Charlie Buchan
Encyclopedia
Charles Murray Buchan was an English football
player and writer.
, London, Buchan first played as an amateur for local club Woolwich Arsenal
, joining the club in December 1909. However, having impressed in reserve games, he fell out with manager George Morrell over his expenses, and declined to sign to a professional contract. Buchan moved to Northfleet United as an amateur for the remainder of the 1909-10 season. Winning Kent Senior Cup
, Kent League
and Thames and Medway Combination medals. In the close season he signed for Southern League
Leyton FC
; whilst playing for them he was spotted and duly signed by Sunderland
in March 1911.
, Buchan was highly successful at the Wearside club. Sunderland won the 1912–13
First Division
title, and narrowly missed out on the Double
, losing the FA Cup
final 1–0 to Aston Villa
. Frequently described as the best footballer in the country, Buchan was Sunderland's leading scorer for seven of the eight seasons from 1912–13
to 1923–24
(excluding the wartime
seasons, when full competitive football was suspended). He is Sunderland's all-time record League goalscorer, with 209 goals. Buchan was also capped by England
, his debut coming against Ireland
on 15 February 1913. His appearances were limited by the lack of internationals due to war; he only earned six full caps, scoring four goals.
During the First World War, Buchan served with the Sherwood Foresters
. He was awarded the Military Medal
and on 11 September 1918 was promoted to temporary second lieutenant for the final months of the war.
In 1925, when nearly 34, Buchan and Sunderland parted company. His place in the team went to a player who hit at least 35 league goals in each of his four full seasons at Roker Park, Dave Halliday
, the most prolific goals to games goal scorer in the club's history. While at Sunderland he played cricket
for Durham
in the 1920 Minor Counties Championship.
initially demanded a £4,000 fee, but Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman
bargained him down to £2,000 plus £100 per goal scored by Buchan during his first season; he promptly scored twenty-one, thus forcing Arsenal to pay £100 more than Kyle's original demand. Buchan made his debut in a North London derby
against Tottenham Hotspur
on 29 August 1925.
Just as important as his goals was his contribution to Arsenal's tactics; it was Buchan who came up, along with Chapman, of rejigging Arsenal's formation
to the "WM", to fully exploit the relaxation of the offside law. Buchan's idea was to move the centre half from a roaming position in midfield to a "stopper" position in defence, with one forward brought back into midfield. This meant the offside trap was no longer the responsibility of the two full-backs, but the single central defender, while the full backs were pushed wider to cover the wings. Eventually the change in tactic would bring Arsenal great success in the 1930s.
Buchan was a regular at Arsenal, despite his age, for three seasons. He captained Arsenal to their first-ever Cup final in 1927, but again was on the losing side, as Cardiff City
beat the Gunners 1–0, thanks to a freak mistake by Arsenal 'keeper Dan Lewis
. Buchan finally retired at the end of 1927–28
, having scored 16 league goals that season despite being 36 years of age. In all he scored 56 goals in 120 matches for Arsenal; his count of 257 goals in the League, which would have been more had the First World War not intervened, makes him the Football League
's sixth-top goalscorer of all time.
with the Daily News (later renamed the News Chronicle
), wrote one of the first coach
ing manuals, and also commentated for the BBC
. In 1947, he co-founded the Football Writers' Association
, and from September 1951 until his death, he edited his own football magazine, Charles Buchan's Football Monthly, which continued until June 1974 – 14 years after Buchan's death, although its popularity fell after Buchan's death.http://www.charlesbuchansfootballmonthly.com/
He published his autobiography, "A Lifetime in Football" in 1955. He died in 1960, at the age of 68, whilst holidaying in Monte Carlo
.
Arsenal
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and writer.
Early career
Born in PlumsteadPlumstead
Plumstead is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. Plumstead is a multi cultural area with large Asian and Afro-Caribbean communities, in similarity to local areas such as Woolwich and Thamesmead...
, London, Buchan first played as an amateur for local club Woolwich Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, joining the club in December 1909. However, having impressed in reserve games, he fell out with manager George Morrell over his expenses, and declined to sign to a professional contract. Buchan moved to Northfleet United as an amateur for the remainder of the 1909-10 season. Winning Kent Senior Cup
Kent Senior Cup
The Kent Senior Cup is an English football competition played between senior clubs in the county of Kent. It is administered by the Kent County Football Association.-History:...
, Kent League
Kent League
The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...
and Thames and Medway Combination medals. In the close season he signed for Southern League
Southern Football League
The Southern League is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from the South West, South Central and Midlands of England and South Wales...
Leyton FC
Leyton F.C.
Leyton Football Club are an English association football club based in Leyton, in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. As of January 2011, they are not in a senior league, after withdrawing from the Isthmian League Division One North...
; whilst playing for them he was spotted and duly signed by Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in March 1911.
Sunderland
A tall, elegant centre forwardStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, Buchan was highly successful at the Wearside club. Sunderland won the 1912–13
1912-13 in English football
The 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7....
First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
title, and narrowly missed out on the Double
The Double
The Double is a term in association football which refers to winning a country's top tier division and its primary cup competition in the same season...
, losing the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
final 1–0 to Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
. Frequently described as the best footballer in the country, Buchan was Sunderland's leading scorer for seven of the eight seasons from 1912–13
1912-13 in English football
The 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7....
to 1923–24
1923-24 in English football
The 1923–24 season was the 49th season of competitive football in England.-Events:*On 11 November 1923, Aston Villa centre-half Tommy Ball was shot dead by his neighbour, thus becoming the only Football League player to have been murdered.-Honours:...
(excluding the wartime
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
seasons, when full competitive football was suspended). He is Sunderland's all-time record League goalscorer, with 209 goals. Buchan was also capped by England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, his debut coming against Ireland
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
on 15 February 1913. His appearances were limited by the lack of internationals due to war; he only earned six full caps, scoring four goals.
During the First World War, Buchan served with the Sherwood Foresters
Sherwood Foresters
The Sherwood Foresters was formed during the Childers Reforms in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 45th Regiment of Foot and the 95th Regiment of Foot...
. He was awarded the Military Medal
Military Medal
The Military Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land....
and on 11 September 1918 was promoted to temporary second lieutenant for the final months of the war.
In 1925, when nearly 34, Buchan and Sunderland parted company. His place in the team went to a player who hit at least 35 league goals in each of his four full seasons at Roker Park, Dave Halliday
Dave Halliday
David "Dave" Halliday was a Scottish footballing prolific goalscorer and trophy winning manager. His 38 goals in 1923-24 made him top scorer in Scotland's top flight that season and 43 goals in 1928–29 gave him the same distinction in England's top flight that season. He scored 376 senior goals as...
, the most prolific goals to games goal scorer in the club's history. While at Sunderland he played cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
for Durham
Durham County Cricket Club
Durham County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Durham. Its limited overs team is called the Durham Dynamos. Their kit colours are blue with yellow trim and the shirt sponsor was...
in the 1920 Minor Counties Championship.
Arsenal
Buchan was re-signed by Arsenal (as they were now called). Sunderland manager Bob KyleBob Kyle
Robert H. "Bob" Kyle was a Northern Irish football manager during the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s.A native of Belfast, Kyle was club secretary at Distillery in the Irish League from June 1897 to 1905...
initially demanded a £4,000 fee, but Arsenal manager Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman
Herbert Chapman was an English association football player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most successful and influential managers in early 20th century English football, before his sudden death in 1934.As a player, Chapman played for...
bargained him down to £2,000 plus £100 per goal scored by Buchan during his first season; he promptly scored twenty-one, thus forcing Arsenal to pay £100 more than Kyle's original demand. Buchan made his debut in a North London derby
North London derby
The North London derby is the name of the football local derby between the two major teams in North London – Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.-History:...
against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
on 29 August 1925.
Just as important as his goals was his contribution to Arsenal's tactics; it was Buchan who came up, along with Chapman, of rejigging Arsenal's formation
Formation (football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
to the "WM", to fully exploit the relaxation of the offside law. Buchan's idea was to move the centre half from a roaming position in midfield to a "stopper" position in defence, with one forward brought back into midfield. This meant the offside trap was no longer the responsibility of the two full-backs, but the single central defender, while the full backs were pushed wider to cover the wings. Eventually the change in tactic would bring Arsenal great success in the 1930s.
Buchan was a regular at Arsenal, despite his age, for three seasons. He captained Arsenal to their first-ever Cup final in 1927, but again was on the losing side, as Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
beat the Gunners 1–0, thanks to a freak mistake by Arsenal 'keeper Dan Lewis
Dan Lewis (footballer)
Daniel "Dan" Lewis was a Welsh football goalkeeper, who is most notable for his time playing for Arsenal. He kept goal for Arsenal in the 1927 FA Cup Final where a mistake by him saw Cardiff City win the cup.-Playing career:...
. Buchan finally retired at the end of 1927–28
1927-28 in English football
The 1927–28 season was the 53rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the season in which Dixie Dean scored an astounding 60 goals in 39 league appearances for Everton – 58.8% of their seasons total .-Honours:...
, having scored 16 league goals that season despite being 36 years of age. In all he scored 56 goals in 120 matches for Arsenal; his count of 257 goals in the League, which would have been more had the First World War not intervened, makes him the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
's sixth-top goalscorer of all time.
Later career
After retiring, Buchan became a football journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
with the Daily News (later renamed the News Chronicle
News Chronicle
The News Chronicle was a British daily newspaper. It ceased publication on 17 October 1960, being absorbed into the Daily Mail. Its offices were in Bouverie Street, off Fleet Street, London, EC4Y 8DP, England.-Daily Chronicle:...
), wrote one of the first coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
ing manuals, and also commentated for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. In 1947, he co-founded the Football Writers' Association
Football Writers' Association
The Football Writers' Association is an association of England football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1947....
, and from September 1951 until his death, he edited his own football magazine, Charles Buchan's Football Monthly, which continued until June 1974 – 14 years after Buchan's death, although its popularity fell after Buchan's death.http://www.charlesbuchansfootballmonthly.com/
He published his autobiography, "A Lifetime in Football" in 1955. He died in 1960, at the age of 68, whilst holidaying in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
.
As a player
SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
- The Football LeagueThe Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
champions: 1912–131912-13 in English footballThe 1912–13 season was the 42nd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Sunderland won the First Division for the fifth time, with a record of 25–4–9; Aston Villa, finishing second, had fewer defeats, but a lot more draws: 19–12–7.... - FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 19131913 FA Cup FinalThe 1913 FA Cup Final was contested by Aston Villa and Sunderland on 19 April 1913 at London's Crystal Palace. Playing as the home side, Aston Villa won 1–0 on a goal by Tommy Barber on a crossed ball from Charlie Wallace...
Arsenal
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
finalist: 1927FA Cup Final 1927The 1927 FA Cup Final was won by Cardiff City, who beat Arsenal 1–0. It is most remembered for Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis's mistake which led to the only goal of the game. It was also the first ever Cup Final to be broadcast by BBC Radio...