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Cliff Bastin

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Cliff Bastin
Personal information
Full name Clifford Sydney Bastin
Date of birth (1912-03-14)14 March 1912[1]
Place of birth Exeter, England
Date of death 4 December 1991(1991-12-04) (aged 79)
Place of death Exeter, England
Position(s) Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1928–1929 Exeter City 17 (6)
1929–1947 Arsenal 350 (150[2])
Total 367 (184)
International career
1931–1938 England 21 (12)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Clifford Sydney Bastin (14 March 1912 – 4 December 1991) was an English footballer who played as a winger for Exeter City and Arsenal. He also played for the England national team. Bastin is Arsenal's third-highest goalscorer of all time.[3]

Club career

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Exeter City

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Born in Exeter, Bastin started his career at Exeter City, making his début for the first team in 1928, at the age of 16.[4][5] The match was on 14 April away against Coventry City.[6] A week later Cliff Bastin scored two goals in Exeter's 5–1 home victory over Newport County, and was named man of the match.[7] Despite only playing 17 games and scoring 6 goals in his time at Exeter,[8] he was spotted by Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman in a match against Watford. Chapman was at the game to watch Watford player Tommy Barnett. But the 17-year-old Bastin's ability became so evident to him that he decided to sign him in May 1929.[1][3][9]

Arsenal

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Bastin made his début against Everton on 5 October 1929[10] and was immediately a first-team regular, making 21 league and 8 cup appearances that season.[11] He went on to be a near ever-present in the side over the next decade, playing over 35 matches in every season up to and including 1937–38.[11] His youthful appearance earned him the nickname "Boy Bastin", but despite such, Bastin's play was characterised by a remarkable coolness, and deadly precision in front of goal; he also became Arsenal's regular penalty-taker.[12] Bastin's scoring feats are all the more remarkable considering he played on the left wing rather than as forward. At the time, Arsenal's strategy depended heavily on their wingers cutting into the penalty box with a supply of passes from playmaker Alex James being the source of many goals as well.[3]

With Arsenal, Bastin won the FA Cup twice, in 1929–30[1] and 1935–36,[13] and the First Division title five times, in 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35 and 1937–38. He played in Arsenal's 2–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the Charity Shield at Stamford Bridge in October 1930.[14] By the age of nineteen Bastin had won a League title, FA Cup and been capped for England, making him the youngest player ever to achieve all three.[15] He scored 28 goals for Arsenal during the 1930-31 season.[1] Bastin finished as Arsenal top scorer in 1932–33 and 1933–34, with 33[1][16] and 15 goals[11] respectively. After centre-forward Ted Drake arrived in March 1934, Bastin was no longer Arsenal's primary winger.

With Drake scoring the majority of the goals and Alex James increasingly unavailable due to injury and age, Bastin was moved to inside-forward to replace James for much of the 1935–36 season, which saw Arsenal drop to sixth.[17] Bastin still scored 17 goals, including six in Arsenal's run to the 1936 FA Cup Final, which they won 1–0.[11][18] From 1 November during the 1936-37 season, at his own request, he played at right half.[19] Bastin was eventually restored to the left wing to score 17 goals in the 1937–38 title-winning season.[11][20] An injury to his right leg ruled him out of much of the 1938–39 season, the last one played before the outbreak of the Second World War.[3]

The Second World War intervened when Bastin was 27, thus cutting short what should have been the peak of his career, although his leg injury would probably have done this in any case. Bastin was excused military service as he failed the army hearing test owing to his increasing deafness. Thus, during the war, he served as an ARP Warden, being stationed on top of Highbury stadium with Tom Whittaker.[1] He also played matches in the Wartime League which was set up to boost civilian morale. He played 241 games during the war, and scored 70 goals.[1] However, these matches are classed as unofficial, and do not count towards a player's career appearances and goal-scoring statistics.[21]

Bastin's injured leg had hampered his performances in wartime matches, and would ultimately curtail his career.[22] After the war, Bastin, by now in his thirties, would only play seven more times for Arsenal without scoring.[23] His last appearance before retirement, came in an away match against Manchester United on 28 September 1946.[24] The retirement of Cliff Bastin was announced in June 1947, while he was recovering from an ear operation.[16]

Bastin's tally of 178 goals made him Arsenal's all-time top goalscorer from 1939 until 1997, when his total was surpassed by Ian Wright. In 2005 Thierry Henry passed each player's totals, and so Bastin is Arsenal's third-top goalscorer of all time. His record of 150 league goals for Arsenal stood for slightly longer, being equalled by Henry on 14 January 2006 and surpassed by him in February of the same year.[3]

International career

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Bastin made his debut at senior level for England against Wales. This game was played at Anfield on 18 November 1931, which England won by a 3–1 margin.[25] His first goal for England occurred in his second match for the national team, away against Italy, on 13 May 1933.[26] A week later, he scored two goals against Switzerland in Bern.[27] A most noteworthy highlight of his England career was the famous "Battle of Highbury", where England defeated 1934 World Cup winners Italy 3–2.[28] Bastin also featured in a notorious match against Germany in Berlin in 1938, when the England team was ordered to give the Nazi salute before the match. England won 6–3, and Cliff Bastin scored his tenth goal for England.[29] Bastin may have won more caps but at the time faced competition from Eric Brook. His last goal for England came via a penalty against France in Paris, on 26 May 1938. This was also Bastin's last international appearance.[30]

Hugo Meisl, the coach of Austria, rated Cliff Bastin very highly as a player. Talking before the 1934 World Cup, about Austria's chances of winning the tournament, Meisl was not optimistic, but believed they could do so if they had Cliff Bastin.[31]

Later life and death

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After retirement, Bastin returned to his native Exeter and ran a pub. His autobiography Cliff Bastin Remembers, was ghost-written in 1950 by Brian Glanville.[32] He died in 1991 at the age of 79. A stand at St James Park, Exeter's home ground, is named in his honour and in 2009 he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.[33]

Personal life

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Bastin married Joan L. Shaul at Hendon, North London, in 1939.[34] She outlived him by just over 20 years, dying in April 2012 at the age of 96. They had two daughters, Patricia and Barbara.[35]

Honours

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Arsenal[36]

Individual

References

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  • Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Mason, Tony (2004). "Bastin, Clifford Sidney [Cliff] (1912-1991)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 4. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 283. ISBN 0-19-861354-7.
  2. ^ James, Josh. "Behind the Numbers: Van Persie's Century". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Cliff Bastin". Arsenal.com. 13 July 2023.
  4. ^ Green, Chris; Dawes, Brian (2000). "Cliff Bastin (Arsenal F.C. 1929-46)". Arsenal Arsenal.co.uk. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Boy Stars Of Football". Dundee Courier. 21 November 1931. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Match 45 14th April 1928 Coventry City (a)". The Grecian Archive.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  7. ^ Barrett, Will. "Match 46 21st April 1928 Newport County (h)". The Grecian Archive.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Bastin, Cliff". The Grecian Archive.exeter.ac.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Exeter Transfer To Arsenal". Western Morning News. 4 June 1929. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ Bastin, Cliff; Glanville, Brian (2010) [1950]. Cliff Bastin Remembers: The Autobiography of Arsenal's Greatest Outside-Left. Downham Market: GCR Books Limited. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-9559211-4-8. Retrieved 8 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Cliff Bastin: Club Stats". Retrieved 8 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  12. ^ Joy, Bernard (2009) [1952]. Forward, Arsenal!. Downham Market: GCR Books Limited. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-9559211-1-7. Retrieved 9 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ "Arsenal v Sheffield United, 25 April 1936". Retrieved 10 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  14. ^ "Fortune smiles on the Arsenal". Sheffield Independent. 8 October 1930. p. 10. Retrieved 22 March 2016 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ^ Simkin, John (March 2022). "Cliff Bastin". Spartacus Educational. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b Hoby, Alan (15 June 1947). "Inside Sport: Cliff Bastin ends a grand career". The People. p. 7. Retrieved 12 August 2024 – via Findmypast.
  17. ^ Felton, Paul; Edwards, Gareth (8 October 2000). "England 1935-36: League Division 1. Final Table: Supplied by Stuart Jackson". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Feature: FA Cup win 1935/36". Arsenal.com. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  19. ^ Bastin, Cliff; Glanville, Brian (2010) [1950]. Cliff Bastin Remembers: The Autobiography of Arsenal's Greatest Outside-Left. Downham Market: GCR Books Limited. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-9559211-4-8. Retrieved 11 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Felton, Paul; Edwards, Gareth (8 October 2000). "England 1937-38: League Division 1. Final Table: Supplied by Stuart Jackson". RSSSF.org. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  21. ^ Cooper, Vince (10 May 2023). "The Big Feature: The War Cups". Read The League.com. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  22. ^ Bastin, Cliff; Glanville, Brian (2010) [1950]. Cliff Bastin Remembers: The Autobiography of Arsenal's Greatest Outside-Left. Downham Market: GCR Books Limited. p. 175. ISBN 978-0-9559211-4-8. Retrieved 10 August 2024 – via Google Books.
  23. ^ "Cliff Bastin: Club matches: Arsenal". Retrieved 11 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  24. ^ "Manchester United v Arsenal, 28 September 1946". Retrieved 11 August 2024 – via 11v11.com.
  25. ^ "Match No. 179 - Wednesday, 18th November 1931: England 3 - 1 Wales". Retrieved 10 August 2024 – via Englandstats.com.
  26. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (22 February 2022). "England Match No.186 - Italy - 13 May 1933". England Football Online. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  27. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (22 February 2022). "England Match No.187 - Switzerland - 20 May 1933". England Football Online. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  28. ^ "Match No. 195 - Wednesday, 14th November 1934: England 3 - 2 Italy". Retrieved 10 August 2024 – via Englandstats.com.
  29. ^ "Match No. 216 - Saturday, 14th May 1938: Germany 3 - 6 England". Retrieved 10 August 2024 – via Englandstats.com.
  30. ^ Goodwin, Chris; Isherwood, Glen (15 March 2022). "England Match No.218 - France - 26 May 1938". England Football Online. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  31. ^ Wilson, Jonathan (2023). Inverting the Pyramid: The History of Football Tactics. London: Orion Publishing Group, Limited. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-3996-1009-4.
  32. ^ "Review Books: The Real Arsenal: From Chapman To Wenger - The Unofficial Story. By Brian Glanville". The Camden New Journal. 12 November 2009. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  33. ^ "Bastin and McLintock make Hall of Fame". Arsenal.com. Archived from the original on 11 July 2009.
  34. ^ "England Players - Cliff Bastin". Englandfootballonline.com. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  35. ^ "Family Announcements, Bastin (Joan) - Funeral Directors and services - Exeter Express and Echo Announcements". Thisisannouncements.co.uk. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  36. ^ "Greatest 50 Players - 18. Cliff Bastin". Arsenal. 1 June 2017. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
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