Hooper Arthur Image 1 Manchester United 1913

Description

Brierley Hill, Staffordshire born inside left Arthur Hooper began his football career with Kidderminster Harriers from where he was signed by First Division club Manchester United, making his Football League debut in a 5-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in January 1910, Hooper scoring his only goal for United in the match. He played one further match two weeks later at Preston North End in his debut season, and played twice more in 1910-11 but had to wait until October 1913 for another first team opportunity with United, playing 3 matches before the year end to take his total to 7 in five seasons. In the summer of 1914 he joined Southern League club Crystal Palace, where he scored twice in 18 appearances for Palace before the onset of the First World War forced the suspension of peacetime football in May 1915.

In December 1915, over a year since the outbreak of the First World War, Hooper enlisted in the British Army under The Derby Scheme. He was mobilised on 1st July 1916 and joined the Worcestershire Regiment. Prior to that point, he had worked in munitions. Hooper served as a corporal during the final 14 months of the First World War and saw action at the Polygon Wood, Broodseinde, Poelcappelle and on the Italian Front. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head on 30th July 1918 and after recovering, he was attached to the Labour Corps and made acting company sergeant major of the 517th Prisoner of War Company. Hooper return to Britain and was transferred to the reserve list in September 1919. But after the War he did not resume his football career.