As Ted Drake made his last appearance for Arsenal in 1945, he is not a name too many fans recognise these days. Anyone with an appreciation of the club’s past though would do well to know a little bit more about this extremely talented striker. He scored so many goals for the Gunners and holds the record for scoring the most goals in a single top-flight English football match.
As such a unique record holder, let us explore Drake’s footballing career with special attention to the 11 years he spent in North London.
Drake’s Football Journey Begins
As a youngster, Drake played for Winchester City alongside being a gas-meter reader. He may well have signed for Tottenham but had to miss his trial with Arsenal’s biggest rivals due to injury. Tottenham’s loss though later proved to be Southampton’s gain as the Saints signed for the then Division Two side two months before his 19th birthday.
Southampton manager George Kay had persuaded Drake to sign for the club and he handed the young striker his debut against Swansea on 14th November 1931. The 19-year-old signed a professional contract that same month and by the end of the season was the club’s first choice centre-forward.
The following season Drake netted 20 goals in 33 league appearances. His performances attracted the interest of Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman. Despite having the opportunity to move from a mid-table Second Division side to the First Division title challengers, Drake chose to stay put on the south coast.
Southampton, glad to retain their main man, began the 1933/34 season with 4-1 win over Bradford City, with Drake bagging himself a hat-trick. After the first five games he had scored eight goals and even though this rate slowed down, he had 22 league goals by early March. At this point, Arsenal, now led by George Allisson, made another approach for Drake who this time accepted and sealed a £6,500 transfer.
Drake’s Arsenal Career
14/12 – On this day in 1935, Arsenal’s Ted Drake made top-flight history by scoring seven goals in a single game in the Gunners 7-1 win at Villa Park against Aston Villa. Remarkable. pic.twitter.com/6GBYgs3iQA
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 14, 2019
At the time, the British record transfer record was £10,647 so the signature of Drake represented a significant investment. The Englishman made the move in March 1934 and scored on his debut to help secure a 3-2 win over Wolves. Despite his involvement in the season run-in, Drake joined the Gunners too late for a League Championship medal.
Consistent Source of Goals
Drake did not have to wait long for a medal though as his goalscoring prowess helped the Gunners secure a third consecutive First Division title in 1935. Having matured physically, Drake’s strength, power and bravery were proving too much to handle for defences in the division. He finished the campaign having netted 42 league goals in just 41 matches. Among his gigantic haul featured three hat-tricks and four four-goal hauls.
Added to his 42 league goals were two goals in the FA Cup and Charity Shield, putting his seasonal tally up to 44. This set a new, still unbeaten, record for most goals scored by an Arsenal player in a season. Not happy with breaking just one record, Drake broke another in the 1935/36 season as he fired seven goals past Aston Villa during a 7-1 demolition. This was not just a club record for most goals in one game but a record for the English top-flight.
Incredibly, Drake might have been credited with eight goals, rather than seven, as one of his efforts hit the crossbar before bouncing down, close to the line. Drake believed the ball had crossed the line but the referee had a different view and waved play to continue. Seven goals is still an incredible achievement though and is another one yet to be surpassed.
Showed Up for Big Occasions
As well as being a consistent source of goals, Drake would also show up on the big occasions. In the 1936 FA Cup final, he scored the game’s only goal, securing a valuable win over Sheffield United despite not being fully fit. Injuries were often an issue for Drake who had such a direct and explosive playstyle, but despite this, he still managed to be the club’s top goalscorer for five consecutive seasons starting in 1934/35.
This run may have continued but World War II in 1939 stopped regular football action and Drake ended up serving in the Royal Air Force. Although he kept sharp by playing for Arsenal in wartime games (and briefly as a guest player for West Ham) his peacetime career was cut short by a spinal injury suffered against Reading in 1945. He never returned from this problem so hung up his boots having scored 139 goals in 184 games for Arsenal, a tally that puts him joint fifth on the all-time Arsenal scoring charts.
International Career
On this day 1936 The #Arsenal striker Ted Drake hit a hat-trick inside 32 minutes as England beat Hungary 6-2 in a friendly at Highbury. pic.twitter.com/XgB0uuNTlk
— 𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊 (@hente_afsc) December 2, 2024
Despite spearheading the attack for one of the best teams in English football, Drake only made five appearances for England. His debut saw him take part in the ‘Battle of Highbury’ against Italy in 1934, a violent and controversial affair that finished 3-2 to the Three Lions. Drake got himself on the scoresheet that day and finished with a record of six goals from five England caps.
Cricket Career
Alongside his footballing commitments, Drake also had some sporadic involvement with first-class cricket. He made his debut for Hampshire in 1931, scoring 45 runs against Glamorgan. He was unable to top this tally though across his 15 other appearances for the county. Across 16 first-class matches, spread over five years, he averaged 8.11 runs with the bat and four wickets as a bowler with an average of 42.75.
Managerial Career
Soon after retiring as a player, Drake became manager of Hendon in 1946 and then Reading in 1947. At the Royals, he secured a second-place finish in Division Three South in both 1948/49 and 1951/52. Drake enjoyed a big promotion after this, heading to First Division outfit Chelsea. He immediately had a dramatic impact on the club, not only changing their crest and nickname but also how they trained, putting much more focus on ball work. The club also adopted a new transfer strategy, avoiding big-name players in favour of reliable lower-league players Drake was familiar with.
The changes worked a treat as within just three years Drake led Chelsea to their first-ever top-flight league title. An achievement they would not manage again until 2005. Drake remained at the Blues until his 1961 sacking. By this point, he had enough of the limelight and opted for assistant manager and reserve team manager roles before retiring.
List of Arsenal Honours
Here is the full list of honours and records that Ted Drake accumulated during his time at Arsenal
- First Division (2) – 1934-35, 1937/38
- FA Cup (1) – 1935/36
- FA Charity Shield (2) – 1934, 1938
- Most Goals in One English Top Flight Game – 7 (vs. Aston Villa, Dec 1935)
- Most Goals in a Season for Arsenal – 44 (1934/35)
- Most League Goals in a Season for Arsenal – 42 (1934/35)