The tough-tackling defender came through the youth systems at Blackpool and Morecambe before making a name for himself at Altrincham, coming through the reserves to make his first-team debut aged 20 in February 2005.
Moving on from Moss Lane, Big G, as he is affectionately known, played for a host of clubs across the north-west, including Ashton United, Clitheroe, Nelson, Northwich Victoria, and Longridge Town.
A steelworker by day at Global Engineering, Melling began noticing that he couldn’t carry out his everyday job without a struggle and eventually had to admit defeat to his worsening condition in September 2020.
“I first started with symptoms back in February 2020,” he told. “I started to struggle with pains in my arm, which was affecting my work but continued to fight through the pain before it got to the point where I had to admit that there was something really wrong.”
His partner Nicci takes up the story. “We had looked up George’s symptoms on the internet and over the next few months had been to see several doctors, all who said that it couldn’t be MND, before it was eventually confirmed that it is last week.”
Denne historien er fra February 14, 2021-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
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Denne historien er fra February 14, 2021-utgaven av The Non-League Football Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
SHAKERS REVEL IN MAKING HISTORY
DAVE McNabb says Bury's FA Cup heroes are proud to be writing their own chapters in club history.
WILCOX: WE FEEL COMPLETE WITH WIN
RUSS WILCOX'S verdict after watching his Gainsborough Trinity side outmuscle and outplay their hosts was that it was \"probably our most complete performance\".
CRACKER BY KABIA TOPPLES TUDORS!
ASSISTANT boss Stewart Yetton said his Truro City side were good value for their win over table-toppers Hemel Hempstead Town.
BRAKES PUT STOP ON BORO BATTLERS
SEPARATED only by goal difference before kick-off, these sides remain neck and neck in the embryonic table after playing out 90 minutes in the October sunshine that was a great advert for the division.
BOSS COTT'S GOT A REALLY GOOD THING WITH ROVERS
STEVE Cotterill hailed Forest Green Rovers’ first class performance as they produced a spirited comeback to topple fellow high-flyers Eastleigh at the Silverlake Stadium.
SKIPS STEER HEED'S SHIP
GATESHEAD captains of the past and present are playing a lead role in helping the National League club move on from the departure of FA Trophy-winning manager Rob Elliot.
FA CUP PREVIEW: SWEET! 'DREAM' DRAW IS CHANCE OF OUR LIFETIME
DAVE NORTHFIELD says minnows Biggleswade FC were like 'kids in a sweet shop' when they drew out York City in what he describes as the 'draw of a lifetime'.
PARKER'S HEART IS STILL AT HOME
FORMER England right-back Paul Parker has revealed he would never completely rule out a return to management – but says he would only do so for one of his beloved local clubs.
LOCALS RALLY TO REBUILD BRIDGE
WHEN committee members at Bamber Bridge set out to raise £30,000 to protect the club's future, they were apprehensive about the response they'd get.
RUTHLESS BEES FIND THEIR FEET
ASTERLING second-half performance resulted in league leaders Barnet brushing aside a Boston United outfit that led at the interval through Keaton Ward’s early strike.