Alf Kirchen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 August 1913 | ||
| Place of birth | Shouldham, Norfolk, England | ||
| Date of death | 18 August 1999 (aged 85) | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder#WingerRight winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1934–1935 | Norwich City | 14 | (11) |
| 1935–1943 | Arsenal | 92 | (38) |
| National team | |||
| 1935–1937 | England | 3 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Alfred John "Alf" Kirchen (26 August 1913 – 18 August 1999) was an English footballer.
Born in Shouldham, Norfolk, Kirchen played for local clubs, and for his county at youth level. He was signed by Tom Parker, the manager of Second Division Norwich City in 1934 and he immediately impressed, scoring seven goals in fourteen League games, and three in four FA Cup games for the Canaries. He soon caught the eye of First Division champions Arsenal, and was signed for £6,000 in March 1935, at the age of 21.
Kirchen arrived too late at Arsenal to pick up a League winner's medal (the club completed a hat-trick of titles that year), but he still made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his debut against Arsenal's arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March 1935 – the match finished 6–0 to Arsenal, a record in a North London derby. An outside right, Kirchen had to fight for a first-team spot with Joe Hulme (who started the 1936 FA Cup Final ahead of him), but by the start of the 1936–37 season, Kirchen was the Gunners' first-choice outside right.
Kirchen became well known for his fierce shooting; unusually fast and immensely powerful, he was equally at home on either wing, for he could hit a ball left or right-footed, with equal facility, which soon attracted international attention; he picked up 3 caps and scored 2 goals for England on a 1937 tour of Scandinavia, his debut coming against Norway on 14 May 1937, and his final match being against Finland on 20 May of the same year. Despite these performances however, he was never picked again.
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