched to 166 games and seven goals - although that tally would probably have been trebled had World War Two not split his career in two.

Hardwick spent six and a half years in the RAF, playing in 17 wartime internationals when duties permitted, and also appeared in two Wembley cup finals for Chelsea during the war.

He won 13 full international caps for England - a return that in no way reflected his standing at the time - but enjoyed his greatest day as captain of Great Britain in 1947.

Britain's finest took on the Rest of Europe and ran out 6-1 winners with Hardwick's Middlesbrough teammate, Wilf Mannion, scoring a hat-trick.

After leaving Teesside to join Oldham for £15,000 in 1950, Hardwick made a further 190 league appearances before agreeing to take over as player-manager at Boundary Park.

His coaching career saw him work with both PSV Eindhoven and the Dutch FA before he returned to the North-East to take control of Boro's youth team.

He replaced Alan Brown as Sunderland manager in 1964 and enjoyed two notable successes with the Wearside club.

The first was guiding Sunderland to safety in the 1964-65 season, and the second was introducing a certain Brian Clough to the world of coaching.

Hardwick always viewed Clough as his long-term successor at Roker Park but, after he was controversially sacked in 1965, Hardwick's successor Ian McColl had no place for the former centre-forward in his plans.

Away from the pitch, Hardwick revelled in the role of 'Gentleman George', with his straight back and familiar moustache making him one of the game's first pin-ups.

His autobiography described him as football's equivalent of Clark Gable and Errol Flynn and talked of his "roguish features" in glowing terms.

He was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from Teesside University after his retirement and commemorated with a statue outside the Riverside Stadium.

"George was born with a twinkle in his eye and he kept that twinkle until the day he died," said Boro chief executive Keith Lamb. "We have lost one of our greatest heroes and most famous sons.

"George continued to attend all our home games until very recently and was much loved and respected. He will be sadly missed by all of us."

Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson added: "George Hardwick's name was synonymous with Middlesbrough Football Club. He was a Boro legend and, alongside the late Wilf Mannion, he represented club and town at the highest level on the international stage."