Kinnell was one of Waddington’s trusted players

FORMER Stoke City defender George Kinnell has died at the age of 83.

Kinnell died on Saturday, having fought dementia and Alzheimer’s in recent years, and is remembered a fearless member of Tony Waddington’s mid-1960s team who established Stoke back in the top flight. Stoke said in a statement: “All at Stoke City were saddened to learn of the death of George Kinnell. All at the club extend sincere condolences to Mr Kinnell’s family and friends at this difficult time.”

Kinnell joined Stoke from Aberdeen in the autumn 1963 as Waddington built a team to take on the top flight following a Stanley Matthews-inspired promotion.

The Potters had gone on a run of 10 games without a win so Waddington spent £30,000 to bring in a then-25-year-old who had built his reputation as a fearless captain in Scotland.

Kinnell, below, played among greats including Matthews, Jimmy Mcilroy, Eddie Stuart, Peter Dobing, Tony Allen, Eric Skeels, John Ritchie and Dennis Viollet - and helped the team stay up and reach the final of that season’s League Cup. Along the way, they recorded famous wins, including a 9-1 thumping of Ipswich. Mcilroy would later recall: “At the back George Kinnell never got the credit for being the very good footballing centre half he was.”

Indeed, a very good footballing centre-half in a fine team. Waddington had tried to sign Kinnell’s cousin Jim Baxter that year too. Waddington valued him as a player - and had no problem with Kinnell’s habit of ‘the odd dram’ to settle any nerves.

He later explained:

“It was just to steady the nerves. Even Stan Matthews had the odd drink of glucose and Champagne as the adrenalin got to him near to kick-off. “Centre-half George Kinnell, a cousin of Jim Baxter, liked the odd dram.

“And I felt Alan Hudson was entitled to have a glass or two of Champagne with Alan Ball the night after making his England debut in the 2-0 success over West Germany in 1975. Both had made their contribution.

“But forget the stories that any of my players ever staggered out on to the pitch. If players are training daily, they cannot maintain endurance routines if they are drinking heavily the night before.”