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Arthur Chandler is one of Leicester City’s true legends. The photo above is unique and iconic with Bob Lee and Frank Worthington in the same frame. In honor of Arthur’s 80th birthday in 1975.
Matched only by Arthur Rowley for the title of Leicester City’s greatest ever marksman. “Channy” scored the highest total, the other Arthur had the better score ratio. This Cockney striker was an inspired purchase from Peter Hodge. He had just 18 senior goals to his name before arriving at Filbert Street. QPR mainly regarded him as a supporting player. Based on his age alone, they thought he might be past his prime. Tough and courageous, but also resilient. Arthur then made a record 118 consecutive appearances from the date of his Leicester debut.
He scored in both top divisions with hits from every angle and distance. Strangely enough, he never contributed a single penalty for such an accurate shot in his entire career. Against Chelsea in September 1924 he had one saved by B. Howard Baker.
He equaled Fred Shinton’s long-standing single-season scoring record for the club during the 1925 promotion campaign. Eclipsed it with 34 goals in both 1928 and 1929, and also equaled Johnny Duncan’s record of six goals in a match (against Portsmouth, October 1928, inaugurating the legend of the six swans flying over).
He clearly deserved the international recognition that was inexplicably denied him. Three times Arthur Chandler played in the annual England trial match (once for North versus South, twice for The Rest versus England) and scored each time. A single appearance for the Football League, when they met the Scottish League at Filbert Street in 1927. When ‘Channy’ failed to score a goal for once, and a place on the 1929 FA tour of South Africa (which gave him 33 goals from 16 games, including six in the three ‘Test Matches’), were his only tangible honours.
There was also a clever tactical side to Arthur’s play. It was his enthusiastic suggestion that the end of the season friendly be held at Port Vale in May 1925. He played under the revised offside rule that was soon to come into effect. He scored a hat-trick in a 5–3 win. A consistent cherry character, Arthur hung up his boots after adding half a dozen goals to his range as a Magpie.
Later he was in some backroom at Leicester until well past retirement age. In this sense, Arthur’s true honor lay in embodying for successive generations of players and fans the very best traditions of both the club and the game.
A status recognized by the club when it eventually installed a cabinet containing items of ‘Channy’ memorabilia in the Filbert Street boardroom.
The record rivalry between Chandler and Rowley in the Leicester scores continues. Chandler scored the most home goals (173 at Filbert Street, to Rowley’s 103). Rowley claimed 102 from away matches, surpassing Channy’s 100.
Both men take club laurels for competing against individual opponents. Chandler scored 15 goals against both Aston Villa and Newcastle. Rowley totaled 15 against Bury. Chandler scored a hat trick or better seventeen times, a feat Rowley achieved sixteen times.
FACT FILE:
- Full name: Arthur Clarence Hillier Chandler
- Position: Forward
- Date of birth: 27.11.1895
- Place of birth: London
- Country: England
- Caps / Goals: – / –
- Major League Career:
- 1920–23, Queens Park Rangers (78/16)
- 1923-1935, Leicester City (393/259)
- 1935, Notts County (6/10)
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