In 1908 one of Arsenals greatest captains in history was born. His name is Eddie Hapgood.
The defender commenced his career playing part-time for his local team St Philips Marsh Adult School Juniors team who competed in Bristol Downs Association Football League, whilst working as a milkman.
In 1927 his talent was recognised by Kettering Town who played in the Southern League, however he would only go onto play 12 games before Herbert Chapman who later guided Arsenal to three league titles and an FA Cup snapped him up to join Arsenal.
After signing for peanuts in todays football terms of £950, Hapgood made his debut in November 1927 versus Birmingham City, playing second fiddle to first team regular and left back Horace Cope.
Hapgood would have to wait till 1929 before becoming a permanent fixture in the starting line-up. From that moment onwards till the outbreak of World War Two no player stole the position of left back from him.
In 1930 he won his first piece of silverware with The Gunners as they beat Huddersfield Town 2-0 in the FA Cup final to win their first major honour at Wembley.
By 1935 Hapgood had clinched four English-top flight titles including a hat-trick of league titles between 1933 and 1935 at Highbury.
A year later Hapgood secured a second FA Cup Winners medal after The Gunners battled hard to beat Sheffield United 1-0 in the final.
After taking over as captain from Alex James during the 1937/38 season, the man who had no choice but to join a weight training regime due his skinniness on arrival ten years earlier, guided Arsenal to a fifth championship title. By this stage at Arsenal Hapgood had been chosen for at least 35 matches a season since the start of the decade.
The Bristol boy represented England on 30 occasions being called up for his debut in 1933 against Mussolini’s Italy in Rome, the match finished 1-1.
In November 1934 Hapgood would captain England for the first of 21 games during the brutal “Battle Of Highbury” which witnessed his country beat Italy (the then current World Champions) 3-2. One of the most famous games in International football history saw multiple players injured including Hapgood himself who picked up a broken nose, only to leave the field for 15 minutes to have his injury seen to before re-entering the dual.
This was not the only infamous England match he captained. He led The Three Lions out onto the pitch in Berlin against Hitler’s Germany, which saw his side give the Nazi salute before kickoff, in return England whipped their far right European opposition 6-3.
Like with many other footballers careers Hapgood’s came to a pause for six years due to The Second World War in 1939. During that time he joined the RAF where he was still able to turn out for Arsenal and England occasionally.
After 17 seasons and 440 appearances Hapggood finished up as a footballer at Arsenal with bad taste after being loaned out at the age of 38 to Chelsea in 1944.
For the next 12 years Hapgood would achieve unparallel success to what he had achieved at The Gunners when in management with Blackburn Rovers, Watford and Bath City before retiring from the game he much loved.
In 1973 the life of the Arsenal captain who would later be voted in 2009 as one of the best 50 players to play for the Gunners and to adorn one of the six banners of the Emirates Stadium came to an end aged 64.
Liam Harding
Read Liam’s History of Arsenal legend Ted Drake here “The best centre-forward in the world”
An amazing old stalwart, seems the milkman only weakness was knowing when to hang up his boots as a player.
He obviously loved playing Vamos