Reading back on my post about Sir Henry Norris it made me realise that I knew very little about the life and career of Charles Buchan – so here goes…………
Charles was born in 1891 in Plumstead, London. In 1909 he joined a local club, Woolwich Arsenal playing as an amateur. He was impressive in reserve games but he fell out with manager George Morrell over his expenses, and refused to sign to a professional contract. He then moved to Northfleet United as an amateur for the remainder of the 1909/10 season. At Northfleet he helped the team win the Kent Senior Cup, Kent League and Thames and Medway Combination medals. After the 1909/10 season he signed for Southern League Leyton and was spotted and signed by Sunderland in March 1911.
Charles was extremely successful with Sunderland they won the 1912/13 First Division title, and narrowly missed out on the double, losing the FA Cup final 1–0 to Aston Villa. He was considered to be the best footballer in the country and was Sunderland’s leading scorer for seven of the eight seasons from 1912/13 to 1923/24 (excluding the WW1 seasons, when no football was played). His appearances for England were limited due to the war therefore he only earned six full caps, scoring four goals.
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In 1925 at the age of 34 his place in the Sunderland team went to Dave Halliday who went on to score at least 35 league goals in each of his four full seasons with the club becoming the most prolific goals to games goal scorer in their history.
Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman was interested in buying Buchan however Sir Henry Norris was reluctant to spend the £5,000 he was reputed to be worth. Sunderland manager Bob Kyle started off by asking for only £4,000 but eventually Chapman bargained him down to £2,000 up front plus £100 for every goal he scored during his first season; he went on to score twenty-one forcing Arsenal to pay £100 more than Kyle’s original demand. Charles made his debut for the Gunners in a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on August 29th 1925 (This was also Chapman`s 1st game as the new Arsenal manager). Much of Arsenal’s success in the 1930’s was due not only to his goals but also to his contribution to Arsenal’s tactics it was he, along with Chapman, who thought of changing Arsenal’s formation to the famous “WM“, in order to fully exploit the revised offside law. His idea was to move the centre half from a roaming position in midfield to a “stopper” position in defence, with one forward brought back into midfield. This meant the offside trap was no longer the responsibility of the two full-backs, but the single central defender, while the full backs were pushed wider to cover the wings.
Despite his age he was a regular at Arsenal for three seasons. He captained Arsenal to their first-ever Cup final in 1927, but again was on the losing side, as Cardiff City beat the Gunners 1–0, thanks to a freak mistake by Arsenal keeper Dan Lewis. He finally retired at the end of 1927–28, having scored 16 league goals that season despite being 36 years of age. In all he scored 56 goals in 120 matches for Arsenal; his count of 257 goals in the League would have been more had the First World War not intervened.
After retiring, Buchan became a football journalist with the Daily News (later renamed the News Chronicle), he wrote one of the first coaching manuals, and also commentated for the BBC. In 1947, he co-founded the Football Writers’ Association. The decision to form the FWA was made by Charles Buchan and 3 other journalists – Coles, Roy Peskett and Archie Quick on board a ship in the middle of the English Channel on September 22 1947. The four were returning from Brussels, where they had seen England beat Belgium 5-2 in a friendly international. Within a month they had formalised some of the rules and regulations for the fledgling association; membership would be by invitation only, to “working journalists who are accredited football correspondents for newspapers and agencies”. Headquarters were to be in London, with the initial membership fee set at five guineas for the first year, and two guineas annually thereafter – with an FWA tie included. It was Charles Buchan who suggested that an award should be given “to the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year.” That was back in 1947 and since then the Footballer of the Year Award has become the most prestigious award in the British game. Voted for year-on-year by the FWA members, the first recipient was Sir Stanley Matthews. From September 1951 until his death, he edited his own football magazine, “Charles Buchan’s Football Monthly” which continued to be published until June 1974, 14 years after his death.
He published his autobiography, “A Lifetime in Football” in 1955.
Charles Buchan died in 1960, at the age of 68, whilst holidaying in Monte Carlo.
GunnerN5
Arsenal News 24/7
arsenalarsenal.net 
Great!
Nice one GN5, usual quality .
I see Arseblog have nicked my ” Diaby does Dallas ” !…….thing is, I did that one years ago when he was alive !…..ahead of my time that`s what I am …………………..so I`ve nicked their photo as I`m no chas in that department !. 😉
And yes !………..I do want a medal !. hahaha
GN5
And the leather bound book will be available when exactly?
Superb read. I get so much from your “Blasts”. All wars are horrendous, but the first war mud trenches were simply horrors
Thank you. So much perspective.
Thanks Micky,
So very quiet on AA these days.
I felt for the English ladies team last night they deserved a better fate than going out in the final seconds due a fluke own goal – but that’s just how cruel the game can be.
5 comments
That’s the last straw
I go think of a rumour to start 🙂
Micky,
It’s obviously a waste of time writing any articles at the moment on AA. I’ll give it some more thought when the season starts, but for now I’m going to play the avoidance game like everybody else.
Superb, GN5, much appreciated.
I always remember a Charles Buchan football annual being on our bedroom bookshelf growing up as a young lad.
I’ve had a look and this one rings the most bells. 🙂
Your efforts are always appreciated.
I bet no-one can name the 4 players on the cover????????
………apart from GN5, Kelsey and Norfolk Gooner. 🙂
Charlie Buchan heads a ball in his first match as a Arsenal player in 1925.
Top left = Fabulous Frank and bottom right is ( I think ) Joe Baker !.
Haven`t a scooby on the other two and the one below them…..although he looks like James Milner !.
Definitely James Milner. 🙂
Joe Baker looks like he used to be a boxer!
I like this photo of GN5 using an extremely large ice cream cone to warn the supporters that Chelsea are about to park a bus…….yes even in them days !.
I’d hazard a guess after a quick google that one of the other two is
Cliff Holton
The other chap looks like a centre back.
I was thinking Wally Barnes but looks like he has too much hair!
I.m with Cockie. only know Frank McLintock and Joe Baker.
I know it`s only West Ham, but !…….am I the only one worrying that they are now playing Europa League Qualifiers (which amount to about half a normal season !) and by the time we play our opening game against them they will be fully charged and flying !…….. whereas we will be just coming off the lighthearted meaningless friendlies !……….I`d rather be playing an unfit Chav side that are still hung over from celebrating their COC and EPL titles !.
GN5. 🙂 Lovely stuff. 🙂 as ever, a great pleasure to read. all new information for me. 🙂
Is there a Halliday available in the market? 😛
Belated happy birthday, JC. 🙂
Norfolk. Sorry knot ear. In my opinion, maybe an upgrade but only at best a minor one.
Looks like window dressing to me. 🙂
Carvalho? Thats good news. 🙂
Well done GN5 every time I read of these players who went off to war I am flabbergasted that they came home and just resumed football, I know not all of them did.
That we signed him in his mid thirties is quite strange to think, ok Cech has been signed at a similar age, but can anyone see us spending serious money to get anyone over 28 in?
Surfboards
Now there’s something to talk about 🙂
That pic at 5:59
Been trying to google whether the guy on the left is one of the most famous of all Hawaiian surfers. The Duke
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Kahanamoku
This is the best news I can find:
Alexandre Lacazette was only outscored by Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo across Europe’s top leagues last season and this has made a number of teams begin to pay very close attention to him.
The Mirror, The Daily Telegraph and a host of other papers are now reporting that after contract talks broke down, Lyon are now willing to offer Arsenal the chance to sign Lacazette for £21m
However, it is a whole lot better than another which announced the return of Van Persie 🙂
Another very interesting read GN5, thank you.
Seems incredible that such a great name as Charlie Buchan didn’t win a trophy while at Arsenal.
LB – I witnessed something awful yesterday. A girl on a bike was going right on the roundabout, whereas a front bottom in a white van was turning left. He swerved in front of her, she panicked and fallen off her bike. The prick just drove off.
Well, I chased him and made him go back to see if she was ok. Stupidly I didn’t take his reg and report him to police
GN5 – thank you for the post, very very interesting. Where do you get all this info from?
Eddie
I hope she was alright.
White vans are cyclists nemesis’
White van drivers eh! There are some complete nutters on bikes too.
A few days ago I was waiting at a red traffic light to drive onto a roundabout, a cyclist rode straight through the red light, dodged through two lines of moving traffic on the roundabout, cut across another two lines of traffic entering from the left and finally rode the wrong way straight up a one way street between three lanes of traffic waiting to enter the roundabout.
Due to the vigilance and good driving skills of the various motorists, bus drivers and White Van men the nutter on the bike got away without a scratch as did all the vehicles that had to break suddenly to avoid him.
Brilliant GN5
What a man Charles Buchan was. Everything about this man is top notch. He even had the class to snuff it in Monte Carlo. I mean, come on, who snuffs it in Monte Carlo? The rest of us will probably kop it in worn out pyjamas, paranoid that the nurse is conspiring with Steve Archibald.
I drive a white van, very dirty one to. I have no reason to, just do it so others think I am at good at DIY and to attract thief’s.
I have stuck a sticker at the back saying “very expensive materials and tools, so enjoy”, but the only thing inside is an old photo of David Pleat with the writing “I wont pay more than a tenner, your a thief and an ugly bastard for gods sake”
The Ghosts of the Thirties are Stirring
Thank you for the morning smile Terry, and a big thank you to all of you who acknowledged my post and bollocks to those that chose to ignore it! .
NG probabaly the swame see you next tuesday who got verbals from me the other week as I had to stop my son walking across a road because a cyclist decided pedestrian crossing lights do not apply to him.
I actually find driving round Cambridge a joy, because despite it being cyclingtastic their paths are clearly marked an 99,9% of people obey the rules.
I feel sorry for cyclists
if you consider the amount of dick-head drivers, specially in London, then just imagine dealing with it whilst been on a cycle?
Your average cyclist starts off a nice guy, an enjoyer of sprouts and keen to spend time with the family
After a month he has developed crease marks on the forehead and suspects his wife no longer loves him
Three months in, he has indulged his first argument with a black cab taxi driver by insisting Adolf Hitler was not a nice geezer, and verbally assaulted a women who showed disdain for Lycra
Within 6 months he starts to suspect his wife is driving a Ford Focus with blacked out windows and is behaving like that bloke from the 1976 classic early Spielberg film “Duel”. He has no choice but to blow her car up, along with an Esso petrol station
1 year on he has shaved his head mohican, attacked and then eaten a rabbit raw whilst stark naked on the Cambridge roundabout, and wound up Norfolk and a bunch of farmers.
Thanks Terry, you can always be relied upon to introduce humour into any situation. 😀
In case you’ve never heard it, try this.
John Crisp Farmer on a Bike – YouTube
Sorry, forgot the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNQ3itmFug8
When I’m in me car, I turn into a bigoted old scrote, too.
Then when I’m on me bike I wonder at how inconsiderate those driving around encased in a ton of steel can actually be.
There are only two sets of red lights I jump and that’s only because I’m forced to. They are both motion sensitive lights but don’t recognise that I’m there, so I have two choices, a) wait for a car to come along or b) jump the lights (making sure there’s nowt coming or any pedestrians are about, of course).
It’s usually about 6.15 in the morning so very little traffic and virtually never any pedestrians.
https://twitter.com/MrsArsenal10/status/616996019797147648
Up at 4:50 ish now eh
That was how I was going until I re-calibrated 🙂
Chas
Not sure why you put up that pic of a girl with a surf trophy, other than to inspire me to find the shop where it came from and buy one for myself 🙂
That was 4.50pm yesterday afternoon!
Oooops
Yeah, I don’t know why a London family emigrating to Cornwall and taking up surfing would have any relevance to anybody.
Anyhow, since when do I need any cogent reasons for the shite I post on here? 🙂
This site needs help, and the problem is that everything is too rosy. All lovey dovey group huggy
So, I suggest we need new and controversial blood
For example
1. Someone who thinks Arsene is useless
2. A black scarfer
3. Someone who thinks Ollie is a good footballer
Tricky times
People who enjoy cricket do have a massive advantage although Wimbledon has its attractions
7amkickoff @7amkickoff 4h4 hours ago
Current status: found out the girl I have a crush on is a Spurs fan
Yesterday I watched Sharapova playing. Her opponent was an absolute boiler, and I actually felt a little sorry for her.
Every press camera was zoomed in on S. You also knew that whatever the outcome, all newspapers would go with
Maria Wins (Pic of Sharapova)
Maria Loses (Pic of Sharapova)
“Old boiler sticks it up the grunter”
How odd you put up that Redwood pic
Had me mate Wiff Waff over last night and we spent ages talking about aging trees and all that
Blimey
To think they cut that wedge out with a two man hand saw
I think the site already has numbers 1 and 2 – the only trouble is, our record continues to confound them, so although they know better, they can’t let their real feelings out until we get a few bad results.
As for 3, any armchair expert should be able to tell you Giroud IS a good footballer, whether he’s good enough for said experts is the real issue.
Question……
Last season was there any correlation between Giroud’s unavailability for selection (23rd August to 22nd November) and Arsenal’s worst period of the season in terms of results and hence League position?
I still think the Statue of Liberty looks the spit of Tony Adams appealing for offside. 🙂
No, none whatsoever
🙂
https://twitter.com/piesportsbooze/status/616931262285131778
Look, in fairness to me, I didn’t say one bad word about Ollie during the season, and anyway, it’s good to pick on a Frenchman (apart from RC who we like)
Agreed, Micky.
You have been the model of decorum.
We need Herb back really, though Lambert’s demise knocked the stuffing out of him somewhat.
Even Sniffer has the summer off!
https://twitter.com/FansofArsenal2/status/617104976540749824
My God, it’s true, we miss Sniffer
https://twitter.com/Globe_Pics/status/615429620700196864
UT at 8:14 🙂 🙂
I’m off to salon chasey style
Hot in warsaw
salon chasey style?
And hello Eddie
Oh durrr
Salon like what Chas does 🙄
Not like what I do at all.
She’ll be having her eyelids buffed and extremities depilated, not sweating out last night’s beer.
Right, swimming.
Seizures later.
🙂 🙂 🙂 out of the cloaset, Sniffer. 🙂
Morning all
GN5, so sorry I haven’t been about to comment on your post in the last 2 days but once again an absolutely top read.
GB – no need to apologise, it’s your loss not to read GOD’S Blasts 🙂
Reading about Buchan fighting during the war I was wandering how would modern footballers do in those days. No, I’m not that imaginative
It’s a good question Eddie, but then how would any of us cope with the horrors of war? Your own country was caught up in the most awful conflict with Germany on one side and Russia on the other but the Poles survived as a nation.
My own parents were just ordinary Londoners yet they managed to raise a family despite unemployment, and WW11.
With my father away in the army, my mother brought up my two elder brothers and later when I was born she supported us all by working full-time despite being twice bombed out of our home. All of this in the east end of London, an area devastated by the blitz.
Would the present generation cope?
https://twitter.com/DBerry1974/status/617351781086064640
https://twitter.com/DBerry1974/status/617346973679661056
Podolski gone then. £1.8m upfront and £2.1m each season for 3 years plus an extra £1.8m if he stays for fourth season. Also £350k if Galatasaray qualify for CL at any point.
That’s £8m-£10m. Not bad business for a 30 year old who only cost £11m. A fair chunk off the wage bill too, until we sign someone else of course!
Really liked Podolski. I just think he’s a bit too specialist for modern football. You need players who are flexible and can swap positions, whereas he loves to be in that left inside forward position. Brilliant left foot though and a top lad.
Glad he was an Arsenal player.
Sorry he didn’t make at at Arsenal, hope he does well in Turkey.
Always thought Podolski was a bloody nice chap but didn`t get him as a footballer for us, basically thought he was a rubbish player !……..probably the worst player ever to win a 125 caps and score 48 goals for his country and score 31 goals in 82 appearances for us !…..average at best, but jolly nice chap and will miss his jovialness .
well done the Lionesses. 🙂
well done Sanchez and Chile. 🙂
Err, Arnie, The Lionesses lost
On Snachez, I take it Chile won which is great for him, but more importantly, we can now get on and sign a South American with proper tattoos
Wow to the jellyfish
Have heard reports of increased numbers of jellyfish in Cornwall, and surfing yesterday there were hundreds of the purple ones
Although we dislike flat calm seas, really looking forward to some better visibility and going snorkel safari.
ERed A
Where do you stand on Grexit? I hope they vote Fuck Off Euro 🙂
Sorry Arnie
Just reading about Chile, and saw England beat Germany in 3rd place
Sky say Pogba to City
Whatever 🙂
https://twitter.com/FootyAccums/status/617498966926729216
https://twitter.com/__arsenal_news_/status/617437357894205440
NG- i think I would do very well during a war, I would probably love it. Out of our lads I’d say jack would get a Victoria Cross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSiSM4ufXQM
Take-ons, power thrust and intensity. What’s not to like?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRdqXbVmDlM
Morning Eddie and Utter Tool 🙂
Love the jelly pic, and I reckon Sanchez would give jack a run for the vc
I think we all know who’d shove up the white flag first 🙂
Superb Ox vid UT
Just love him. I hoped/predicted last season would be his break through year, and it ended up being Coquelin’s.
This season Jack or Ox. Or both? 🙂
Ollie 🙂
EDDIE That’s an awful accusation and a dreadful insult towards our warrior 🙂
Kane to United? Why don’t we buy him?
Micky – who else? Koscielny is not really french
Eddie
No doubt Utd will be spending big on a striker now Brave and Falcao have gone
Ha ha, superb. We’re soo bored we’re starting on our own 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1QBj5JHhTM
Hey UT, did you hear what Kos said
“I started as a striker, and then went down and down until I ended up as a CB. One day I may end up a GK”
My thoughts and feelings captured perfectly 🙂
Wow, Koscielny is a very likeable chappie, not an idiot as I suspected. Next skipper?
Eddie
I think Kos bought a small accordion factory in his home town in france to keep the craft going as it was struggling
I like that
“not an idiot as I suspected” 🙂
Micky – did he? Yes, I Like that too. Can you imagine Ronaldo buying an ailing business unless it was a famous hairdresser?
Utter – i suppose some women and men would find Alexis body exciting. Admittedly me is weird and think he would look better with a small pot belly 🙂
It’s so hot in Poland my nail varnish is melting
How much fun is it referring to Chas as Utter Tool
Perhaps the enjoyment is intensified because Big is not around to reinstate me as Utter Knob
I have four weeks to enjoy
How about Complete & Utter Nobhead Tool?
https://twitter.com/Wotamoron/status/617617859183792128
nail varnish is for pussy’s
Peaches/Rasp, possible post for Monday e mailed to arsenalnuts.
https://twitter.com/FansofArsenal2/status/617747217529577472
Evening all, feel like I’ve been on missing list for ages. Had week from hell work wise followed by family bbq yesterday for Mrs Exiles family, I got a lot of beer in, and then swiftly demolished it. I was responsible for cooking and thankfully top down cooking and being able to keep temperature low meant nothing was cremated apart from some chipolatas I forgot I put on and only remembered when I went to cook up the second sitting.
Most enjoyed the Giroud vid earlier. That should answer the question about why we don’t want Kane.
Also BSR to Fenerbache, Pod to Galatassary? If BSR does go there you’d have to think Pod got the better move.
Not much talk about the Lionesses today, watched extra time last night. And the overriding thought in my mind was how much they seemed to enjoy playing together and being together as a team, had watched the way they rallied round Basset earlier in the week and seen a couple of other games, and they really seemed to love being there. Why is this such a surprise? Because Gerard’s recent interview said how meeting up for England duty brought a shyness players disappearing to their rooms after training, well lads time to look to the ladies for some guidance on what enjoying playing football looks like, and more importantly what pride playing in the shirt looks like.
Apparently Orca go birding…..
http://youtu.be/0kUvB7pw8IM
Top comment, GiE. 🙂 as ever
https://twitter.com/History_Pics/status/617740237679276032
https://twitter.com/FascinatingVids/status/617704874587889664
https://twitter.com/FozCornwall/status/611535252989812736
Bored of transfers, what’s next?
Hey Chas, here’s an idea. Not sure anyone “in authority” is actually around, so why not test the smut boundaries, and here’s the clever bit, under a new name
Eddie
Still don’t think my idea of Arsenal buying Crete is a runner?
Agree with you about our fans, so I’ve amended the business plan. We leave ’em behind.
Talking of business plans:
Exile
How’s the planned exile to Cornwall scheme coming along?
Micky – so who exactly is going to crete? We could probably buy it on the cheap now
GiE – how video of OG shows why we don’t want Kane? You are right about English girls – they had time of their life and it was very obvious to the spectatirs
Eddie,
Just you, me and Big I reckon.
My money says Chas enjoys his match day experience here too much to join us. God knows why, but hey ho, we’ll text him.
Massive set back to my Crete plans, Yanis Whatnot, the Greek Finance minister has just quit. He’s the one who rocks up in a t-shirt, flip flops with sand between his toes to talk to Christine Utter Bitch Lagarde and her cronies 🙂
Sorry micky, but in that case I’m out. I’d be like a fish out of water – with Raddy too lied back to fight and i agree with you on most topics. ….. boring 🙂 I would be more fun if Rasp joined 😃
Why do you think Lagarde is a bitch? I like her
What colour is your new kitchen?
Oh dear God, I’m not talking about the colour of kitchens.
Just tell!!
Oh, ok Eddie. Lagarde.
Because she and her bent corrupt mates fraudulently lent Greece money knowing they could never in a million years afford to repay it, so her and her chums could keep the fucked banking system going a little longer by issuing yet more dodgy derrivatives, credit default swaps and whatever other bollocks bits of paper
That comment should kill the blog for a day or two 🙂
Ok, so it’s now Benzema or let’s not bother at all 🙂
What was the alternative? They tried to make the Greeks give up their long holidays and 13th wage, but I suppose it was a bit much
I don’t want benzema. What happened to the Obu something geezer?
The Greeks should never have been allowed to join the Euro anyway. There were strict financial conditions. The ECB knowingly ignored the fact they did not meet them simply so that they could lend them money
2008 happened largely because people borrowed money they couldn’t afford. It’s corrupt financial thuggery designed exclusively to make financial institutions richer while screwing anyone in their way
I think someone made up that Obu fellow
Not sure he even exists
William Carvalho.
Morning all
There’s a New Post ………………….
[…] players a team could deploy and the configuration between forwards and the goal. Arsenal player Charlie Buchan recognized an opportunity in the new rule and discussed it with the club’s manager, Herbert […]