A History of Arsenal legend Ted Drake – “the greatest centre forward in the world”

Ted Drake: Could you have asked for a better striker? by Liam Harding

In 1912 not far away from the bustling docks of Southampton one of the best players to go on and grace the game was born, that man is my Great Grandad Ted Drake.

As an aspiring young Saints fan looking to make it into the big time Drake idolised local hero Billy Rawlings who was Southampton’s top striker at the time and would end up netting 175 times in 327 games.

Whilst Ted was at school Tottenham came calling for him and offered the later Arsenal legend a trial match, however he was unable to accept the offer due to injury.

After leaving school he became a gas reader whilst at the same time playing for non-league side Winchester City of the Hampshire League. During his time at the Citizens, he helped the club win the 1929/30 Northern section of the Hampshire League and assisted them to glory in the Hampshire Senior Cup for the first time just before leaving in the summer of 1931 for Southampton.

Within two seasons of signing professional with the Saints Ted was the clubs main talisman when Arsenals Herbert Chapman came knocking on his door to grab the Englishman. Despite Arsenal being on their way to the first of three consecutive First Division league titles during the 1932/33 season, Drake turned down Chapman’s offer. In March 1934 whilst the Saint was top-goalscorer in the Second Division with 22 goals, George Allison now Arsenal manager following the death of Herbert Chapman swooped in and signed Drake at last for a mere fee in today’s footballing terms of £6,500!

Later that month the man who had been hailed “the greatest centre forward in the world” by Allison scored on his debut for the Gunners as they narrowly scraped past Wolves to win 3-2 at Highbury.

During his first proper season at Arsenal, Drake established his reputation in the game as a tough, fast and unwavering striker by nature racking up 44 goals throughout the 1934/35 campaign which is a record for the most goals scored in a season at the club. This rampage saw Drake score three hat-tricks and picking up four four-goal hauls as well as his first Arsenal League title in 1935 which saw the Gunners secure their one and only League title treble in history.

The season also saw the striker make his England debut in the “Battle of Highbury” against World Cup Winners Italy in November 1934 which the Three Lions won 3-2. Thanks to Drake scoring Englands third goal of the match, this would be the first of his six strikes in five games for his country throughout the decade.

After struggling with attacking form Drake turned up at Villa Park on the afternoon of December 14^th, 1935, in need of some goals to rescue his position in the side. With the World’s biggest bandage on, he would go on to break the record for the most goals scored in a top-flight game of English football which stands to this day, scoring every single goal in Arsenal’s 7-1 victory against an Aston Villa side at the time coined “The Bank of England team” after their recent spending spree.

By the end of the 1935/36 season with the League title out of sight, there was only one competition the Gunners could get their hands on, that was the FA Cup.  In the week leading up to the final there was a slim chance of Ted playing due to injury, however in the final 24 hours before kickoff he was selected to be included in the line-up.  The encounter proved to be a difficult one against Second Division Sheffield United.

In the final quarter of the game with Arsenal needing a hero, Drake popped up with the winning goal to grab the Gunners their second FA Cup of all time.  In the 1980s many years later when being quizzed about the occasion from the comforts of his home by a London journalist, Drake recalled “I remember when I scored the winning goal, I shook hands with my teammates- we didn’t kiss and all that nonsense in those days”.

During the 1937/38 season Drake reached his second league title at Arsenal as the top-goalscorer for the fourth consecutive season with 18 goals, despite being knocked out of the later stages of the season by injury.

On September 1^st, 1939, World War Two broke out which meant the football season was abandoned, bringing Ted’s career to a halt just days after scoring four goals in a league match at home versus Sunderland. However, Drake had become the quickest player in Arsenal folklore to score 100 goals, quicker than any other player, in 108 matches.

Whilst on a personal training course during the war years Drake picked up a back injury from a swimming accident, forcing him to hang up his boots for good come the end of the war in 1945.

Overall, Drake had reached 139 goals as a prolific striker in 184 Arsenal appearances and 47 strikes in 71 games beforehand at his home club Southampton but, i the League,  altogether he’d amassed 171 goals in 238 games.

After finishing his war duties in the Royal Air Force and as a Personal trainer, Drake found another avenue through coaching to get back into the game. In 1946 the retired footballer turned into a young ambitious manager starting off from humble beginnings, managing non-league team Hendon in the 1946/47 Athenian League campaign taking them to 9^th in the table.

At the end of the season Third Division outfit Reading requested Drake to take hold of their reins which he accepted. He led the side to second in the table in the 1948/49 season and then again in the 1951/52 season, The Royals weren’t able to get promoted to the Second Division as only first in the table got automatic promotion at the time and there were no playoffs.

In 1952 Chelsea took Drake to Stamford Bridge when just after signing he said that he would need three years to win the title. At the end of the 1954/55 season Chelsea had won the top-flight of English football for the first time with Drake’s words coming true. During the post match celebrations after Chelsea won the title Drake stood up in front of the directors box at Stamford Bridge and gave a speech about his greatest managerial success “This is the happiest day of my life, I was asked would we win the cup? I thought we might, but I thought we had a better chance of winning the First Division even better.”

By 1962 with Chelsea suffering the likelihood of probable relegation Ted left Chelsea to make way for Tommy Docherty who was unable to save the Blues at the end of the 1961/62 First Division campaign.

Drake later enjoyed spells as Life President, assistant manager and scout at Fulham in the later 1960s and 1970s, but after his testimonial match was held at Craven Cottage in 1978, he officially stepped down from the game.

In 1995 Drake passed away at the age of 82 in his home at Raynes Park in Wimbledon after an illustrious life of footballing achievements.

Seven years later I was born, and for the past ten years I have supported and watched Arsenal with my Grandad Graham the youngest of his three sons, who was born ten years to the day that Ted scored seven goals at Villa Park.

Liam Harding