Arthur Horsfield
Encyclopedia
Arthur Horsfield is a former football
striker
.
He joined Middlesbrough
as an apprentice - "I was in my local under eleven’s side at the age of nine, and Joe Soones, the Boro scout was the first one on the scene, knocking on my door and turning up at the matches." - and eventually made 111 appearances for the club scoring 51 league goals and helping them win promotion to the Second Division
in the 1966-67 season. During his time at the club he was also included in the England Youth international team.
After an acrimonious period at Middlesbrough, he left the club in January 1969 after a heated exchange with the then manager Stan Anderson
.
He moved to Newcastle United
but only appeared as a substitute, being kept out of the first team by Welsh international Wyn Davies
. He scored 3 times in his 9 appearances and attracted interest from that year's League Cup winners Swindon Town
.
Danny Williams signed Horsfield to the Wiltshire
club in 1969 for £17,500 (the club's record signing at the time), one of his last actions at the club. By the end of his first season he had become the club's top scorer with 22 goals.
He took part in Swindon Town's European cup winning games scoring a hat-trick against AS Roma to win the 1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup
and also the winning goal against SSC Napoli to win the 1970 Anglo-Italian Cup
.
In June 1972 he moved to Charlton Athletic
(another record signing), here he scored 53 goals in 139 appearances.
Whilst Arthur was playing at Charlton Athletic he also coached football at St. Austin's Secondary School, Highcombe, Charlton SE7.
During his time at Charlton Arthur scored one of Match of the Day's Goals of the Month.
His League career came to end at Watford
, who he had signed for in 1975. Again, he was upset at the nature of the signing -
Graham Taylor
's appointment as manager in 1977 caused friction between them, with Taylor requesting that all players live within 10 minutes of the ground. Horsfield, who lived in Kent
, had signed to Watford on the understanding that he wouldn't be asked to move home so as to not interrupt his children's schooling.
Taylor eventually offered Horsfield a coaching job, which he declined -
After being contacted by Watford chairman Elton John
's uncle; former Nottingham Forest
cup-finalist Roy Dwight, he transferred to Dartford
to play in the Southern League
.
He retired in 1977 and as of 2000 he was a manager for Parcel Force in Thurrock
.
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
.
He joined Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
as an apprentice - "I was in my local under eleven’s side at the age of nine, and Joe Soones, the Boro scout was the first one on the scene, knocking on my door and turning up at the matches." - and eventually made 111 appearances for the club scoring 51 league goals and helping them win promotion to 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...
in the 1966-67 season. During his time at the club he was also included in the England Youth international team.
After an acrimonious period at Middlesbrough, he left the club in January 1969 after a heated exchange with the then manager Stan Anderson
Stan Anderson
Stanley Anderson a former English football player and manager. An England international who earned two caps while at Sunderland, he also played for Newcastle and Middlesbrough, becoming the first player to captain all three big north-east clubs...
.
'When I left, it stemmed from being dropped again after we got beat 0-3 at Bristol CityBristol City F.C.Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
(January 1969). I was really angry and lost my rag. I went into Stan's office and had a right go at him. I remember we were still 'exchanging views' after I had stormed out of his office and was on my way down the stairs! (laughs) When I’d got to the bottom he shouted out "If you don’t f****** like it, you know what to do!" So I shouted back "yeah, well you can have it from me in writing tomorrow morning." Don’t get me wrong, I did actually get on well with Stan, but I was young and feeling frustrated.'
He moved to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
but only appeared as a substitute, being kept out of the first team by Welsh international Wyn Davies
Wyn Davies
Ronald Wyn Davies is a Welsh former professional footballer who made over 550 Football League appearances in the 1960s and 1970s, and who was also capped by Wales.-Domestic career:...
. He scored 3 times in his 9 appearances and attracted interest from that year's League Cup winners Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...
.
Danny Williams signed Horsfield to the Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
club in 1969 for £17,500 (the club's record signing at the time), one of his last actions at the club. By the end of his first season he had become the club's top scorer with 22 goals.
He took part in Swindon Town's European cup winning games scoring a hat-trick against AS Roma to win the 1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup
1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup
The 1969 Anglo-Italian League Cup was a football cup competition held between clubs in England and Italy won by Swindon Town. It was the inaugural Anglo-Italian League Cup competition.-Background:...
and also the winning goal against SSC Napoli to win the 1970 Anglo-Italian Cup
1970 Anglo-Italian Cup
The 1970 Anglo-Italian Cup was the inaugural Anglo-Italian Cup competition. The European football competition was played between clubs from England and Italy and was founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup. The competition culminated in a final...
.
In June 1972 he moved to Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
(another record signing), here he scored 53 goals in 139 appearances.
"Danny Williams left Swindon Town soon after I joined and was replaced by Fred Ford. Then Dave Mackay who was playing for Swindon Town at that time, took over and he wanted to bring in his own players. Anyway, he brought in Ray Treacy from Charlton Athletic for a club record fee. When I came back for pre-season training he told me that he’d sold me to Charlton Athletic; I was not happy. [...] In the end though, I really enjoyed my time at Charlton Athletic. All those appearances I made for them were consecutive you know - I never missed a match in three years."
Whilst Arthur was playing at Charlton Athletic he also coached football at St. Austin's Secondary School, Highcombe, Charlton SE7.
During his time at Charlton Arthur scored one of Match of the Day's Goals of the Month.
His League career came to end at Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, who he had signed for in 1975. Again, he was upset at the nature of the signing -
In my last year at Charlton Athletic I moved to centre-half. That year we got promoted, and then at the beginning of the following season Andy Nelson, who had taken over from Theo, phoned me and told me he had sold me to Watford. [...] I was put under some pressure to go to Watford, and various people I spoke to advised me to ask for outrageous wages in the hope that they would knock me back. [...] By that time, I’d got it through my mind that I wanted to be a centre half, rather than a centre forward because I was getting a bit fed up with being kicked up in the air all the time. It was then that I picked up the only bookings of my career. I was only booked about four times in my whole career, all at centre half while I was at Watford. I didn't really enjoy my time there. I was disillusioned with the way I came to be there. I thought it was wrong that I was phoned up at home to be told that I was meeting their manager the next morning - a 'thanks and goodbye' type of attitude. I dug my heels in, but because they agreed to my wage demand, I had to go."
Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (football manager)
Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...
's appointment as manager in 1977 caused friction between them, with Taylor requesting that all players live within 10 minutes of the ground. Horsfield, who lived in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, had signed to Watford on the understanding that he wouldn't be asked to move home so as to not interrupt his children's schooling.
Taylor eventually offered Horsfield a coaching job, which he declined -
"Taylor did ask me if I would consider taking the reserve coach job, but at the time I felt that I was too young to give up playing, as I was only 29. It came as a shock to me at the time, but looking back, maybe it was a missed opportunity. I had taken a coaching badge at Middlesbrough when I was 17, along with Bobby Braithwaite, Eddie Connachan and Taffy Orrit, but I wasn't ready to do it full time."
After being contacted by Watford chairman Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's uncle; former Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
cup-finalist Roy Dwight, he transferred to Dartford
Dartford F.C.
Dartford F.C. are an English football club based in Dartford, Kent. After finishing as champions of the Isthmian League Division One North in the 2007–08 season, they compete in the Isthmian League Premier Division. They finished in 8th position in their first season...
to play in the Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
.
"Dartford had a lot of problems, and nearly went out of existence, but bounced back later. At the time though, they ended up selling the ground, and houses were built on it. I had a street, Horsfield Close, named after me."
He retired in 1977 and as of 2000 he was a manager for Parcel Force in Thurrock
Thurrock
Thurrock is a unitary authority with borough status in the English ceremonial county of Essex. It is part of the London commuter belt and an area of regeneration within the Thames Gateway redevelopment zone. The local authority is Thurrock Council....
.
External links
- Player profile - swindon-town-fc.co.uk
- audio interview - BBC Where I Live - Swindon