FORMER Worcester City boss George 'Geordie' Armstrong has died suddenly at the age of 56.

Armstrong was in charge at St George's Lane for the final three months of the 1984-85 season, in which they were relegated from the Gola League, now the Nationwide Confer-ence.

He collapsed at Arsenal's training ground in Hertford-shire with a brain haemorrhage while taking a training session in his role as reserve team manager.

The former Gun-ners winger, one of the heroes of their famous 1971 League and Cup double-winning side, was taken to Hemel Hempstead hospital and put on a life support machine, but died yesterday.

Armstrong was brought in as manager by City in February 1985 to succeed Bobby Shinton, as they tried to avoid relegation from the Gola League. Armstrong had been coaching at Queen's Park Rangers before his appointment at St George's Lane.

But despite bringing in several new players and briefly improving their results, he was unable to save City from the drop, and Armstrong left the club at the end of the season. City have not returned to the Conference since.

After a 15-year playing career at Arsenal, in which he made 621 appearances, Armstrong joined Leicester and Stockport before taking coaching jobs with Aston Villa, Fulham, Middlesbrough and in Norway and Kuwait.

He was eventually brought back to Highbury in 1990 by Arsenal's then manager George Graham, now at Tottenham, who said he was "devastated" by the news.

He leaves a widow, Marje, a son and a daughter.