Eddie Hapgood
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edris Albert Hapgood | ||
| Date of birth | 24 September 1908 | ||
| Place of birth | Bristol, England | ||
| Date of death | 20 April 1973 (aged 64) | ||
| Place of death | Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Full-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1927 | Kettering Town | 12 | (0) |
| 1927–1944 | Arsenal | 393 | (2) |
| Total | 405 | (2) | |
| National team | |||
| 1933–1939 | England | 30 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1944–1947 | Blackburn Rovers | ||
| 1948–1950 | Watford | ||
| 1950–1956 | Bath City | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Edris Albert "Eddie" Hapgood (24 September 1908 – 20 April 1973) was an English footballer, who captained both Arsenal and England during the 1930s.
Hapgood was born in Bristol and started his footballing career in the mid-1920s as an amateur playing in local football (while employed as a milkman), before getting his big break at Kettering Town in the Southern League. He was signed by Herbert Chapman's Arsenal for £950 in 1927. Initially a thin and fragile player, Arsenal's trainer Tom Whittaker forced him to take up weight training, and abandon his vegetarianism, and Hapgood eventually became known for his physique and power. He supplemented his footballer's maximum wage by fashion modelling and advertising chocolate.
Hapgood made his Arsenal debut on 19 November 1927 against Birmingham City but was initially used as backup for left back Horace Cope; he didn't become Arsenal's regular left back until early 1929, but after that he made the position his own, right up until the outbreak of World War II in 1939. He played in Arsenal's 2–1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday in the Charity Shield at Stamford Bridge in October 1930. Arsenal won the match 2–1. He played 35 or more matches in every season in that period, earning a reputation as an elegant and unruffled defender. Hapgood went on to succeed Alex James as Arsenal captain, leading the side to the league title in 1937–38, whilst personally winning five League Championships and two FA Cups.
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