Leslie Compton
This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2009) |
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Leslie Harry Compton | ||
Date of birth | 12 September 1912 | ||
Place of birth | Woodford, Essex, England | ||
Date of death | 27 December 1984 | (aged 72)||
Place of death | Hendon, London, England | ||
Position(s) | Centre half, right back | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1930–1952 | Arsenal | 253 | (5) |
International career | |||
1950 | England | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Leslie Harry Compton (12 September 1912 – 27 December 1984) was an English sportsman who played football and cricket for Arsenal and Middlesex, respectively. He gained two England caps late in his football career, and remains the oldest outfield player to debut for England (and the oldest post-war debutant in any position). His brother, Denis, was also a footballer and cricketer for Arsenal and Middlesex, though Leslie was more successful in football and Denis in cricket.
Football career
Compton was born Woodford, Essex and played football for Middlesex Schools before joining Arsenal as an amateur in 1930. He would spend his entire senior club career at Arsenal, over a period of 22 years, making him one of the club's longest-ever serving players. He made his debut on 24 April 1932 against Aston Villa in a 1–1 draw at Villa Park, two months after he had turned professional.
He started out as a right-back, and deputised for Tom Parker in the early 1930s, before George Male was converted to that position and became Parker's long-term replacement. Relegated to reserve team football, Compton only played 13 first-team games in four seasons. By 1935–36 he had started to feature more regularly, playing 12 games that season and 15 the next, but missed out on a First Division winners' medal in 1937–38 as he only managed 9 appearances that season.[1]
Despite being down the pecking order throughout the 1930s and missing out on the success that Arsenal enjoyed, Compton stuck with Arsenal and won a
After the war had ended, he reverted to defence, becoming a mainstay in the Arsenal side at
Compton went on to win the
He was a regular in the Arsenal side until the start of the 1951–52 season, during which he only played four matches. He decided to retire from playing football in the 1952 close season; in total he played 273 matches and scored 6 goals. He stayed on at Arsenal for another three years as a coach and scout.
Cricket career
Cricket information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bowling | Right-arm medium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1938–1956 | Middlesex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 23 May 2019 |
Compton also played cricket for
Retirement and death
After retiring he ran "Hanley Arms"
Honours
Arsenal
- First Division: 1947–48
- 1950
References
- ^ "1937–38 competition statistics". 11v11.com. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- ISBN 1-874427-52-6.
- ISBN 0-9514862-3-3.
- ^ "England Players – Leslie Compton". England Football Online.
- ^ "1938/39 F.A. Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "1948/49 Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
External links
- Media related to Leslie Compton at Wikimedia Commons
- Leslie Compton at ESPNcricinfo