Len Goulden

Len Goulden

Goulden in a Chelsea team photo, November 1947
Personal information
Full name	Leonard Arthur Goulden
Date of birth	(1912-07-16)16 July 1912
Place of birth	Hackney, England
Date of death	14 February 1995(1995-02-14) (aged 82)
Playing position	Inside-left
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Chelmsford City
1931–1932	Leyton
1932–1940	West Ham United	242	(54)
1945–1950	Chelsea	99	(17)
National team
1937–1939	England	14	(4)
Teams managed
1952–1955	Watford
1965–1967	Banbury United
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Leonard Arthur Goulden (16 July 1912 – 14 February 1995) was an English footballer. His son Roy was also a footballer.

Born in Hackney, London, Goulden began his career with Chelmsford City, before moving to Leyton and then West Ham United in 1933. He remained with the Hammers for six years, making over 250 appearances and scoring 55 goals from the inside-left position. He was an ever-present, along with Joe Cockroft, during the 1936–37 season.

Goulden also won 14 England caps during his time at Upton Park. During a match against Germany in 1938, he scored with a shot that reportedly ripped the net from the crossbar; he is then reported to have shouted, "Let 'em salute that one!" His West Ham career was interrupted when World War II started and he never played another competitive match for the club, though he did win the Football League War Cup with them in 1940.

Following the conflict, he signed with west Londoners Chelsea for £4,500 and linked up well with fellow new signings Tommy Lawton and Tommy Walker – the trio scored 47 goals between them in 1946–47 – though the side failed to make to challenge for honours, coming closest in the FA Cup, when they lost to Arsenal in the semi-finals, despite having led 2–0. Goulden retired as a player in 1950, having made 111 Chelsea appearances and scored 17 goals.