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Donald George Beaumont Roper (14 December 1922 – 8 June 2001) was an English footballer.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Donald George Beaumont Roper | ||
| Date of birth | 14 December 1922 | ||
| Place of birth | Botley, Hampshire, England | ||
| Date of death | 8 June 2001 (aged 78) | ||
| Place of death | Southampton, Hampshire, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward / Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Bitterne Nomads | |||
| Eastleigh | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1940–1947 | Southampton | 40 | (8) |
| 1947–1957 | Arsenal | 297 | (88) |
| 1957–1959 | Southampton | 80 | (32) |
| 1959–1960 | Weymouth | 33 | (10) |
| 1960–1963 | Dorchester Town | 103 | (31) |
| International career | |||
| 1953 | England B | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Sporting career edit
Football edit
Roper was born in December 1922 at Botley, Hampshire. He was a prolific schoolboy footballer, who played for Hedge End at youth level and played his early league football for Bitterne Nomads in the Hampshire League.[2] It was while playing for Bitterne Nomads what he was scouted by Toby Keleher, assistant manager to Tom Parker,[3] and in July 1940 was persuaded to sign for his local club, Southampton, making his debut for them during wartime matches. During the war, he was employed in Southampton at the Supermarine factory, where he helped to manufacture the Spitfire.[3] During the war, he was Southampton's leading goalscorer in wartime competitions, having formed a successful strike partnership with Ted Bates.[3] Against Arsenal in 1944, his performance in a 4–2 victory was described as "remarkable", with then Arsenal manager George Allison monitoring his development as a player.[3] By the resumption of competitive football in 1946, Roper had established himself as a "two-footed powerful (right) winger" in the Football League Second Division.[4]
After impressing in the Second Division in 1946–47, he was signed by Arsenal in the close season by Allison's successor Tom Whittaker (who had watched Roper at The Dell eleven times during that season)[5] for £12,000, plus George Curtis and Tom Rudkin moving in the opposite direction, an estimated total fee of £24,000.[1] His move to Arsenal was described as "one of the most drawn-out and delicate deals in the history of football transfers".[2] Roper immediately became a regular for Arsenal, playing 40 times and scoring ten goals in 1947–48, as Arsenal won the First Division.[5] He formed partnerships with Archie Macaulay and Ronnie Rooke,[2][5] with Arsenal's success being in stark contrast to their previous season, in which they had avoided relegation.[2] He switched to the left wing in 1949–50, but was displaced by both Denis Compton and Freddie Cox in Arsenal's FA Cup-winning side of 1950.[5][2]
He regained his place the following season, and continued to be a near ever-present for Arsenal for the next five.[6] He played in Arsenal's 1952 FA Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, although in that match he was forced to deputise for full back Walley Barnes after Barnes was stretchered off with an injury.
In 1952–53 Roper enjoyed one of his finest seasons – winning another League title and earned an England B cap against Scotland B, although he never played for the full England side. He also scored five in a friendly match against Hibernian in 1952, which was one of the first in the country to be played under floodlights.
Roper enjoyed another two seasons as a first-team regular, but lost his Arsenal first-team place during 1955–56, dropping down to the reserves. He played 321 matches for Arsenal in total, scoring 95 goals.[6]
He rejoined former club Southampton who were now in the Third Division (South), in January 1957.[7] He went on to become club captain, playing alongside star player Derek Reeves and the young Terry Paine. At the end of the 1958–59 season Roper fell out with the club over terms and alleged promises from Ted Bates of a place as trainer and left nursing a grudge which he never overcame, refusing to attend any club reunions or even to visit The Dell.[4]
He finished his career by playing for Weymouth and Dorchester Town, finally retiring from the game in 1963.
Cricket edit
Described by Wisden as a "useful middle order batsman",[8] Roper made a single appearance as an amateur in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Cambridge University at Portsmouth in 1947.[9] Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed in Hampshire's first innings for 30 runs by Michael Mills, while in their second innings he was dismissed without scoring by Guy Willatt.[10] After joining Arsenal, he played club cricket in London for Southgate Cricket Club.[8]
Later life and death edit
After retiring from football, he settled in Southampton and worked as an engineer. He died at Southampton in 2001, at the age of 78, having suffered from Parkinson's disease.[6][2]
Honours edit
- Arsenal[6]
- First Division championship: 1947–48, 1952–53
- FA Cup finalist: 1952
- FA Charity Shield: 1948, 1953[11][12]
References edit
- ^ a b Chalk, Gary; Holley, Duncan; Bull, David (2013). All the Saints: A Complete Players' Who's Who of Southampton FC. Bristol: Hagiology Publishing. pp. 452–453. ISBN 9780992686406.
- ^ a b c d e f Glanville, Brian (27 June 2001). "Obituary: Don Roper". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Donald George Beaumont Roper AKA Don Roper". www.saintsplayers.co.uk. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ a b Holley, Duncan; Chalk, Gary (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton F.C. Bristol: Hagiology Publishing. p. 574. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
- ^ a b c d "Don Roper". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Don Roper". Arsenal.com.
- ^ "Don Roper". 11v11.com.
- ^ a b Wright, Graeme (2002). Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (139 ed.). Alton, Hampshire: John Wisden & Co. Ltd. p. 1588. ISBN 0947766707.
- ^ "First-Class Matches played by Don Roper". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Hampshire v Cambridge University, University Match 1947". CricketArchive. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
- ^ "1948/49 Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- ^ "1953/54 F.A. Charity Shield". footballsite.co.uk. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
- Harris, Jeff (1995). Hogg, Tony (ed.). Arsenal Who's Who. Independent UK Sports. ISBN 1-899429-03-4.