GEORGE Matthews MBE, the former Hull, Barrow and Blackpool star, has died at the age of 78.

Matthews passed away in Furness General Hospital and will long live in the memory of Hull FC rugby league followers as the man who sent the club to to their first Wembley Challenge Cup Cup final appearance in 1959.

At just 20-years-old, he became a hero on Humberside as he ran in a hat-trick of tries in the 15-5 semi-final victory over Featherstone Rovers before a crowd of 52,000 at Odsal.

Leading the tributes, close friend from his Hull days Johny Whiteley said: “George was a great player who had quality and pace. He made an immediate impact.

“He came to Hull as a young lad and soon settled in. He was a talented player who on his day was as good as anyone in the game, he was very bright – liked a laugh and was good company.

“He fitted in well to the infrastructure set by coach Roy Francis (former Barrow player) and was an entertainer, a great individual who could stamp his authority on the game. He was a natural footballer with a good brain.”

Whiteley played in three successive Ashes Test victories over the Australians and was coach of the last Great Britain side to win the Ashes Down Under in 1970.

A classy half-back, Matthews’ career path began as a 12-year-old at the then-technical school, partnering future Barrow players Davey Black and Tommy Dawes in the halves.

At 14, he skippered the school and Barrow Boys, while a year on he joined Marsh Hornets, going on to play for the great St Mary’s side at under-21s level, along with Dawes and Mick Ducie.

Former Barrow player and coach in a double trophy-winning 1983/84 season Dawes said: “George was a very good player, very agile with a lovely swerve, he could dance off either foot and he had a lovely side step.

“We played together as young kids before going our way in the professional game, but we did both end up playing together for Barrow in our later days.”

Ducie added: “George was a class act and was only 20 when he went to Hull. He was a very good half-back, very sharp, he had an eye for the gaps and would be always in support of anyone making a break.”

Howard Lauderdale was on the Walney committee when George joined the Cents. He said: “George was the mastermind in getting Walney back on Central Drive after being nomads down on Tummerhill.

“He played and coached the teams, and worked very hard to get the club back to our old ground. He was the backbone for many years as chairman and brought a lot of sponsorship into the club.”

In his amateur days, Matthews captained the Barrow inter-town side as well as Lancashire and England, all before the age of 19 when he took the professional ticket with Hull.

He made his debut in 1958 for Hull A against Huddersfield, bagging a brace of tries before a crowd of 5,500. The Hull Daily Mail columnist Kingstonian wrote: “Inspired by the undoubted genius of a lad playing his first professional game, George Matthews, Hull were far too good for Huddersfield.”

The Boulevard’s famous Threepenny Stand had taken Matthews to their hearts and a bright future lay ahead for the young man from Barrow.

He played opposite many of the all-time great half-backs, including David Bolton (Wigan) and Alex Murphy, and his greatest day was in 1959 when he crossed for that hat-trick of tries to send Hull to Wembley.

Sunday Express man Jack Paul wrote: “A five-star showing from Matthews, he overshadowed Rovers England stand-off Joe Mulaney.”

Matthews faced the great Bolton in the final, which Wigan won 30-13 – the pair having last met as teenagers playing in a Lancashire Schools trial.

The following year, Hull were back at Wembley, but a long lay-off through injury meant he missed out on this occasion. After five years it was departure time and to Barrow, where he spent three years before ending his career at Blackpool.

Matthews played in 139 games for Hull (67 tries), 64 times for Barrow (17 tries) and on 52 occasions for Blackpool (12 tries). He was involved with the Barrow Past Players Association and later joined the board.

He is survived by his wife, Anne, and daughters Kay, Julie and Gail.