Herbert Chapman plaque: The legendary Arsenal and Huddersfield manager who was forged in Sheffield
He was one of the greatest football managers of all time, and now his links with Sheffield have been revealed.
Herbert Chapman was famed for creating two of the most successful football teams in history, at Huddersfield in the 1920s and Arsenal in the 1930s.
But less well known is that Chapman played for Sheffield United as a player, and, having been born in Kiveton Park, Rotherham, went on to study at what is now Sheffield University before he became a footballing legend.
His connection has been marked with a new plaque, unveiled today by his oldest surviving relative, nephew Ken Chapman, at the university on Portobello Road.
Famous names from football were at the unveiling, including former Sheffield United star Tony Currie , and ex Sheffield Wednesday striker Andy Booth, who now works for Huddersfield Town.
Arsenal FC officials were also present at the unveiling, as well as members of the Chapman family.
“Herbert Chapman is widely regarded as one of the greatest football the managers of all time-and arguably the greatest,’ said historian Steve Wood a trustee of the charity, Sheffield Home of Football (SHOF), which has now unveiled 13 blue plaques in the city over the last two years.
Chapman was born in Kiveton Park, near Rotherham in 1878. His father, John, was a coal miner, but rather than spend his own life working down the pit, the young Herbert won a place at the Sheffield Technical College, later to become part of the University of Sheffield, where he gained a diploma from the Institute of Mining Engineers.
Chapman transformed two ordinary teams into giants of the English game in Huddersfield and Arsenal.
Wood added: “In the early 1920s London football was consistently struggling to compete with the footballing powerhouses of the North and Midlands.
“Herbert Chapman stopped the rot and made Arsenal into a team to be respected, even grudgingly admired, across the United Kingdom.
”He created a team of entertainers. In the 1930-31 season Arsenal’s final total of 66 points (in the two points for a win era) was the highest any team had ever recorded at that time, and Arsenal’s incredible tally of127 league goals remains a club record.
”It was the first time a London side, or any side from the South of England had won a football league title.”
Former Blade Tony Currie said: “I think he got most of his ideas and his tactics from Sheffield United when he was a player there.”
He said he felt a connection to Chapman, because the ex-manager was buried in the same churchyard in Hendon, London, where he got married.
Owls legend Andy Booth, who also played for Huddersfield, said the plaque meant a lot to Huddersfield fans because Chapman’s success was massive for Huddersfield. He said: “I’m proud to be here today to see his plaque being unveiled.”
The plaque was paid for by Steve Hann, a London based lifelong Arsenal fan who got in touch with SHOF, offering his support for this memorial.
“This plaque is a celebration of Sheffield’s heritage and the people who helped shape it,” said Professor Graham Gee from the University of Sheffield.
”Herbert Chapman studied at Sheffield Technical College on what is now the University of Sheffield campus, and we’re proud to recognise that link here today.
“It is a privilege to work with Sheffield Home of Football to celebrate Sheffield as the home of football and to champion the heritage that makes this city unique.”