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Cliff Bastin
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'''Clifford Sydney Bastin''' (
March 14,
1912 —
December 4,
1991) was an
England English football (soccer) football player.
Born in
Heavitree near
Exeter, Bastin started his career at
Exeter City F.C. Exeter City, making his debut for the club in
1928, at the age of 16. Despite only playing 17 games (and scoring 6 goals), his talent was evident enough that he was signed a year later for £2,000 by
Herbert Chapman's
Arsenal F.C. Arsenal, who went on to become dominant force in English football in the
1930s.
Bastin would play the rest of his career at Arsenal, scoring 178 goals in 395 games; he was Arsenal's all-time top goalscorer until
1997, when his total was surpassed by
Ian Wright. In
2005 Thierry Henry passed both Bastin and Wright's totals, thus meaning Bastin is currently (as of October
2005) Arsenal's third-top goalscorer of all time. His record of 150 league goals for Arsenal stood for slightly longer, until it was equalled by Thierry Henry on
January 14 2006. Bastin's scoring feats are all the more remarkable considering he played on the
winger (sport) left wing rather than as
centre forward; the partnership he formed with
Alex James (footballer) Alex James was the source of many of his goals. Had his career not been interrupted by the
Second World War it is likely that he would have scored many more goals for Arsenal.
Despite being so young, Bastin made an immediate impact and was a regular in the Arsenal side through the '30s, earning him the nickname "Boy Bastin". With the Gunners, Bastin won the
FA Cup twice, in
1930 and
1936, and
the Football League five times, in
1931,
1933,
1934,
1935 and
1938. Bastin also played for
England national football team England 21 times, including a notorious match against
Germany national football team Germany in
Berlin in 1938, when the England team was ordered to give the
Roman salute Nazi salute before the match.
The Second World War intervened when Bastin was 27, thus cutting short what should have been the peak of his career. Bastin was excused military service, as he
hearing impairment failed the army hearing test. Thus, during the war, he served as an
Air Raid Precautions ARP Warden, being stationed on top of
Arsenal Stadium Highbury stadium with
Tom Whittaker (footballer) Tom Whittaker. He also played matches in the war-time league (but, strangely, not internationals) to boost civilian morale. In
1941,
Fascist Italy's
propaganda broadcast on Rome Radio, contained a bizarre claim that Bastin had been captured in the
Battle of Crete, and was being detained in Italy. The Italians were seemingly unaware that Bastin had played his entire career being almost entirely deaf.
Bastin had injured his right leg in the season before the war, which would go on to hamper his performances in wartime matches, and ultimately curtail his career. After the war was over, Bastin, by now in his thirties, would only play six more times before retiring in January
1947.
After retirement, Bastin returned to his native Exeter and ran a
public house pub. He died in
1991 at the age of 79. A stand at
St James Park, Exeter's home ground, is named in his honour.
Category:1912 births Bastin, Cliff
Category:English footballers Bastin, Cliff
Category:England international footballers Bastin, Cliff
Category:Exeter City F.C. players Bastin, Cliff
Category:Arsenal F.C. players Bastin, Cliff
Category:1991 deaths Bastin, Cliff
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