| Ted Drake was big, strong, quick and totally fearless. He joined Southampton from Winchester in November 1931 and scored a hat trick on his league debut before going on to score 48 in 72 matches. He joined Arsenal for £6,000 in March 1934 and the 1933-34 season saw him score seven goals in ten games, unfortunately not enough to qualify for a Championship medal.
In his first full season with the club, Drake set a record that still stands today. He scored 42 goals in 41 league appearances, helping Arsenal secure their third consecutive League Championship. That same season Drake, along with six of his Arsenal colleagues, played for England in the 'Battle of Highbury' against Italy that England won 3-2, with Drake scoring what turned out to be the winner.
On the 14th of December 1935, Drake scored all seven of Arsenal's goals in a 7-1 thrashing of Aston Villa at Villa Park. Ted claimed his seven goals in only eight scoring attempts, his eighth effort hitting the crossbar. By the end of the game he was being marked by the entire Villa defence ! Despite this, he managed to score in the 89th minute to set up a First Division individual scoring record that is still to be beaten.
Like many great players in this era, Drake's career was curtailed by World War Two but as well as being a flight-lieutenant in the RAF he managed to turn out in Arsenal colours in 128 wartime games and scored 86 goals in the process. When Drake was finally forced to retire, after dislocating a disc in his spine during a war time game at Reading, his record stood at 124 goals in 168 league appearances, plus 12 in 14 cup games, and 3 in two Charity Shields. His honours included two championship medals, a FA Cup Winners medal, and five England caps.
After he had hung up his boots Drake remained in football and managed firstly at Reading and then Chelsea, whom he steered to the First Division championship in 1955. |
Great Britain