Every football club has legends whose names echo through the decades. Arsenal have more than most. But one name doesn’t get shouted from the rooftops nearly enough: Ted Drake.
That could be about to change.
The Football Association has confirmed that Drake’s name has been added to a shortlist for future area naming at its football facilities. It’s a step that feels long overdue for a man who still holds records nobody has touched in over 90 years.
And it wouldn’t have happened without his great-grandson, Liam Harding, refusing to let the world forget.
A Record-Breaker Whose Numbers Still Stagger
Let’s talk about what Drake actually did on a football pitch. Because the numbers are ridiculous — even by modern standards.
He scored 139 goals in just 184 Arsenal appearances between 1934 and 1939. His 44 goals in a single season remain an Arsenal club record to this day. He was also the fastest Gunner to reach 100 goals, doing it in a mere 108 matches.
Then there’s the big one.
On 14 December 1935, Drake scored all seven goals in Arsenal’s 7-1 demolition of Aston Villa at Villa Park. That record — the most goals by one player in a top-flight English match — still stands. Nobody’s come close in nearly 91 years.
What makes it even more remarkable? He played that game carrying a knee injury, heavily strapped up. He’d even tripped on the perimeter track during warmup, cutting his arm. Seven goals from just eight shots. He claimed an eighth hit the crossbar and crossed the line, but the referee waved it off.
Drake later recalled the referee’s response: “Cor blimey Ted, you’ve got seven already.”
Beyond Highbury, Drake earned five England caps, scoring six goals. His debut came in the infamous ‘Battle of Highbury’ against reigning world champions Italy in 1934 — a match featuring a record seven Arsenal players in the England starting lineup.
After a spinal injury forced his retirement in 1945, Drake moved into management. At Chelsea, he became the first person in history to win the English top-flight title as both a player and a manager, leading the Blues to their maiden championship in 1955.
One Family’s Mission to Keep the Legacy Alive
The FA’s acknowledgement didn’t happen by accident. It’s the latest milestone in a years-long campaign driven by Harding, who’s been tireless in preserving his great-grandfather’s place in football history.
In 2025, Harding secured a memorial plaque at Highbury, where Drake’s ashes have rested since his passing in 1995. He then successfully campaigned for Drake’s induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame in Manchester — after an initial attempt narrowly missed by a single vote.
Now, Harding has his sights on a London Blue Plaque at Drake’s former home in Raynes Park, following an unsuccessful bid for a national plaque at his Southampton birthplace.
The FA responded to Harding’s approach with a confirmation that Drake would be added to the list of England legends under consideration for area naming. Harding admitted the response caught him off guard.
“I felt I’d exhausted almost every route to preserve Ted’s legacy,” he said. “To be honest, I didn’t expect much. He only played five games for England, it was near-impossible to find a direct phone number online, and I thought my email would just get lost or ignored. This is incredible news.”
Why Ted Drake Deserves Every Bit of Recognition
There’s no guarantee an area will ultimately bear Drake’s name. But the FA’s decision to formally consider him is meaningful. It acknowledges a footballer whose influence stretched across two of England’s biggest clubs and whose records have outlasted entire eras of the game.
Drake himself put it best in a 1992 interview with Arsenal: “My job was to put my head where no one else dared to. My headache would be gone in the morning, but the memory of scoring the goal would live with me forever.”
That’s the spirit Harding is fighting to preserve. And based on everything Drake achieved for Arsenal, Chelsea, and England, it’s hard to argue he doesn’t deserve it.
Football has a habit of overlooking its pre-war heroes. Harding’s campaign is making sure that doesn’t happen to Ted Drake. The FA’s latest move suggests the rest of the football world might finally be listening.