He was one of many young Scottish workers at lace manufacturers Johnston, Shields & Co in Newmilns sent over to work in the company's newly opened factory at Sant Martí de Provençals, known in Catalonia as La Escocesa, which started production back in 1893.

[3] At the start of 1900, whilst out in the Catalan capital, the 20-year-old George and his co-workers set up a football team to pass the time, calling it Escocès FC.

[5][a] The first match of the tournament saw Barcelona take on Hispania AC on 20 January 1901, held at Barca's second ever home ground, the Campo del Hotel Casanovas on Gran Via, and at some point during the game Girvan scored the opening goal, thus assuring a place in the footballing history books as the author of the very first competitive goal in Barcelona history,[3] although Barça went on to lose 1–2 and eventually lost the title to Hispania.

[7] Girvan left Barça in 1901 to join their city rivals Hispania AC,[1] thus reuniting with his fellow countrymen Hamilton, Gold and J.

With time, Girvan's economic and social situation improved, and as a result, he returned to his native Scotland, specifically to Newmilns, where he would go on to become the city's mayor.