We are sad to report the passing of another good friend and rugby stalwart, George Woodall. He died in York Hospital on 26th October after struggling in a Selby home for the last few months.
George was born on 9th October 1935 and lived at Barlow Lane End Farm in Cliffe near Selby. He attended Cliffe School, prior to joining Drax Grammar School (now The Read School) on 7 September 1947.
George was good at both rugby and cricket and held various sports records. He was Club President from 1990-1993.
Don Bramley recalls:
We were both boarders at Drax but he was a year younger than me so we didn’t really meet up till rugby times at Draxonians and then at Selby. He was good at everything at school and played for England Air Training Corps. He also had brains to get him to Seal-Hayne College in Devon and on to manage thousands of chickens before setting up his turkey business and farm shop on the old A1.
I was his best man in September 1962, but before that we had two final adventures. The first was camping round Europe and sleeping in seven countries in nine days and in Munich looking up ex-prisoners of war who worked on our farm in Sherburn
A year later, two big lads together, we struggled to hike from Bergen in Norway along the Fjords to finish up with friends near Oslo.
George played No 8 and anyone who got past me at openside, walked into George and didn’t do it again!
The last few years have been anti-climax for both of us with watching Selby the highlight of the week. George had dodgy legs, so I sat in his van to watch game and went for coffees at half-time and pork pies to take home. Now I watch on my own and will be there on the 13th November for his line up and minute’s silence.
George’s funeral will be held at Ledsham Church at 11 am on Monday 22nd November and afterwards in The Chequers.