Down Memory Lane - George Longman
Down Memory Lane Articles - by Stan Shillington



He wasn't a superstar in lacrosse, not one who would dominate the scoring column day in and out.

Rather, George Longman was the consummate workhorse, ready and willing to do anything to help his team succeed - take faceoffs, kill penalties, check star opponents to a standstill, give of his heart.

His intensity, however, also hampered his career and, eventually, brought it to a sudden end at the age of 26.

George was born in Victoria on February 20, 1943, but learned all of his lacrosse skills (and soccer) in the North Burnaby minor system, winning four provincial championships before joining 's Norburns junior squad in 1961.

Bingo! Norburns captured the B.C. title and went on to the Minot Cup, unfortunately losing the series to Hastings of Ontario. Some of his teammates included , , , , Don Boyd, Dick Crompton, Ron Boyd and Skip Jolly.

The following year (1962) saw the entire Norburns team turn senior, including the 19-year-old Longman. When the club folded after just one season, Longman returned to the junior ranks, although he saw periodic action with Victoria and Vancouver.

In 1965, Longman joined the newly organized Coquitlam Adanacs, choosing sweater number "13" for luck; unfortunately, it was not "good luck" as he had hoped.

In his first and third seasons, George suffered knee cartilage injuries requiring surgery. Then, on August 2, 1969, a tragic mishap ended his athletic career. While checking a Victoria player, George was struck in the eye with the ball, permanently impairing his vision.

George remained with the Adanacs as a director and assistant coach until 1973 when he resigned his job with the Vancouver Fire Department and moved to the Sunshine Coast to pursue a career in real estate.

Over his 169-game senior career, Longman scored 39 goals and 35 assists for 74 points. He also accumulated 38 goals and 21 assists in 38 junior games.

Sadly, George Longman died December 28, 2001 following a 16-month long illness.