Clifford Charles Holton (29 April 1929 – 31 May 1996) was an English
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
.
Born in
Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...
, Holton played as a
full back for non-league
Oxford City as a youth, before joining
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in October 1947 at the age of 18. He spent three seasons in Arsenal's' reserve team, eventually converting to a
centre forward
Forwards (also known as attackers) are outfield positions in an association football team who play the furthest up the pitch and are therefore most responsible for scoring goals as well as assisting them. As with any attacking player, the role ...
, although his progress was restricted in part by
national service
National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.
The ...
.
He made his debut against
Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Sto ...
on 26 December 1950; initially a bit-part player, he became an established regular in the side in
1951–52 and remained there for three seasons. He was in the Arsenal side to reach the FA Cup Final in 1952.
With 22 goals (19 of them in the league) he helped Arsenal to a
First Division title in
1952–53. However, he lost his place in the Arsenal side in
1954–55, before returning the following season (
1955–56), having been converted into a utility man – playing in
defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indust ...
,
midfield
Midfield is the part of a sports field that lies approximately in the center. In American football, association football (soccer) and field hockey, it is the area in and around the center circle, as well as the players who occupy that region. In ...
or up front. He continued to figure for Arsenal for another three seasons and on 6 October 1956, he scored four goals in a home match against
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...
, becoming the first player since
Jack Lambert to score more than three in a game at
Highbury
Highbury is a district in North London and part of the London Borough of Islington
in Greater London that was owned by Ranulf brother of Ilger and included all the areas north and east of Canonbury and Holloway Roads.
The manor house was situ ...
. In all he scored 88 goals in 217 matches for Arsenal. Although he was often tipped for an
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
place, he never won a cap for his country.
Holton was sold to
Watford
Watford () is a town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal en ...
in October 1958 for £9,000,
a somewhat surprising move, considering Watford were in the newly formed
Fourth Division at the time. Holton spent three seasons with the Hornets, mostly at centre forward. He formed a successful partnership with
Dennis Uphill, scoring a club record 48 goals in
1959–60, which also saw the club promoted to the
Third Division. Holton was then controversially sold to
Northampton Town
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Northampton, England. The team plays in , the fourth tier of the English football league system.
Founded in 1897, the club competed in the Midland L ...
in 1961 where he scored a club record 36 goals in
1961–62, thus achieving the rare feat of holding the all-time goals in a season record at two different clubs.
Holton went on to play for
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition buildin ...
, signing in December 1962
and was part of the Palace side which achieved promotion to the second tier in 1964, with 43 appearances that season scoring 20 goals. He then signed for Watford (for a second time) on 6 May 1965,
before moving on to
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, south-east London, which compete in . Their home ground is The Valley, where the club have played since 1919. They have also played at The Mount in ...
(in a deal which saw
Stewart Scullion move in the opposite direction)
[ and subsequently ]Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient Football Club is a professional football club based in Leyton, East London, England, who compete in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. They are the second oldest football club in London to play at a profes ...
. He finally retired in 1968, due in part to a knee injury,engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
. He died suddenly while on holiday in 1996, at the age of 67.
Honours
* First Division: 1952–53
*FA Charity Shield
The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is English football's annual match contested at Wembley Stadium between the champions of the previous Premier League season and the holders of the FA Cup. If the Premier L ...
: 1953
References
*
*
External links
Cliff Holton Stats at neilbrown.comCliff Holton at holmesdale.net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holton, Cliff
1929 births
Military personnel from Oxfordshire
20th-century British Army personnel
English footballers
Men's association football forwards
Arsenal F.C. players
Watford F.C. players
Northampton Town F.C. players
Crystal Palace F.C. players
Charlton Athletic F.C. players
Leyton Orient F.C. players
1996 deaths
Footballers from Oxford
London XI players
English Football League players
English cricketers
Oxfordshire cricketers
FA Cup final players