On This Day – 14th March
It was on this day in 1912 that former Arsenal winger Cliff Bastin was born.
Bastin scored 178 goals in his time at Arsenal and was the club’s record goalscorer until Ian Wright broke his record in September 1997.
He was born in Exeter and he would begin his footballing career at Exeter City where he made his debut at the age of 16.
After only playing 17 games for the Grecians, he was spotted by Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. He signed for the North London club at the end of the 1928/29 season.
In his time at Highbury, Bastin won the FA Cup twice and the League Championship five times. He scored a total of 178 goals from the left wing, an incredible tally for someone who wasn’t a centre forward.
The Second World War cut Bastin’s career short when he was in his prime. He would play at Highbury until he retired in January 1947 after a leg injury cut his career short.
Bastin also played for the England national team between 1931 and 1938, scoring 12 times in 21 appearances for his country.
He was one of seven Arsenal players to feature in a game for England against Italy in 1934 in a match at Highbury. This is a record number of players to play for England from one club.
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