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
CRAIG'S BOOSTS
MANAGERIAL stalwart Craig Edwards is back in charge of Barking – 23 years after he left!
LENNIE GETS THE LOVE
VETERAN caretaker chief Lennie Lawrence says he is “excited” to be handed the reins at Hartlepool United permanently – just a few weeks before his 77th birthday!
MOTORS FEELS LIKE HOLMES!
WHEN he was younger, Danny Holmes played video games that simulated being a football manager.
REES HITS FAB FOUR AS TOWN ROMP IT
RICARDO REES struck four times to help Merthyr Town maintain their spot at the top of the table with a dominant home win against play-off chasing Havant & Waterlooville.
DULWICH DISPLAY DELIGHTS COACHES
GOALS from Danny Mills, Luke Wanadio and Lorenzo’s stoppage-time finish fired Dulwich Hamlet to a comfortable win over fellow play-off hopefuls Potters Bar Town, though the scoreline doesn’t tell the full story.
ANCHORS A RAPID
ASHTON UNITED hit two goals in two minutes to come from behind to win at Stockton Town.
SEAGULLS KEEP THE HEAT ON ROMANS
BATH City were made to pay for their mistakes by high-flying Weston-super-Mare.
CLINICAL COLEMAN KEEN AS MUSTARD
CIAN COLEMAN’S hat-trick lifted Buxton to their highest league position of the season as they became the latest side to frustrate Scunthorpe.
KEV SEES RED IN REE PANT!
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher hit out at referee Abigail Byrne following his side’s defeat to Yeovil Town at Roots Hall.
MARVEL MATTY DENIES MOORS
BOTH managers insisted their teams deserved more after Altrincham came from behind to steal a point in a six-goal thriller at Solihull Moors.
