Cliff Bastin's 100th Birthday

If the legend was alive today he'd be 100. Cliff Bastin was an integral player during Herbert Chapman's reign as manager and contributed to the great Arsenal side of the 1930's.

Incidentally with 178 goals in 396 games he was our all-time record goal scorer up until 1997 when a certain Ian Wright surpassed it.

Extract from Arsenal.com:

"The honours flowed. By the age of 19 Bastin had won a League title, the FA Cup and an England cap, making him the youngest player to achieve that particular hat-trick. In total he scooped five League titles with Arsenal and added a second FA Cup triumph in 1936.

The arrival of centre forward Ted Drake in March 1934 forced Bastin to adapt his game and position. While Drake scored the lion's share of Arsenal goals, injuries to James meant Bastin assumed the role of creator. However, he still scored 17 goals in the 1935/36 campaign.

He was back in his favourite position of outside left and contributed 17 goals in another title season in 1937/38 and, as he reached his mid-20s, Bastin's best years still seemed to be ahead of him.

It was not to be. Injuries sidelined Bastin for much of the following campaign before the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 cut short his glittering career. The conflict surely cost Bastin further honours and - quite possibly - a goals tally than even Henry and Wright might have struggled to match."

Heroes come and go but Legends never die