{"id":35486,"date":"2015-01-20T18:30:50","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T18:30:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/old.thearsenalhistory.com\/?p=9523"},"modified":"2026-03-14T09:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T09:53:55","slug":"arsenals-appearance-and-goalscoring-records-a-chronology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thearsenalcollection.org.uk\/?p=35486","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal’s Appearance and Goalscoring Records: A Chronology"},"content":{"rendered":"

RECORD BREAKERS!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

We’re sure that most of you are aware that David O’Leary has played most first team games for Arsenal and that Thierry Henry is the club’s record goalscorer. But what about before them? Which players previously held those records?<\/p>\n

APPEARANCES<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the appearances record we have started with the first player to play 100 times for the club – Gavin Crawford. Gavin hit that milestone on 19 December 1896, and went on to play a further 38 games. The table below shows how the record has been broken and the total appearances that player made. The exception is John Dick who\u00a0actually played 284 games but was overtaken by Jimmy Ashcroft who was a virtual ever-present during his time at Woolwich Arsenal whilst Dick played only sporadically after breaking the record.<\/p>\n

We’re not a big fan of including Charity Shield figures in first team statistics but it appears to have become the norm over recent years, so we have bowed to public pressure. Figures shown after the + sign are those made as a substitute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Player<\/strong><\/td>\nDate record broken<\/strong><\/td>\nTotal\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nLeague<\/strong><\/td>\nFA Cup<\/strong><\/td>\nLeague Cup<\/strong><\/td>\nEurope<\/strong><\/td>\nCS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gavin Crawford<\/td>\n23\/04\/1898<\/td>\n138<\/strong><\/td>\n122<\/td>\n16<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fred Davis<\/td>\n24\/12\/1898<\/td>\n150<\/strong><\/td>\n137<\/td>\n13<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John Anderson<\/td>\n06\/12\/1902<\/td>\n153<\/strong><\/td>\n144<\/td>\n9<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John Dick<\/td>\n07\/02\/1903<\/td>\n254<\/strong><\/td>\n239<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jimmy Ashcroft<\/td>\n23\/03\/1907<\/td>\n303<\/strong><\/td>\n273<\/td>\n30<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Roddy McEachrane<\/td>\n16\/01\/1911<\/td>\n346<\/strong><\/td>\n313<\/td>\n33<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Percy Sands<\/td>\n05\/04\/1915<\/td>\n350<\/strong><\/td>\n327<\/td>\n23<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alf Baker<\/td>\n07\/03\/1931<\/td>\n351<\/strong><\/td>\n310<\/td>\n41<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bob John<\/td>\n09\/01\/1932<\/td>\n470<\/strong><\/td>\n421<\/td>\n46<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
George Armstrong<\/td>\n04\/09\/1973<\/td>\n621<\/strong><\/td>\n490+10<\/td>\n58+2<\/td>\n35<\/td>\n24+2<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
David O’Leary<\/td>\n04\/11\/1989<\/td>\n722<\/strong><\/td>\n523+35<\/td>\n66+4<\/td>\n68+2<\/td>\n21<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\"Alf
Alf Baker, George Armstrong and David O’Leary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

GOALSCORERS<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the goalscorers we started with the first player to reach 25 goals. This was James Henderson who scored his quarter century on 22 September 1894, helped along with a healthy number of goals in the FA Cup qualifying competition against the likes of City Ramblers, Ashford and 2nd Scots Guards. Henry Boyd<\/a> is Arsenal’s most prolific goalscorer of those who have scored more than 30 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Player<\/strong><\/td>\nDate record broken<\/strong><\/td>\nTotal<\/strong><\/td>\nLeague<\/strong><\/td>\nFA Cup<\/strong><\/td>\nLeague Cup<\/strong><\/td>\nEurope<\/strong><\/td>\nCS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James Henderson<\/td>\n26\/01\/1895<\/td>\n31<\/strong><\/td>\n19<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Henry Boyd<\/td>\n05\/12\/1896<\/td>\n32<\/strong><\/td>\n32<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Adam Haywood<\/td>\n18\/03\/1899<\/td>\n36<\/strong><\/td>\n31<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bill Gooing<\/td>\n26\/10\/1903<\/td>\n48<\/strong><\/td>\n45<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tim Coleman<\/td>\n07\/10\/1905<\/td>\n84<\/strong><\/td>\n79<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jimmy Brain<\/td>\n07\/05\/1927<\/td>\n139<\/strong><\/td>\n125<\/td>\n14<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cliff Bastin<\/td>\n28\/12\/1935<\/td>\n178<\/strong><\/td>\n150<\/td>\n26<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ian Wright<\/td>\n13\/09\/1997<\/td>\n185<\/strong><\/td>\n128<\/td>\n12<\/td>\n29<\/td>\n15<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Thierry Henry<\/td>\n02\/11\/2005<\/td>\n228<\/strong><\/td>\n175<\/td>\n8<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n42<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Thierry Henry looks likely to hold on to his record for quite a while.\u00a0Theo Walcott is the current player with the most goals having amassed just 69 goals in nine years.<\/p>\n

\"Jimmy
Jimmy Brain and Cliff Bastin<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, we have how the record for most goals scored in a season has progressed. Prior to 1893-94 Arsenal only played in the FA Cup, hence the low figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Player<\/strong><\/td>\nSeason<\/strong><\/td>\nTotal<\/strong><\/td>\nLeague<\/strong><\/td>\nFA Cup<\/strong><\/td>\nCS<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Humphrey Barbour<\/td>\n1889-90<\/td>\n4<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jimmy Meggs<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Hope Robertson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
William Scott<\/td>\n<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Charlie Booth<\/td>\n1892-93<\/td>\n5<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James Henderson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n5<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
James Henderson<\/td>\n1893-94<\/td>\n19<\/strong><\/td>\n12<\/td>\n7<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
John “Tim” Coleman<\/td>\n1902-03<\/td>\n19<\/strong><\/td>\n17<\/td>\n2<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tommy Shanks<\/td>\n1903-04<\/td>\n25<\/strong><\/td>\n24<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Harry King<\/td>\n1914-15<\/td>\n29<\/strong><\/td>\n26<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jimmy Brain<\/td>\n1925-26<\/td>\n37<\/strong><\/td>\n34<\/td>\n3<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jack Lambert<\/td>\n1930-31<\/td>\n39<\/strong><\/td>\n38<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ted Drake<\/td>\n1934-35<\/td>\n44<\/strong><\/td>\n42<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Since Ted Drake’s record was set, the most goals scored by an Arsenal player in one season is 39\u00a0by Thierry Henry\u00a0in 2003-04.<\/p>\n

For those purists who only count league goals, the record was broken and equaled twice between James Henderson’s 12 and Tim Coleman’s 17. Peter Mortimer scored 14 in 1894-95, which was equaled by Paddy O’Brien in 1896-97. Fergus Hunt upped it to 15 in 1898-99, and Ralph Gaudie matched him in 1899-1900. After that, it was as per the list.<\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n

Copies of our books Royal Arsenal \u2013 Champions of the South<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Arsenal: The Complete Record 1886-2018<\/a>\u00a0are still available from the publishers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

RECORD BREAKERS! We’re sure that most of you are aware that David O’Leary has played most first team games for…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[680,660,673,670,686,664,661,687,657,675,679,653,648],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35486","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-players-a","category-players-b","category-players-c","category-players-d","category-players-g","category-players-h","category-players-j","category-players-m","category-players-o","category-players-s","category-players-w","category-the-arsenal","category-woolwich-arsenal"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p87inb-9em","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46881,"url":"https:\/\/thearsenalcollection.org.uk\/?p=46881","url_meta":{"origin":35486,"position":0},"title":"Chido Joins The Arsenal Elite","author":"arsenalcollection","date":"27 April 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Arsenal players with seven or more goals in a game Followers of Arsenal's academy can't help but have noticed schoolboy Chido Martin Obi's rich vein of form. 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