Arthur Goddard
Encyclopedia
Arthur Milton Goddard was a footballer who played for Liverpool Football Club in the early 20th century, helping them to win the 1906 Football League Championship
.
, Stockport
, Cheshire
, England
, Goddard played for Heaton Norris Albion, Stockport
and Glossop North End before being signed by Liverpool for £460 by manager Tom Watson
on the 24 February 1902. Making his debut on the 8 March 1902 in a Football League First Division
match against Wolves
at Molineux
which Wolves won 3-1, the winger spent 12 years at Anfield
notching 80 goals in his 415 appearances which included an amazing run of 23 consecutive FA Cup
appearances. Arthur became a regular in the Reds side during his first 3 seasons missing just 2 games. He was part of the Second Division
championship
winning side of 905 which went on to claim the championship a year later where he was the only player not to miss a game. Goddard remained a consistent performer for Liverpool over the next 7 seasons averaging a creditable 30 games per season. After starting the in 10 of the first 11 games of the 1913/14 season Goddard lost his place and only played for the reds 1 more time before leaving for Cardiff
in the September 1914.
Arthur smooth wing play earned him the nickname 'Graceful Arthur', his style of play also helped him to 3 Football League representative appearances although he wasn't selected to play at International level.
Much loved by the Anfield faithful, Goddard was granted a testimonial which raised monumental sum of £250 enough for Arthur to set up a business on Merseyside
after he retired from playing.
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
.
Life and playing career
Born in Heaton NorrisHeaton Norris
Heaton Norris is now a mainly residential area of Stockport, England bordering on Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor. Formerly it was the name of the parish, that included Heaton Chapel, Heaton Mersey and Heaton Moor and was in Lancashire....
, Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Goddard played for Heaton Norris Albion, Stockport
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
and Glossop North End before being signed by Liverpool for £460 by manager Tom Watson
Tom Watson (football)
Tom Watson was an English football manager who managed Sunderland A.F.C. and Liverpool F.C. around the turn of the 20th century....
on the 24 February 1902. Making his debut on the 8 March 1902 in a Football League First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
match against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
at Molineux
Molineux stadium
Molineux Stadium is a Premier League football stadium situated in Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, England. It has been the home ground of Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club since 1889, and has a long and illustrious history as the first 'new build' stadium in Football League history, one of the...
which Wolves won 3-1, the winger spent 12 years at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
notching 80 goals in his 415 appearances which included an amazing run of 23 consecutive FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
appearances. Arthur became a regular in the Reds side during his first 3 seasons missing just 2 games. He was part of the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
championship
Championship
Championship is a term used in sport to refer to various forms of competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.- Title match system :...
winning side of 905 which went on to claim the championship a year later where he was the only player not to miss a game. Goddard remained a consistent performer for Liverpool over the next 7 seasons averaging a creditable 30 games per season. After starting the in 10 of the first 11 games of the 1913/14 season Goddard lost his place and only played for the reds 1 more time before leaving for Cardiff
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
in the September 1914.
Arthur smooth wing play earned him the nickname 'Graceful Arthur', his style of play also helped him to 3 Football League representative appearances although he wasn't selected to play at International level.
Much loved by the Anfield faithful, Goddard was granted a testimonial which raised monumental sum of £250 enough for Arthur to set up a business on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
after he retired from playing.
Career details
As a player:- Liverpool FC (1902 - 1914): 415 appearances, 80 goals - Football League Championship winner's medal (1906), Football League Second Division winners medal (1905)
External links
- http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/past_players/players/goddard/
- http://www.lfchistory.net/player_profile.asp?player_id=634