Editing Ted Drake (section)

==Club career==

===Southampton===
Born in Southampton, Drake started playing at [[Winchester City F.C.|Winchester City]], whilst continuing to work as a gas-meter reader. He nearly joined [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Spurs]] as a schoolboy, but missed the trial match with an injury. In June 1931, he was persuaded by [[George Kay (footballer)|George Kay]] to join [[Southampton F.C.|Southampton]], then playing in Division Two. He made his Saints debut on 14 November 1931 at [[Swansea Town F.C.|Swansea Town]], and signed as a professional in November, becoming first-choice centre-forward by the end of the 1931–32 season.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=AFC /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 />

In the following season he made 33 league appearances, scoring 20 goals. After only one full season, his bravery and skill attracted the attention of Arsenal's [[Herbert Chapman]], who tried to persuade Drake to move to north London. Drake rejected the chance of a move to [[Arsenal Stadium|Highbury]] and decided to remain at [[The Dell (Southampton F.C.)|The Dell]]. He started the [[1933–34 in English football|1933–34 season]] by scoring a hat-trick in the opening game against [[Bradford City F.C.|Bradford City]], following this with at least one goal in the next four games, thereby amassing eight goals in the opening five games. By early March he had blasted his way to the top of the [[Football League Division Two]] goal-scoring table with 22 goals.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-bradford-city-26-august-1933-100900/|title=Southampton v Bradford City, 26 August 1933|website=11v11.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southampton-02-september-1933-100920/|title=Port Vale v Southampton, 02 September 1933|website=11v11.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/oldham-athletic-v-southampton-28-august-1933-100904/|title=Oldham Athletic v Southampton, 28 August 1933|website=11v11.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-oldham-athletic-04-september-1933-100927/|title=Southampton v Oldham Athletic, 04 September 1933|website=11v11.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-notts-county-09-september-1933-100941/|title=Southampton v Notts County, 09 September 1933|website=11v11.com}}</ref>

Arsenal, with [[George Allison]] now in charge, renewed their interest and Drake eventually decided to join the Gunners. Saints had declined several previous offers, but eventually were forced to sell to balance their books. Drake made a total of 74 appearances for Southampton, scoring 48 goals.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=AFC /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 />

===Arsenal===
Drake moved to Arsenal in March 1934 for £6,500, and scored on his league debut against [[Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.|Wolves]] on 24 March 1934, in a 3–2 win. Although he joined too late to qualify for a [[Football League First Division|League Championship]] medal in [[1933–34 in English football|1933–34]], Drake would win one in [[1934–35 in English football|1934–35]], scoring 42 goals in 41 league games in the process – this included three [[hat-trick]]s and four four-goal hauls. With two more goals in the [[FA Cup]] and [[FA Community Shield|Charity Shield]], Drake scored 44 in all that season, breaking [[Jack Lambert (footballer, born 1902)|Jack Lambert]]'s club record, one that still holds to this day.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=AFC /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 />

The following season, [[1935–36 in English football|1935–36]] Drake scored seven in a single match against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] at [[Villa Park]] on 14 December 1935, a club record and top flight record that also still stands. Drake claimed an eighth goal hit the crossbar and went over the line, but the [[referee (association football)|referee]] waved away his appeal. Drake would go on to win the [[FA Cup]] in [[1935–36 in English football|1935–36]] with him scoring the only goal in the [[1936 FA Cup Final|final]] and the League title again in [[1937–38 in English football|1937–38]] with Arsenal.<ref name=Bio /><ref name=AFC /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 />

Despite being injured regularly (he was a doubt up until the last minute for the 1936 Cup Final), Drake's speed, fierce shooting and brave playing style meant he was Arsenal's first-choice centre forward for the rest of the decade, and he was the club's top scorer for each of the five seasons from 1934–35 to [[1938–39 in English football|1938–39]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=28 June 2021|title=Ted Drake – Arsenal's Greatest Ever Pre-War Goal scorer|url=https://atletifo.com/football/ted-drake-arsenals-greatest-ever-pre-war-goal-scorer/|access-date=28 June 2021|website=Atletifo Sports|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[Second World War]] curtailed Drake's career, although he served in the [[Royal Air Force]] as well as turning out for Arsenal in wartime games and also appearing as a guest player for [[West Ham United F.C.|West Ham United]] later in World War II.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hogg|first=Tony|title=West Ham Who's Who|year=1995|publisher=Independent UK Sports publications|location=London|isbn=1-899429-01-8|pages=223}}</ref> However, Drake's career would not last long into peacetime; a [[vertebral column|spinal]] injury incurred in a game against [[Reading F.C.|Reading]] in 1945 forced him to retire from playing. With 139 goals in 184 games, he is along with [[Jimmy Brain]] the joint-fifth all-time scorer for Arsenal.<ref name=AFC /><ref name=Bio /><ref name=Bio1 /><ref name=Bio2 />

Drake was one of 32 Arsenal legends who were emblazoned in a [[mural]] upon the walls of the club's [[Emirates Stadium]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/heroes-together-no-17-ted-drake|title= Heroes Together: Ted Drake|publisher=Arsenal F.C.}}</ref>