Playing career Charlie Buchan

1 playing career

1.1 career
1.2 sunderland , wartime
1.3 arsenal

playing career
early career

born in plumstead, london, buchan first played amateur local club woolwich arsenal, joining club in december 1909. however, having impressed in reserve games, fell out manager george morrell on expenses, , declined sign professional contract. buchan moved northfleet united amateur remainder of 1909-10 season. winning kent senior cup, kent league , thames , medway combination medals. in close season signed southern league leyton; whilst playing them spotted , signed sunderland in march 1911.

sunderland , wartime

a tall, elegant centre forward, buchan highly successful @ wearside club. him in tow sunderland won 1912–13 first division title, , narrowly missed out on double, losing fa cup final 1–0 aston villa. described best footballer in country, buchan sunderland s leading scorer 7 of 8 seasons 1912–13 1923–24. tally excludes world war seasons, when full competitive football suspended. sunderland s all-time record league goalscorer, 209 goals. buchan capped england, debut coming against ireland on 15 february 1913. appearances limited lack of internationals due war; earned 6 full caps, scoring 4 goals.

during first world war, buchan served sherwood foresters. awarded military medal , on 11 september 1918 promoted temporary second lieutenant final months of war.

in 1925, when 34, buchan , sunderland parted company. place in team went player hit @ least 35 league goals in each of 4 full seasons @ roker park, dave halliday, prolific goals games goal scorer in club s history. while @ sunderland played cricket durham in 1920 minor counties championship.

arsenal

buchan re-signed arsenal club called. sunderland manager bob kyle demanded £4,000 fee, arsenal manager herbert chapman bargained him down £2,000 plus £100 per goal scored buchan during first season; scored twenty-one, forcing arsenal pay £100 more kyle s original demand. buchan made debut in north london derby against tottenham hotspur on 29 august 1925.

just important goals contribution arsenal s tactics; buchan came up, along chapman, of rejigging arsenal s formation wm , exploit relaxation of offside law. buchan s idea move centre half roaming position in midfield stopper position in defence, 1 forward brought midfield. meant offside trap no longer responsibility of 2 full-backs, single central defender, while full backs pushed wider cover wings. change in tactic bring arsenal great success in 1930s.

buchan regular @ arsenal, despite age, 3 seasons. captained arsenal first-ever cup final in 1927, again on losing side, cardiff city beat gunners 1–0, freak mistake arsenal keeper dan lewis. buchan retired @ end of 1927–28, having scored 16 league goals season despite being 36 years of age. in scored 56 goals in 120 matches arsenal; count of 257 goals in league, have been more had first world war not intervened, makes him football league s sixth-top goalscorer of time.