Knight Arthur “A.E.” Image 5 Hampshire 1920

Description

Godalming, Surrey born Arthur Egerton “A.E.” Knight was a famous amateur sportsman who had a distinguished football and also played first class cricket. He played first class cricket for Hampshire for over a decade either side of the First World War, appearing in four matches for the County between 1913 and 1923, and such was his esteem that he captained the side on his appearances in 1921 and 1923. He scored 41 runs in 7 innings with a high score of 29, and also once bowled, returning figures of 1-17 in 3 overs.

As a footballer, playing at left back, he first played football for Godalming in 1907, and played for The Corinthians in 1908 before he joined Southern League Portsmouth the same year, making his debut at Croydon Common in November 1909 and remaining with them both sides of the War, during which he served as a Captain in the Army, firstly with The Hampshire Regiment and then with The Border Regiment.

He won 26 Amateur international caps for England between December 1909, when he played in a 9-1 win over The Netherlands at Stamford Bridge, and May 1923, when he captained England in a 3-0 defeat to Belgium in Brussels, scoring a penalty in a 2-1 win over The Netherlands at Anlaby Road, Hull in November 1913. He was a double Olympian playing all 3 matches in Great Britain’s 1912 gold medal winning Olympic  Games team in Stockholm, he also captained Great Britain in their defeat to Norway in Antwerp in the Olympic Games in August 1920.

He captained England in an unofficial Victory International as England lost to Wales at Ninian Park, Cardiff in October 1919. He was selected for full England international recognition two weeks later, again having the honour of captaining his country in a 1-1 draw against Ireland at Windsor Park, Belfast in October 1919, his only full England cap.

After peacetime football resumed in 1919, he returned to Fratton Park, captaining Pompey as they won the Southern League Championship in 1920. When Portsmouth joined the Football League in 1920 he continued to captain them playing 36 games in their first two seasons in the Football League, adding to his 170 Southern League and FA Cup appearances (he scored once in an FA Cup tie for Portsmouth).  Having played for The Corinthians before his Portsmouth career, he resumed playing for them after leaving Portsmouth, retiring in 1931, and was granted honorary life membership of The Corinthians subsequently.

He was posthumously inducted into the Pompey Hall of Fame in 2015.

NB In this image, issued to celebrate Portsmouth’s 1920 Southern League Championship, Knight is at 1 o’clock.

The players are as follows:

1 o’clock – Arthur “A.E.” Knight (Captain/Right back)

2 o’clock – Joe Turner (Right Half)

3 o’clock – Shirley Abbott (Centre half)

4 o’clock – Harry Buddery (Inside right)

5 o’clock – James Hogg (Outside right)

6 o’clock – Joe Armstrong (Centre forward)

7 o’clock – Frank Stringfellow (Inside left)

8 o’clock – Billy James (Outside left)

9 o’clock – Jack Harwood (Centre half)

10 o’clock – Ernie Thompson (Left half)

11 o’clock – Billy Probert (Left back)

12 o’clock – Ed Robson (Goalkeeper)