208 Arthur Childs

Biography

Strapping six foot tall centre half Arthur Childs joined the Tigers in April 1928, City agreeing to pay a £750 fee for the Darlington defender. He scored on his debut in a 2-2 draw against Southampton then added another goal a week later in his third start against Wolves. Despite being assigned the centre half role Arthur appeared eager to get forward and score the occasional goal throughout his three seasons at Anlaby Road. He dropped out of the City side in November 1928 after a 1-5 drubbing at Bradford Park Avenue, sustaining an injured ankle in the same match that Geordie Maddison ricked his back. Childs returned on Christmas Day but was dropped again in mid-January 1929 after ex-Tigers striker Paddy Mills netted a hattrick in a 0-6 defeat to Notts County.

Arthur began the 1929/30 season back in the centre of City’s defence and he missed only four of 37 fixtures as City started well in the League, then dropped away alarmingly as they progressed to the FA Cup Semi Final against Arsenal. Childs started all seven cup ties and was sent off in controversial circumstances in the March 1930 semi-final replay against Arsenal, which City lost narrowly by a single goal. Despite their Cup exploits City were relegated to Division Three North at the end of the season as Arthur missed the last two months due to injury. He began the 1930/31 season back in the first team and scored his last two goals for the Tigers against Darlington and Lincoln during September 1930. His place was taken by Yorkshireman Albert Cooke in February 1931 and Childs left the club in the 1931 close season.

John Arthur Childs was born in Acomb near York but was raised in the terraced houses of north Darlington close the North Road railway engine works. After spending his early days playing for Shildon Athletic, Childs joined local Division Three North side Darlington in June 1923 and made his debut nine months later at the age of 19 in a March 1924 League match at Walsall. He made two further appearances the following season as Darlington were promoted to Division Two, then nine starts during the 1925/26 season, scoring his first senior goal in October 1925 against Portsmouth. Childs remained a second choice centre back for the Quakers during the next two seasons as they were relegated back to Division Three North, and left the club in the summer of 1928 having made 27 starts in five seasons, adding two goals.

Childs joined Division Three South side Exeter City in the 1931 close season and he was a first team regular for two seasons before falling out of favour and making only four starts in the 1933/34 season, taking his tally with the Grecians to 64 starts and four goals. In May 1934 he returned to Darlington and served the Quakers for another two seasons, scoring five goals in 20 starts while also maintaining a second career as club professional at Darlington Railway Association cricket club.

A brief spell at Durham City saw Childs draw an end to his footballing days in 1936. By 1939 Arthur and his wife were managing the Caledonian Hotel in Northgate, Darlington, a role they fulfilled until the late 1950s when he took the role of steward at Whitley Bay golf club near Newcastle Upon Tyne. Childs later moved to Northallerton where he died in the early weeks of 1963.

Details

Nationality: England
Date/Place of Birth: 25 April 1904, Acomb
Hull City First Game: 25 August 1928, Southampton H (Division Two), 24 years, 122 days old
Hull City Final Game: 21 February 1931, Barrow H (Division Three North), 26 years, 302 days old

Clubs

Shildon Athletic, Darlington (1923-1928), Hull City (1928-1931), Exeter City (1931-1934), Darlington (1934-1936), Durham City (1936)

Hull City Record

Career: 84 apps, 8 goals

Arthur Childs

Season	LGE App	LGE Gls	FAC App	FAC Gls	FLC App	FLC Gls	EUR App	EUR Gls	OTH App	OTH Gls
1928/29	21	3	2	0	–	–	–	–	–	–
1929/30	30	3	7	0	–	–	–	–	–	–
1930/31	23	2	1	0	–	–	–	–	–	–