GEORGE Aitken, one of the finest players from the Football League days of Workington Reds, has died aged 78.

Mr Aitken’s death comes months after that of another Workington legend Ike Southward, the former Town rugby star, who knew Mr Aitken well from the days when the football and rugby league clubs shared Borough Park.

Centre-half Aitken played 263 games for Reds between 1953 and 1961 and then served the club as trainer and assistant manager.

He worked alongside manager Ken Furphy when Reds won promotion to Division Three in 1964.

He followed Furphy to Watford, and then came back to Workington in 1971/72 as manager for four years.

After briefly being assistant manager at Grimsby, he linked up with Brighton in 1976 and remained to live on the south coast.

During his time at the Goldstone Ground, Mr Aitken enjoyed his finest moment in football as manager Jimmy Melia's right-hand man when the Seagulls reached the 1983 FA Cup final against Manchester United.

He was invited to lead out the Brighton side at Wembley, though he was generally happier to take a backroom role.

Ex-Liverpool star Jimmy Case, who played for Brighton, said: “George was a great character, a great friend and coach right the way through my time at the club.

“Jimmy Melia was in the front line with his white shoes but George was right there in terms of the workings of the club and picking the team. He was well respected for his knowledge of the game."

Born in Midlothian, Scotland, in 1928, Mr Aitken started out with Edinburgh Thistle as a 17-year-old. Just after the war, he joined Middlesbrough. His most memorable match was against Arsenal in front of 55,000 fans. England and Blackpool star Stan Mortenson always rated him highly.

He joined Reds in 1953 for £5,000 and became a key member of a famous Workington half-back line of Stokoe, Aitken and Dunlop.

After he retired to become trainer with Reds, he was granted a testimonial which attracted football greats like Brian Clough, Bill Shankly and Ivor Broadis.

During his time as Workington manager, Reds finished sixth in Division Four and in 23 home games conceded only seven goals, just missing out on promotion.

The club finished 13th in the next year and then had to apply for re-election after finishing next to bottom the next two years.

Mr Aitken left and after two more poor seasons in which they finished bottom each time, Reds failed to win re-election.

But he will be remembered with affection by Workington fans from the 1950s as a hard but fair centre-half who always looked comfortable on the ball.