Ted Drake facts for kids
Drake in 1955
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 August 1912 | ||
| Place of birth | Southampton, England | ||
| Date of death | 30 May 1995 (aged 82) | ||
| Place of death | Raynes Park, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Centre forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Winchester City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1931–1934 | Southampton | 71 | (47) |
| 1934–1945 | Arsenal | 167 | (124) |
| Total | 238 | (171) | |
| National team | |||
| 1934–1938 | England | 5 | (6) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1946–1947 | Hendon | ||
| 1947–1952 | Reading | ||
| 1952–1961 | Chelsea | ||
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Edward Joseph Drake (born August 16, 1912 – died May 30, 1995) was a famous English football player and manager. People often called him Ted Drake.
As a player, he started his career at Southampton. But he became really well-known playing for Arsenal in the 1930s. With Arsenal, he won two league titles and an FA Cup. He also played five times for the England national team.
Ted Drake is one of Arsenal's top goal scorers ever. He also holds a record for scoring the most goals in a single top-level English football game. He scored seven goals against Aston Villa in December 1935. He was a centre forward, known for being strong, powerful, and brave.
After he stopped playing, Drake became a football manager. His most famous job was managing Chelsea. In 1955, he led Chelsea to win their first ever league title. This made him the first person to win the English top league as both a player and a manager. He also played a little bit of cricket for Hampshire.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Southampton
Ted Drake was born in Southampton. He began playing football at Winchester City. At the same time, he worked reading gas meters. He almost joined Spurs when he was younger, but he got injured and missed the tryout.
In June 1931, George Kay convinced him to join Southampton. Southampton was playing in Division Two at the time. Drake played his first game for Southampton on November 14, 1931. He became a professional player that November. By the end of the 1931–32 season, he was the main centre-forward.
The next season, he played 33 league games and scored 20 goals. His brave and skilled playing caught the eye of Herbert Chapman, Arsenal's manager. Chapman tried to get Drake to move to London. But Drake decided to stay at Southampton.
He started the 1933–34 season by scoring three goals in the first game. This was against Bradford City. He then scored at least one goal in the next four games. This meant he had eight goals in his first five games. By March, he was the top scorer in Division Two with 22 goals.
Arsenal, now managed by George Allison, tried again to sign Drake. Southampton had said no to many offers before. But they finally had to sell him to help their finances. Drake played 74 games for Southampton and scored 48 goals.
Becoming an Arsenal Star
Drake moved to Arsenal in March 1934 for £6,500. He scored in his first game for Arsenal. This was against Wolves on March 24, 1934. Arsenal won the game 3–2.
He joined too late to get a league medal in 1933–34. But Drake won a League Championship medal in 1934–35. That season, he scored an amazing 42 goals in 41 league games. This included three hat-tricks (three goals in one game) and four times he scored four goals. He scored 44 goals in total that season, breaking a club record. This record still stands today.
The next season, 1935–36, Drake scored seven goals in one game. This was against Aston Villa at Villa Park on December 14, 1935. This is still an Arsenal club record and a top-flight record. Drake said he thought he scored an eighth goal, but the referee didn't agree.
Drake went on to win the FA Cup in 1935–36. He scored the only goal in the final. He also won the League title again in 1937–38 with Arsenal.
Ted Drake often got injured because of his brave playing style. But his speed, powerful shots, and courage made him Arsenal's main centre-forward. He was the club's top scorer for five seasons in a row, from 1934–35 to 1938–39.
The Second World War stopped Drake's football career. He served in the Royal Air Force. He also played for Arsenal in wartime games. Sometimes, he played as a guest for West Ham United during the war.
However, his playing career ended soon after the war. A back injury in a game against Reading in 1945 forced him to retire. He scored 139 goals in 184 games for Arsenal. This makes him one of Arsenal's joint fifth all-time top scorers.
Drake is one of 32 Arsenal legends. Their pictures are on a mural at the club's Emirates Stadium.
Playing for England
Drake's great performances for his clubs led him to play for his country. He made his England debut against Italy. This famous game was called the "Battle of Highbury" on November 14, 1934. Seven Arsenal players were in the England team that day. Drake scored the third goal in a tough 3–2 win. With England, Drake also won the 1935 British Home Championship title. In total, he played five games for England and scored six goals.
Cricket Career
Ted Drake also played cricket for Hampshire. He played his first game in 1931. In one match, he scored 45 runs, which was his highest score. He played 15 more matches over the next six years.
Managing Football Teams
Hendon and Reading
After he stopped playing football, Drake became a manager. He managed Hendon in 1946. Then he managed Reading from 1947. He led Reading to finish second in Division Three South twice. This was in 1948–49 and again in 1951–52. But back then, only the team that finished first got promoted.
Leading Chelsea to Glory
In June 1952, Ted Drake became the manager of Chelsea. Chelsea was in the First Division. When Drake arrived, he made many big changes. He wanted to change Chelsea's old image. He got rid of the club's old badge, which showed a Chelsea pensioner. He also changed their nickname from "The Pensioners." He insisted on a new badge and a new nickname, "The Blues."
He also brought in new ways of training. He used scouting reports to find new players. His training was tougher and focused on using the ball more. This was unusual in English football at the time. Chelsea used to sign famous but sometimes unreliable players. Drake stopped this. Instead, he found lesser-known but more dependable players from lower leagues. Some of these players were John McNichol, Frank Blunstone, Derek Saunders, Jim Lewis, and Peter Sillett.
Within three years, in the 1954–55 season, Drake led Chelsea to win their first ever league championship. By doing this, he became the first person to win the league title as both a player and a manager.
However, Drake never won the league again with Chelsea. The championship-winning team slowly changed. Younger players from the club's youth team took their place. These included stars like Jimmy Greaves, Peter Brabrook, and Bobby Tambling. Drake was a bit distant from these younger players.
After the championship, Chelsea's results were very up and down. They often finished in the middle of the league table. An FA Cup loss to Fourth Division team Crewe Alexandra weakened his position. A few months later, Drake was sacked early in the 1961–62 season.
Later Career
After leaving Chelsea, he became the reserve team manager at Fulham. He was also an assistant to the manager, Vic Buckingham. In December, he joined Barcelona as Buckingham's assistant. He stayed there until June 1970. Later, he returned to Fulham. He became a chief scout, a director, and a life president for the club. Ted Drake passed away on May 30, 1995, at the age of 82.
Awards and Achievements
As a Player
Arsenal
- Football League First Division: 1934–35, 1937–38
- FA Cup: 1935–36
- FA Charity Shield: 1934, 1938
England
- British Home Championship: 1935
As a Manager
Chelsea
- Football League First Division: 1954–55
- FA Charity Shield: 1955
Individual Awards
- First Division Golden Boot: 1935
See also
- List of English football championship winning managers
