Arthur Chandler (footballer)

Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler (27 November 1895 – 18 June 1984) was a professional footballer in the 1920s and 1930s. He is most famous at Leicester City, where he is the club's all-time record goal scorer, with 273 goals, though he also played for Queens Park Rangers and Notts County.

Arthur Chandler
Personal information
Full name Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler
Date of birth (1895-11-27)27 November 1895
Place of birth Paddington, England
Date of death 18 June 1984(1984-06-18) (aged 88)
Place of death Leicester, England
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1920–1923 Queens Park Rangers 78 (16)
1923–1935 Leicester City 393 (259)
1935 Notts County 10 (6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

As well as being Leicester's record goalscorer, Chandler also holds the club records for, scoring the most goals in a single top flight season (34, a record which he achieved twice), scoring the most top flight goals for the club (203), scoring the most hat-tricks or greater (17 and the joint record for the most goals in a single game (6 goals vs Portsmouth on 20 October 1928). Chandler notably held the record of being Leicester's oldest goalscorer (aged 39 years and 34 days) from 1935 through to 2014.[1] Remarkably, despite his goalscoring feats, Chandler never scored a penalty. He took two penalties in his career, both of which were saved.[2]

He was part of the Leicester side which finished in the club's highest ever [at that time] league finishes of First Division runners-up in 1928–29 and in third place in 1927–28.

Leicester City

Chandler was already 27 years old when he was signed by Peter Hodge in the summer 1923 to bolster his attack after Leicester had narrowly missed out on promotion by goal average.[3] He made 118 consecutive appearances (a then club record) from his club debut in a 1–1 draw vs Hull City on the opening day of the 1923–24 season (also debuting that day was fellow future Leicester great Hugh Adcock). He registered his first two goals two days later in a 5–0 victory over Stoke City."[4] Chandler went on to net 27 goals in his debut season for Leicester, despite the club finishing in a disappointing 12th position.[4][5] Though it was his second season in which Chandler really started to express himself. Forming a lethal goalscoring partnership with Johnny Duncan, the pair scored an incredible 62 league goals between them as Leicester won the Second Division title[6] and Chandler claimed the Second Division Golden Boot, beating team-mate Duncan by 2 goals to the award.[7]

Under the stewardship of Hodge and later Willie Orr Leicester established themselves as a strong First Division force, with Chandler heading a lethal forward line which also included Ernie Hine and Arthur Lochhead (the three of them would go on to score nearly 550 goals for the club between them and all three still sit among Leicester's top 5 goalscorers of all-time). In 1927–28 and 1928–29 as the club finished in its highest ever league finishes of 3rd and 2nd respectively, now in his mid 30s Chandler reached the top of his game, hitting 34 league goals in both seasons, still a club record for the most goals in a single season in the top flight. It was also at this time in which Chandler played his most famous game: On 20 October 1928 Chandler scored six goals against Portsmouth in Leicester's biggest league win, a 10–0 Division One victory at Filbert Street. The event has become known as "the six swans" among Leicester fans, because five swans flew over Filbert Street that day just after Chandler had scored his fifth of these goals. A sixth swan then flew over several minutes later and Chandler promptly responded scoring his sixth goal of the afternoon.[4][8] He played for the "Professionals" in the 1929 FA Charity Shield.[9]

Chandler remained at the club until June 1935, although not a first team regular in his final few seasons due to his age, he became the club's oldest goalscorer when he netted his final goal for the club against Wolverhampton Wanderers on 29 December 1934 aged 39 years and 34 days. He had a brief spell at Notts County before retiring.

Chandler stayed on at Leicester after his career ended in 1936 in a variety of backroom roles. He died in a nursing home in Leicester in June 1984.

Leicester City statistics

Arthur Chandler's record in his 13 years at Leicester.[10]

Season Club Division League FA Cup Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1923–24 Leicester City Second Division 4224104324
1924–25 4232664838
1925–26 First Division 3826103926
1926–27 3428113529
1927–28 4134304434
1928–29 4034304334
1929–30 3832103932
1930–31 3718103818
1931–32 3312323614
1932–33 13400134
1933–34 126451611
1934–35 23920259
Total 3932592614419273

Honours and achievements

Leicester City

Individual

  • Football League Second Division top goalscorer 1924–25
  • Leicester City All-Time Leading Goalscorer: 273 Goals
  • Leicester City All-Time Leading League Goalscorer: 259 Goals
  • Leicester City All-Time Leading Goalscorer in the first tier (Premier League and predecessors): 203 Goals
  • Leicester City All-Time Leading Goalscorer in the FA Cup: 14 Goals (Joint record)

References
  1. "Record Breaking Phillips".
  2. Our Leicestershire Sporting Greats: The top 10 thisisleicestershire.co.uk, retrieved 20 February 2011
  3. English Division Two (old) 1922–1923 : Table statto.com, retrieved 20 February 2011
  4. Dave Smith & Paul Taylor (2010). Of Fossils and Foxes. ISBN 978-1-905411-94-8.
  5. English Division Two (old) 1923–1924 : Table statto.com, retrieved 20 February 2011
  6. English Division Two (old) 1924–1925 : Table statto.com, retrieved 20 February 2011
  7. Football League Div 1 & 2 Leading Goalscorers 1920–39 rsssf.com, retrieved 20 February 2011
  8. Official 125-year History DVD, 2009
  9. "Professionals v. Amateurs – selected teams for annual match". Derby Daily Telegraph. 26 September 1929. p. 10. Retrieved 21 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. Dave Smith and Paul Taylor, Of Fossils and Foxes: The Official Definitive History of Leicester City Football Club (2001) (ISBN 978-1-899538-21-8)
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