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{{short description|English association football player and manager (1878–1934)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Herbert Chapman
| image = Herbert Chapman 1.jpg
| image_size = 200
| caption = 
| alt = 
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1878|1|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kiveton Park]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1934|1|6|1878|1|19|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Hendon]], England
| position = [[Inside forward]]
| years1 = –1896
| years2 = 1896–1897
| years3 = 1897
| years4 = 1897–1898
| years5 = 1898–1899
| years6 = 1899
| years7 = 1899–1900
| years8 = 1900–1901
| years9 = 1901–1902
| years10 = 1902–1903
| years11 = 1903–1905
| years12 = 1904–1905
| years13 = 1905–1907
| years14 = 1907–1909
| clubs1 = [[Kiveton Park F.C.|Kiveton Park]]
| clubs2 = [[Ashton North End F.C.|Ashton North End]]
| clubs3 = [[Stalybridge Rovers F.C.|Stalybridge Rovers]]
| clubs4 = [[Rochdale A.F.C. (1896)|Rochdale]]
| clubs5 = [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]]
| clubs6 = [[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]]<ref name="sl">Appearances and goals are for the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]]</ref>
| clubs7 = [[Sheppey United F.C.|Sheppey United]]
| clubs8 = [[Worksop Town F.C.|Worksop Town]]
| clubs9 = [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]]<ref name="sl"/>
| clubs10 = [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]]
| clubs11 = [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]
| clubs12 = → [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]] (loan)
| clubs13 = [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]]<ref name="sl"/>
| clubs14 = [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]]
| caps1 = 
| goals1 = 
| caps2 = 
| goals2 = 
| caps3 = 
| goals3 = 
| caps4 = 
| goals4 = 
| caps5 = 10
| goals5 = 4
| caps6 = 3
| goals6 = 2
| caps7 = 
| goals7 = 
| caps8 = 
| goals8 = 
| caps9 = 22
| goals9 = 14
| caps10 = 21
| goals10 = 2
| caps11 = 7
| goals11 = 1
| caps12 = 
| goals12 = 
| caps13 = 42
| goals13 = 16
| manageryears1 = 1907–1912
| manageryears2 = 1912–1918
| manageryears3 = 1921–1925
| manageryears4 = 1925–1934
| managerclubs1 = [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]]
| managerclubs2 = [[Leeds City F.C.|Leeds City]]
| managerclubs3 = [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]
| managerclubs4 = [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
}}

'''Herbert Chapman''' (19 January 1878&nbsp;– 6 January 1934) was an English [[Association football|football]] player and manager. Though he had an undistinguished playing career, he went on to become one of the most influential and successful managers in the early 20th century, before his sudden death in 1934. He is regarded as one of the game's greatest innovators.<ref>{{cite web |date=10 May 2017 |title=Herbert Chapman – The great innovator |url=https://www.arsenal.com/history/herbert-chapman/herbert-chapman-overview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107060627/https://www.arsenal.com/history/herbert-chapman/herbert-chapman-overview |archive-date=7 November 2017 |access-date=24 September 2023 |publisher=Arsenal F.C.}}</ref>

As a player, Chapman played for a variety of clubs, at [[English Football League|Football League]] and [[non-League football|non-League]] levels. His record was generally unremarkable as a player; he made fewer than 40&nbsp;League appearances over the course of a decade and did not win any major honours. Instead, he found success as a manager, first at [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]] between 1908 and 1912, which he led to a [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] title. This attracted the attention of larger clubs and he moved to [[Leeds City F.C.|Leeds City]], where he started to improve the team's fortunes before the [[First World War]] intervened. After the war ended, City were implicated in an illegal payments scandal and were eventually disbanded. Chapman was initially banned from football but successfully appealed. He took over at [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]], winning an [[FA Cup]] and two [[Football League First Division|First Division]] titles in the period of four years.

In 1925, [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] successfully tempted Chapman to join them, and he led the club to its first ever silverware by winning one FA Cup and two First Division titles. His work at Arsenal resulted in their becoming the dominant team of the 1930s – they won five League titles and two FA Cups in the decade before the suspension of football due to the outbreak of the [[Second World War]] – but he did not live to see the entirety of his team's success, dying suddenly from [[pneumonia]] in 1934, at the age of 55.

He is credited with improving Arsenal. He introduced new [[Football tactics and skills|tactics]] (the [[Formation (association football)#WM|WM formation]], which forms the core of most modern-day formations) and training techniques to the game and the use of physiotherapists. He led the team, rather than letting board members lead. He also used floodlighting and [[Squad number (association football)|numbered shirts]], entered European club competitions, and has received many posthumous honours in recognition.

==Early life==
Chapman was born in [[Kiveton Park]], near [[Rotherham]] on 19 January 1878.<ref>{{cite ODNB|id=39414|title=Chapman, Herbert}}</ref><ref name="chrishobbs">{{cite web |last=Hobbs |first=Chris |title=Herbert Chapman 1878–1934 |url=http://www.chrishobbs.com/herbertchapman.htm |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|date=January 2018}} His father, John, was a [[coal miner]], but rather than spend his own life working down the pit, the young Herbert was bright enough to win a place at Sheffield Technical College (later to become part of the [[University of Sheffield]]), where he studied [[mining engineering]].<ref name="kivetonhistory">{{cite web |title=Herbert Chapman |url=http://www.kivetonwaleshistory.co.uk/heritage/herbert-chapman |publisher=Kiveton Park & Wales History Society |access-date=29 November 2013}}</ref>

Chapman was one of eleven children<ref name="familyhistory"/> and was born into a keen sporting family, with two of his brothers also playing professional football. The most successful of these was his younger brother [[Harry Chapman (footballer, born 1880)|Harry]], who played for [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|The Wednesday]] during the 1900s, winning two League Championships and an FA Cup.<ref name="familyhistory"/> His elder brother Thomas played for [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]], while another brother, Matthew, later became a director of the same club.<ref name="familyhistory"/>

==Playing career==
Chapman's playing career was that of a typical journeyman, owing mostly to the fact he often played as an amateur; this meant that whether he could play for a particular club was dictated by whether he could find an appropriate job nearby.<ref name="kivetonhistory"/> He first played as a youth for his local side, [[Kiveton Park F.C.|Kiveton Park Colliery]],<ref name="chrishobbs"/> winning the [[Hatchard League|Hatchard Cup]] in 1894 alongside team-mate [[William Ross (footballer, born 1874)|William Ross]]. He left the village that summer to join [[Ashton North End F.C.|Ashton North End]], before moving on to [[Stalybridge Rovers F.C.|Stalybridge Rovers]]<ref name="chrishobbs"/> and then [[Rochdale A.F.C. (1896)|Rochdale]] (not to be confused with the modern-day [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]]) – all three clubs being members of the [[Lancashire League (football)|Lancashire League]]. Chapman played at [[inside forward|inside right]], and although he lacked the skill of his brother [[Harry Chapman (footballer, born 1880)|Harry Chapman]], he compensated for it with his strength and robustness.<ref>Page, pp. 45–46</ref>

In 1898, he moved to [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]].<ref>Barclay, pp. 77–79</ref> Though now playing in the professional [[Football League]], Chapman was still an amateur at this stage and obtained a job with a firm of local [[solicitor]]s to earn his way.<ref name="page46">Page, p. 46</ref> Grimsby started the season poorly – they were near the bottom of the division by [[Christmas]] and were beaten 7–0 by [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] in the [[FA Cup]], but rallied to finish tenth at the end of [[1898-99 in English football|the 1898–99 season]].<ref>{{cite web
| url=https://www.fchd.info/GRIMSBYT.HTM
| title=Grimsby Town
| work=Football Club History Database
}}</ref> By this time Chapman had been dropped from the team, having been unsuccessfully moved to [[centre forward]], an unfamiliar position for him.<ref>Studd, p. 25</ref> He was released by Grimsby and drifted down into non-league football with a brief spell at [[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]], playing three games and scoring twice,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Person.asp?PersonID=CHAPMANH | title=Herbert Chapman | work=Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk | access-date=29 November 2013}}</ref> but had to leave the club as he was unable to find a job in the area.<ref>Page, p. 50</ref> He moved on to see out the season with [[Sheppey United F.C.|Sheppey United]], who finished bottom of the [[Southern Football League|Southern League]] in [[1899-1900 in English football|1899–1900]].<ref name="southernleague"/> Chapman finished as United's top scorer but was injured at the end of this season, and still unable to find a job.<ref name="page51">Page, p. 51</ref> Disheartened, he returned to his home town and turned out for [[Worksop Town F.C.|Worksop Town]] of the [[Midland Football League (1889)|Midland League]] in [[1900-01 in English football|1900–01]], while resuming his studies, this time at Old Firth College in Sheffield.<ref name="page51"/>

Because of his studies, he mainly played for Worksop's reserves, but in a first-team match against [[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]] he caught the opposition's eye and they offered him a contract, leading him to turn professional for the first time in 1901.<ref name="studd28">Studd, p. 28</ref> He played for Northampton for the whole [[1901-02 in English football|1901–02]] season, finishing as top scorer with 14&nbsp;goals in 22&nbsp;games for the club.<ref name="page55"/> During that season he had impressed in an FA Cup match against [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]], leading them to offer Chapman a contract at the end of the season; Chapman accepted but dropped down to amateur status, wishing to make use of his engineering qualifications in the local area.<ref name="page55">Page, p. 55</ref> He played 22&nbsp;matches and scored twice for United, but struggled to keep his place in a team full of internationals, and was sold to [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] for £300 at the end of [[1902-03 in English football|1902–03]].<ref>Studd, p. 30</ref> Chapman turned professional again, but only made seven appearances in two years for County, scoring once.<ref>Studd, pp. 30–31</ref>

In 1904, Chapman moved back to his old club Northampton Town, playing a season effectively on loan from Notts County (as they kept his registration), before being transferred permanently in 1905 to [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] for £70.<ref>Page, pp. 62–63</ref> He scored eleven goals for Spurs in their [[1905-06 in English football|1905–06]] Southern League campaign.<ref>Page, p. 63</ref> He spent [[1906-07 in English football|1906–07]] in and out of the side, scoring just three goals. With the season drawing to a close, he decided that he had had "a good innings" and decided to leave Tottenham and professional football for good, in favour of pursuing his career in engineering.<ref>Studd, p. 33</ref>

==Managerial career==
===Northampton Town===
In 1907, as he was about to leave Tottenham Hotspur, Chapman had recommended Spurs team-mate [[Walter Bull]] to his old club Northampton Town, as their new manager. However, Bull changed his mind, and in turn recommended that Chapman take the job instead.<ref>Page, p. 67</ref> Chapman changed his mind about retiring from the game, and instead agreed to become player-manager of Northampton Town. Northampton had finished bottom of the Southern League two seasons running immediately before Chapman's appointment,<ref name="southernleague"/> but Chapman turned the club around within a short period of time.

At the time, teams rarely employed tactics of any sort – Chapman would later remark: "No attempt was made to organise victory. The most that I remember was the occasional chat between, say two men playing on the same wing."<ref>Say, p. 70</ref> As a manager, he sought to change that; after seeing Northampton lose to [[Norwich City F.C.|Norwich City]] despite dominating, Chapman opined that "a team can attack for too long".<ref name="Wilson 40">Wilson, p. 40</ref> He thus set about creating a tactical framework for all his players; he dropped the [[Wing half|half back]]s (midfield) back to give his [[Forward (football)|forward]]s more space and draw the opposition defenders out of the [[penalty area]],<ref name="studd3738"/> while encouraging his own back line to pass their way out of trouble.<ref>Page, p. 70</ref> Gradually, he created a style of highly organised, counter-attacking football, which was at odds with the prevailing orthodoxy but nevertheless highly effective; [[Swindon Town F.C.|Swindon Town]]'s [[England national football team|England international]] [[Harold John Fleming|Harold Fleming]], after losing 4–1 at home to Northampton, remarked to Chapman: "You have something more than a team: you have a machine."<ref name="studd46"/>

To allow his system to reach its full potential, Chapman encouraged his chairman to spend money on new players. The club's first ever transfer fee, £400, was paid for [[Wales national football team|Welsh international]] [[Lloyd Davies]] who remains Northampton's most capped player,<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Northampton Town Football Club |url=http://www.ntfc.co.uk/club/history/ |publisher=Northampton Town F.C. |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> winger [[Fred McDiarmid]] and [[Playmaker|playmaking]] [[centre half]] [[David McCartney]].<ref name="studd3738">Studd, pp. 37–38</ref> With this new talent, in his first season in charge, Chapman led Northampton to eighth place; with additional new signings, such as inside forward [[Albert Lewis (footballer)|Albert Lewis]] from [[Coventry City F.C.|Coventry City]], he used this as a springboard to take the Southern League title in [[1908-09 in English football|1908–09]],<ref name="southernleague">{{cite web |title=England – Southern League Final Tables |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engsouthernleaghist.html |url-status=live |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |access-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721195910/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engsouthernleaghist.html |archive-date=21 July 2010}}</ref> with Lewis finishing as top scorer.<ref name="studd40">Studd, p. 40</ref>

By now, Chapman had retired as a player in first-class football, having played his last match against [[Watford F.C.|Watford]] in January 1909,<ref name="studd40"/> but filled the gap he left, as well as showing his eye for spotting talent, by signing players such as future England international [[Fanny Walden]].<ref name="studd46">Studd, p. 46</ref> As Southern League champions, Northampton contested and lost the [[1909 FA Charity Shield]], 2–0 to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]],<ref>{{cite web |title=England – List of FA Charity/Community Shield Matches |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engsupcuphist.html |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> and although they did not win the Southern League title again during Chapman's time as manager, they finished in the top four in each of the following three seasons.<ref name="fchd_nt">{{cite web |title=Northampton Town |url=https://www.fchd.info/NORTHAMT.HTM |publisher=Football Club History Database |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> Additionally, they proved their mettle in the FA Cup against [[Football League First Division|First Division]] sides, knocking out [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|The Wednesday]] and taking [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] and Newcastle United to replays, losing 1–0 both times.<ref name="fchd_nt"/>

Chapman was keen to get Northampton Town into the [[Football League]], but with no automatic promotion or relegation rules at the time this proved very difficult. Chapman proposed a new two-division [[Football Alliance]] underneath the two divisions of the Football League, with automatic promotion and relegation (a similar system to the four-division League setup introduced in 1921), but this was rejected at the time (and would not come about until 1920).<ref>Studd, pp. 43–44</ref> In the 1912 close season, he was offered the chance to manage [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] [[Leeds City F.C.|Leeds City]], and with Northampton's blessing moved north again to join the League club.<ref name="page84">Page, p. 84</ref>

===Leeds City===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:LeedsCity1913.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Chapman (middle row, far left) with the [[Leeds City F.C.|Leeds City]] side of [[1913-14 in English football|1913–14]].]] -->
Leeds City had finished 19th in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]] in the season preceding Chapman's arrival, and were facing re-election. Chapman played an essential part in lobbying for the side's readmission and Leeds City were duly re-elected.<ref name="page84"/> That done, Chapman signed new talent such as [[Jimmy Speirs]] from [[Bradford City A.F.C.|Bradford City]] and despite some erratic performances – losing 6–0 in between two 5–1 wins, for example – City finished sixth in [[1912-13 in English football|1912–13]], Chapman's first season.<ref name="mightyleeds">{{cite web |title=Herbert Chapman (1912–19) |url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/managers/chapman1.htm |url-status=dead |work=mightyleeds.co.uk |access-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220195637/http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/managers/chapman1.htm |archive-date=20 February 2020}}</ref> Attendances rose at [[Elland Road]] from 8,500 to 13,000 in his first year,<ref name="mightyleeds"/> as Chapman's attacking side scored 70&nbsp;goals, the second-highest total in the entire division.<ref>{{cite web |title=Leeds City 1912–1913: English Division Two (old) Table |url=https://www.statto.com/football/teams/leeds-city/1912-1913 |url-status=live |work=Statto |access-date=29 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001190036/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/leeds-city/1912-1913 |archive-date=1 October 2015 }}</ref>

With a strengthening of the defence, City's form improved further the next season, in [[1913-14 in English football|1913–14]], coming fourth, two points outside the promotion places.<ref name="wafll">{{cite web |title=Herbert Chapman (1912–19) |url=http://www.wafll.com/leeds-managers/herbert-chapman.html |work=Leeds United Managers |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> Despite having failed on his promise to get the team promoted within two years, City's rising attendances and resulting better profits for the club kept the directors happy, and the club were confident of promotion in [[1914-15 in English football|1914–15]].<ref name="wafll"/> However, the declaration of the [[First World War]] disrupted Leeds City's season, with attendances down as men signed up to fight. Chapman by now had amassed a very large squad and was unable to pick a consistent side, continually changing his first-choice lineup.<ref>Page, pp. 92–93</ref> Leeds City lost six of their last eight games of the season, finishing just fifteenth.<ref name="wafll"/>

League football was suspended for the rest of the war, with Leeds City playing in regional competitions. With many players away fighting or having left the game due to a drop in wages, Leeds relied heavily on guest players during these matches.<ref name="leedsscandal"/> Chapman, meanwhile, had decided to help the war effort by taking up a position as manager of a [[Filling Factories|munitions factory]] at [[Barnbow]], near [[Cross Gates]] in 1916.<ref>Page, pp. 97–98</ref> For the next two years, City's assistant manager, [[George Cripps]] stood in for Chapman on the administrative side, while chairman [[Joe Connor (footballer born 1877)|Joe Connor]] and another director took charge of the team.<ref name="leedsscandal">{{cite web | url=http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/history/scandal19.htm | title=History of the Club – the Leeds City Scandal | work=mightyleeds.co.uk | access-date=29 June 2008 }}</ref>

Chapman returned to Leeds City from Barnbow after hostilities had ended, but resigned suddenly in December 1918, eventually moving to [[Selby]] to take up a position as a superintendent at an [[petroleum|oil]] and [[coke (fuel)|coke]] works.<ref>Studd, p. 70</ref> No reason was given for his resignation, but as football resumed in [[1919-20 in English football|1919–20]], Leeds City were accused by a former player of financial irregularities, involving illegal payments to guest players during wartime matches.<ref name="leedsscandal"/> No documentary evidence was produced, but Leeds' refusal to allow the authorities access to their financial records was deemed a sign of guilt, and they were expelled from the Football League in October 1919 and five club officials, including Chapman, were banned from football for life.<ref name="leedsscandal"/> The club was dissolved, with the players auctioned off and their Elland Road ground taken over by the newly formed [[Leeds United F.C.|Leeds United]].<ref name="leedsscandal"/>

===Huddersfield Town===
[[File:Huddersfield Town 1922.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Chapman (standing far left), with the [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] team of [[1921-22 in English football|1921–22]], the season they first won the [[FA Cup]]]]
Chapman was still working at the coke works in Selby when his ban was imposed, but by Christmas 1920 the company was sold up and he was laid off.<ref>Page, pp. 104–105</ref> Soon after, however, he was approached by [[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]] to become assistant to [[Ambrose Langley]], who had been a former team-mate of Herbert Chapman's brother Harry at The Wednesday.<ref name="Wilson 40"/> Huddersfield Town backed Chapman in an appeal against his ban, arguing that as he had been working at the factory in Barnbow during the war, he had not been in charge of Leeds City during the time illegal payments were supposed to have been paid. The ban was overturned, and Chapman was formally installed as Langley's assistant on 1 February 1921.<ref>Page, p. 111</ref>

Chapman was promoted to full secretary-manager, replacing Langley, the following month,<ref>Studd, p. 75</ref> and soon made an impact, signing players such as [[England national football team|England international]] [[Clem Stephenson]] from [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] (who became captain under Chapman)<ref>Page, p. 113</ref> and 18-year-old unknown [[George Brown (footballer, born 1903)|George Brown]] (who went on to become Huddersfield's all-time top scorer).<ref>Page, p. 115</ref> In Chapman's first full season in charge ([[1921-22 in English football|1921–22]]), Huddersfield Town won the [[FA Cup]], beating [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]] 1–0 in the [[1922 FA Cup Final|final]] at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]], the club's first major trophy.<ref>{{cite web |first=Dan |last=Nelson |url=http://www.htafc.com/club/history/ | title=Club History | publisher=Huddersfield Town F.C |date=15 February 2012 |access-date=30 November 2013 }}</ref> In the league, however, his side had spent most of the season fighting relegation and had finished 14th,<ref name="fchd_huddersfield">{{cite web | url=https://www.fchd.info/HUDDERST.HTM | title=Huddersfield Town | work=Football Club History Database | access-date=29 June 2008 }}</ref> so Chapman looked to strengthen his squad.

As at Northampton, Chapman's tactics were based upon the principles of a strong defence and a fast, counter-attacking response, with the focus on quick, short passing and mazy runs from his wingers,<ref name="page135">Page, p. 135</ref> who would pass low inside the defence instead of crossing from the byline.<ref>Studd, p. 82</ref> He had been granted control of all footballing affairs at the club and made this responsibility work to his advantage, encouraging the club's reserve and third teams to play the same style of football so that their players would function effectively in the first team if selected.<ref name="page135"/> He employed a wide-ranging scouting network to find the right players for his tactical system. Bolstered by the money from the cup run, Chapman was able to make further signings such as goalkeeper [[Ted Taylor (footballer)|Ted Taylor]] and forward [[Charlie Wilson (footballer born 1895)|Charlie Wilson]] (later to be joined by [[George Cook (footballer born 1895)|George Cook]]).<ref>Page, p. 122</ref>

With new players and using Chapman's system, Huddersfield were transformed. They finished third in [[1922-23 in English football|1922–23]]<ref name="fchd_huddersfield"/> and went on to win their first League title in [[1923-24 in English football|1923–24]]. This success was by the narrowest of margins – equal on points with [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]], Huddersfield won by a difference of 0.024 (1.818 to 1.794) in [[goal average]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk/news/article/1920-1947-724302.aspx |title=Great Days, Lows and Recovery |work=Cardiff City official website |access-date=30 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626092929/http://www.cardiffcityfc.co.uk//news/article/1920-1947-724302.aspx |archive-date=26 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The final goal by Brown in a 3–0 win over [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] on the final day of the season proved crucial, although ultimately it was Huddersfield's superior defensive record which had given them the advantage.<ref>Page, p. 129</ref>

Following the title win, Chapman kept faith with his squad, making only one new signing – outside right [[Joey Williams]]<ref>Page, p. 131</ref> – as they successfully defended their League title in [[1924-25 in English football|1924–25]]. Huddersfield started brightly but a poor run of form in October and November (in part caused by an injury to goalkeeper Ted Taylor) saw them drop to ninth at one point.<ref>Page, p. 133</ref> Taylor was replaced by new signing [[Billy Mercer (footballer born 1892)|Billy Mercer]] and a resurgence in form saw Huddersfield climb the table, regaining top spot with a 5–0 win over [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in February,<ref>Page, p. 134</ref> and eventually finishing two points clear of runners-up [[West Bromwich Albion F.C.|West Bromwich Albion]].<ref>{{cite web |title=England 1924–25 |url=https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1924-25.html |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> As a testament to Chapman's philosophy of relying on a strong defence, it was the first time a title-winning side had gone through a season without conceding more than two goals in any match.<ref>Say, p. 71</ref>

===Arsenal===
[[File:Herbert Chapman bust 20050922.jpg|thumb|right|150px|A bronze bust of Chapman stands inside [[Emirates Stadium]] as a tribute to his achievements at the club.]]
In the 1925 close season, Chapman had already set about improving his squad for Huddersfield to seek a third successive title (something which had never been achieved before). At the same time, Arsenal was looking to replace [[Leslie Knighton]], who had been sacked. Arsenal chairman Sir [[Henry Norris (businessman)|Henry Norris]] placed an advertisement in the ''Athletic News'':<ref>{{cite news |title=Athletic News |date=11 May 1925}} Cited in Soar & Tyler, p. 43</ref>
{{blockquote|Arsenal Football Club is open to receive applications for the position of TEAM MANAGER. He must be experienced and possess the highest qualifications for the post, both as to ability and personal character. Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant [''sic''] transfer fees need not apply.}}
Although Arsenal had been fighting relegation in both the two previous seasons, and despite the chairman's restriction on spending, Chapman nevertheless moved to Arsenal soon afterwards, attracted both by the London club's larger crowds and a salary of £2,000, double what he earned at Huddersfield Town.<ref>Page, p. 139</ref> At Arsenal, Chapman immediately made an impact by signing 34-year-old [[Charlie Buchan]], an England international and [[Sunderland A.F.C.|Sunderland]]'s all-time record goalscorer, whom he made Arsenal captain.<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 45</ref>

[[File:Football Formation - WM.png|thumb|right|150px|The "WM" formation that Chapman implemented at Arsenal]]

Chapman came to Arsenal promising to make them the "Newcastle of the South".<ref name=NewcOSou>{{cite web | url =https://www.wsc.co.uk/reviews/61-Managers/11223-the-life-and-times-of-herbert-chapman | title =Life and Times of Herbert Champman | last =Barclay | first =Patrick  | website = wsc.co.uk | access-date = 11 November 2020}}</ref> Chapman and Buchan's arrival at the club also coincided with a change in the [[Laws of the Game (association football)|laws of the game]] in June 1925, that modified the [[Offside (association football)|offside law]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Tony |last=Attwood |title=Arsenal v Tottenham. Chapman's first match and the first match under the new offside rules: 29 August 1925. |url=http://www.blog.woolwicharsenal.co.uk/archives/7552 |publisher=The History of Arsenal (AISA Arsenal History Society) |date=29 August 2013 |access-date=11 August 2016}}</ref> The change had reduced the number of opposition players that an attacker needed between himself and the goal-line from three to two (including the goalkeeper). Buchan's idea, implemented by Chapman, was to move the [[centre half]] from a roaming position in midfield to a "stopper" position in defence. With the [[inside forward]]s brought back to help the midfield, this changed the usual [[Formation (association football)|formation]] from 2–3–5 to 3–4–3, or a "WM", so called after the shape it formed spelled out the letters. This meant the offside trap was now the responsibility of the single centre half, while the [[Leftback|full back]]s were pushed wider to cover the wings.<ref name="soartyler4647">Soar & Tyler, pp. 46–47</ref>

Arsenal were by no means the only team to have come up with the idea of dropping the centre half into defence – [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] beat Arsenal 7–0 that season employing such a system with [[Charlie Spencer]] at centre-half; [[Queen's Park F.C.|Queen's Park]] and [[Tottenham Hotspur F.C.|Tottenham Hotspur]] had also adopted similar systems.<ref name="soartyler4647"/> Chapman, however, was able to refine and improve on the idea better than his rivals, melding the tactical change with his own ideas on counter-attacking football, pacy wingers and a strong defence.<ref name="soartyler4647"/> Chapman himself summed it up by saying: "the most opportune time for scoring is immediately after repelling an attack, because opponents are then strung out in the wrong half of the field."<ref name="say77">Say, p. 77</ref>

Arsenal went on to finish second in [[1925-26 in English football|1925–26]], five points behind Chapman's old side Huddersfield Town,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/engpaul/FLA/1925-26.html |title=England 1925/26 |publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref> as they became the first club in England to win three titles in succession.<ref name="threeinarow">{{cite web |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/features/20110201/huddersfield-town-in-numbers_2293307_2281227 |title=Huddersfield Town in numbers |work=Football League official website |access-date=30 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203105738/http://www.football-league.co.uk/features/20110201/huddersfield-town-in-numbers_2293307_2281227 |archive-date=3 December 2013}}</ref> It proved to be an early dawn for Arsenal, who spent most of the rest of the 1920s in mid-table, as Chapman took his time finding the right players to fit his new system, outlining a five-year plan for success.<ref name="soartyler48">Soar & Tyler, p. 48.</ref> He retained relatively few players of his predecessor Knighton's era – [[Bob John]], [[Alf Baker]] and [[Jimmy Brain]] being the exceptions – and instead looked to bring in talent from elsewhere.<ref name="soartyler4647"/>

In February 1926, he signed the pacy winger [[Joe Hulme]], followed that summer by forward [[Jack Lambert (footballer, born 1902)|Jack Lambert]] and full-back [[Tom Parker (footballer, born 1897)|Tom Parker]], who would later succeed Buchan as captain.<ref name="soartyler48"/> Although Arsenal's league form was indifferent, in 1927 they reached the [[1927 FA Cup Final|FA Cup Final]], their first, but lost 1–0 to [[Cardiff City F.C.|Cardiff City]] after an error by goalkeeper [[Dan Lewis (footballer)|Dan Lewis]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2013/apr/26/cardiff-city-wins-fa-cup-1927 |title=From the archive, 26 April 1927: Cardiff gives rapturous welcome to FA Cup winners |website=theguardian.com |date=26 April 2013 |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref>

In the same year, Arsenal became embroiled in a scandal; footballers' pay at the time was limited by a [[maximum wage]], but an FA inquiry found that Charlie Buchan had secretly received illegal payments from Arsenal as an incentive to sign for the club.<ref name="spurling46">Spurling, p. 46</ref> Sir Henry Norris was indicted for his part and banned from football, but Chapman escaped punishment, and with the autocratic Norris replaced by the more benign [[Samuel Hill-Wood]], Chapman's power and influence within the club increased, allowing him control over all aspects of the club's business.<ref name="soartyler4647"/> He persevered in building the team, strengthening his attacking lineup with the signings of [[David Jack (footballer)|David Jack]] in 1928, and [[Alex James (footballer)|Alex James]] and [[Cliff Bastin]] in 1929.<ref name="soartyler51"/> As at his previous clubs, Chapman worked on improving the defence, notably through the signings of [[Herbie Roberts]] and [[Eddie Hapgood]] at centre half and left back respectively.<ref name="soartyler50">Soar & Tyler, p. 50</ref>

It was the signing of David Jack in particular that highlighted Chapman's cunning when it came to transfer negotiations. [[Bolton Wanderers F.C.|Bolton Wanderers]] had originally asked for a fee of £13,000, almost double the existing record. [[Bob Wall (football administrator)|Bob Wall]], Chapman's personal assistant at the time, later recounted the negotiations he made with Bolton's directors as follows:<ref name="soartyler51">Soar & Tyler, p. 51</ref>

{{cquote|We arrived at the hotel half-an-hour early. Chapman immediately went into the lounge bar. He called the waiter, placed two pound notes in his hand and said: "George, this is Mr Wall, my assistant. He will drink whisky and dry ginger. I will drink gin and tonic. We shall be joined by guests. They will drink whatever they like. See that our guests are given double of everything, but Mr Wall's whisky and dry ginger will contain no whisky, and my gin and tonic will contain no gin.}}

Chapman's subterfuge succeeded, as he managed to bargain the inebriated Bolton directors down to £10,890.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fox |first=Norman |title=Jack the jewel of Highbury |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-jack-the-jewel-of-highbury-1180416.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=24 October 1998 |access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref> He was less successful in his attempt to sign [[Jimmy McGrory]] from [[Celtic F.C.|Celtic]]. He had set up a meeting with Celtic manager [[Willie Maley]] and young McGrory in summer 1928 when Maley and McGrory were on their way to a pilgrimage in Lourdes.<ref name="jimmy">Cairney, pp. 26–28</ref> A huge sum was offered (a blank cheque, some say) for the prolific McGrory, and Maley was more than ready to accept, for Celtic needed money to pay for its new stand. The deal fell through when McGrory, a homesick young Scotsman with an intense love for Celtic, refused to sign.<ref name="jimmy"/> He later (in 1935) broke the all-time goalscoring record.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jimmy McGrory |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/jimmy-mcgrory-1-723208 |newspaper=The Scotsman |location=Glasgow |date=28 October 2006 |access-date=21 August 2016}}</ref>

Chapman had laid out a five-year plan for success in 1925, and it came to fruition exactly on schedule, as his Arsenal won their first major trophy in the [[1930 FA Cup Final]], beating his old side, Huddersfield Town, 2–0.<ref name="1930cupfinal">{{cite web |title=FA Cup Final 1930 |url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1930.htm |publisher=FA Cup Finals |access-date=30 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831083446/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1930.htm |archive-date=31 August 2011}}</ref> Despite having finished only 14th in the League the same season, the win spurred Arsenal on and laid the foundations for a decade in which Arsenal would become the dominant team in England and eventually win five league titles.

Chapman had by now perfected Arsenal's ruthless, counter-attacking strategy. He employed a robust front line of Lambert supported by David Jack and Alex James as deep-lying inside forwards, filling the gap vacated by the movement of the centre half into defence; Alex James in particular, with his passing supplying the front men, became celebrated as the engine of the team during the coming decade.<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 66</ref> Chapman employed Bastin and Hulme as pacy wingers who could cut inside instead of hugging the touchline;<ref name="soartyler15-17"/> they could either shoot for goal themselves or pick each other out if the centre forward was marked out of the game.<ref name="page161-62">Page, pp. 161–62</ref> With the exception of James, keeping and dwelling on the ball and individuality were discouraged in favour of a quick passing game, although Chapman still conceded: "All the men are expected to play to plan, but not so as to stifle individuality."<ref>Say, p. 81</ref>

Chapman's tactics of fast-moving play meant the [[wing half]] line of John and Jones were now pushed in to cover central [[midfield]], pivoting around the halfway line so that they could drop back to defend when necessary.<ref name="soartyler15-17"/> Chapman was equally committed to a strong defence, saying that maintenance of a back line was "the rock bottom of football".<ref name="soartyler15-17">Soar & Tyler, pp. 15–17</ref> Arsenal's defence were told to play deep and, with the support of the wing halves, fall back into their own [[penalty area]] when the opposition had the ball; this allowed the opposition plenty of possession in Arsenal's half, until they reached the 18-yard line and faced a massed defence.<ref>Say, p. 76</ref> Once Arsenal regained the ball – usually through the centre half Herbie Roberts – the ball would be quickly passed forward and the wing halves would push up to support the attackers, meaning Arsenal could quickly commit as many as seven men forward as a unit to rapidly attack and try to score.<ref name="soartyler15-17"/><ref name="page161-62"/>

Chapman's system demanded a high level of fitness from his players, something which he strongly emphasised. He balanced the need for players suited to each task – in which his skill in spotting the right players and his extensive scouting network proved vital – with adapting his system to account for their abilities.<ref>Say, p. 82</ref> Though highly effective, Chapman's fast, counter-attacking passing approach to football contrasted with how the game was traditionally played in England at the time, with its emphasis on dribbling, possession and dwelling on the ball,<ref>Page, p. 200</ref> and thus brought accusations of "Lucky Arsenal" or "Boring Arsenal" from commentators and opposition.<ref name="soartyler15-17"/> Nevertheless, despite the stereotype, in Arsenal's first title-winning season of [[1930–31 in English football|1930–31]], they scored 127&nbsp;goals in the League, which still stands as a club record.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/free-scoring-gunners-clinch-first-title | title=Free-scoring Gunners clinch first title |publisher=Arsenal F.C | access-date=15 June 2009 }}</ref>

Having won both League and Cup in separate seasons with two clubs, Chapman was determined to go one better and win [[Double (association football)|the Double]] – which had not yet been won in the 20th century – in [[1931-32 in English football|1931–32]] but ended up missing out on both, finishing second in the League behind [[Everton F.C.|Everton]]<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 57</ref> and losing the [[1932 FA Cup Final]] controversially to [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]], with Newcastle's equaliser coming after the ball had gone behind for a goal kick.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1932.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928073654/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1932.htm |archive-date=28 September 2011 |title=FA Cup Final 1932 |publisher= FA Cup History (unofficial site)|access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref> Undeterred, Chapman kept faith with his side and launched a bid for the [[1932-33 in English football|1932–33]] title. However, it was during this season that Arsenal suffered one of the most infamous defeats in their history.

In the [[FA Cup]] third round, Arsenal had been drawn against [[Walsall F.C.|Walsall]] of the [[Football League Third Division North|Third Division North]]. Arsenal, as the previous season's losing finalists and league leaders, were clear favourites to win the match. On the day, five of the Arsenal first team were out with injury or [[influenza|flu]] and had their places taken by reserves.<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 63</ref> Arsenal lost 2–0 in one of the greatest FA Cup upsets.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30466552 |title=FA Cup: John Motson's 10 FA Cup third-round shocks |work=BBC Sport |date=2 January 2015 |access-date=22 July 2016}}</ref> Chapman was enraged by the result, and showed his ruthlessness by selling one player, [[Tommy Black (Scottish footballer)|Tommy Black]], who had conceded a [[Penalty kick (association football)|penalty]] in the game, to [[Plymouth Argyle F.C.|Plymouth Argyle]] within a week of the result; another, striker [[Charlie Walsh (footballer)|Charlie Walsh]], was sold to [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]] a week later.<ref name="soartyler64">Soar & Tyler, p. 64</ref>

Despite the FA Cup setback, Arsenal bounced back in the League, and with the same scoring form as in 1930–31, finished the season having scored 118&nbsp;League goals in total, including a 5–0 win over rivals [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in that season's title-deciding match.<ref name="soartyler60">Soar & Tyler, p. 60</ref> In the following close season, Chapman became the first professional manager in charge of [[England national football team|England]], albeit in an ''ad hoc'' unofficial capacity, for a summer tour of Europe. He did not have any input into the selection process, the team being determined by the [[the Football Association|FA]]'s International Selection Committee, but did advise on tactics and gave pre-match team talks.<ref name="England"/> Chapman was in charge for a friendly against [[Italy national football team|Italy]] in [[Rome]] on 13 May 1933, which finished 1–1, and England's 4–0 win over [[Switzerland national football team|Switzerland]] a week later.<ref name="England">{{cite web |url=http://www.englandfootballonline.com/TeamMgr/MgrChron.html |title=England's Coaches/Managers in Chronological Order |work=England Football Online |access-date=29 June 2008}}</ref>

Wary of his ageing Arsenal team and the club's inadequate reserves (as proven by the Walsall match), it was around this time that Chapman noted to club director [[George Allison]]: "The team's played out, Mr Allison, we must rebuild".<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 74</ref> Chapman started the process, signing [[Ray Bowden]], [[Pat Beasley]] and [[Jimmy Dunne (footballer, born 1905)|Jimmy Dunne]], and had converted the young [[George Male]] from left half to right back.<ref>Soar & Tyler, p. 59</ref> Chapman would not live to see the end of the season, let alone complete the task of rebuilding his side. Arsenal went into [[1933–34 in English football|1933–34]] looking to retain the title, and started consistently; they worked their way to the top of the league and were a comfortable four points clear after a goalless draw with [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham]] on 30 December 1933. This proved to be Chapman's last match in charge.<ref name="soartyler64"/>

==Death==
[[File:Herbert Chapman grave.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Chapman is buried in [[St Mary's Churchyard, Hendon]], alongside his wife Annie, who died in 1958.]]
Chapman celebrated New Year in London before travelling north on a scouting trip to see [[Bury F.C.|Bury]] play [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] on 1 January 1934.<ref>Page, p. 188–89</ref> The following day, he travelled to his native Yorkshire to watch [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], Arsenal's next opponents, before spending a final night in his home town of Kiveton Park.<ref>Page, p. 189</ref> He returned to London nursing a [[Common cold|cold]] but was well enough to watch an Arsenal third-team match against [[Guildford City F.C.|Guildford City]]. Soon afterwards, his illness suddenly worsened; [[pneumonia]] set in, and Chapman quickly succumbed. He died in the early hours of 6 January 1934 at his home in [[Hendon]].<ref name="soartyler64" /> He was buried four days later in [[St Mary's Churchyard, Hendon]].<ref name="chrishobbs" />

Chapman was survived by a widow, Annie, two sons, [[K H Chapman|Ken]] (born 1908) and Bruce (born 1911), and two daughters, Molly (born 1915) and Joyce (born 1919). Ken was a [[rugby union]] player for [[Harlequin F.C.|Harlequins]], and later served as president of the [[Rugby Football Union]].<ref name="familyhistory">{{cite web |title=The Chapman Family |url=http://www.kivetonwaleshistory.co.uk/heritage/family-histories/the-chapman-family |publisher=Kiveton Park & Wales History Society |access-date=29 November 2013}}</ref>

==Legacy==
[[File:Arsenal FC v Everton FC, 24 Oct 2015 - 17.JPG|thumb|left|200px|Statue of Chapman outside the Emirates Stadium]] 
Chapman was one of the first football managers in the modern sense of the word, taking full charge of the team, rather than letting board members pick the side. As well as his tactical innovations, he was a strong believer in physical fitness in football – he instituted a strict training regime and the use of [[physiotherapist]]s and [[masseur]]s. He encouraged his players to openly discuss tactics and the game, instituting weekly team meetings at his clubs, and encouraged them to socialise in extra-curricular activities such as [[golf]].<ref name="mightyleeds"/> He wrote regularly on football for the ''[[Sunday Express]]'' newspaper, and a collection of his writings was published after his death in a book, entitled ''Herbert Chapman on Football''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Herbert Chapman on Football: The Reflections of Arsenal's Greatest Manager |id={{ASIN|0955921139|country=uk}}}}</ref>

Unlike many of his contemporaries in Britain, Chapman was a fan of the continental game and counted among his friends [[Hugo Meisl]] and [[Jimmy Hogan]], coaches of the Austrian "[[Wunderteam]]" of the 1930s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wien.gv.at/ma53/rkfoto/2008/972g.jpg |title=Founders of modern World Football: Herbert Chapman, Hugo Meisl and Jimmy Hogan (left to right); London 1933 |access-date=11 March 2011 |archive-date=27 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927195207/https://www.wien.gv.at/ma53/rkfoto/2008/972g.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref> As long ago as 1909, he had taken his Northampton side on a tour of Germany to play [[1. FC Nürnberg]],<ref>Studd, p. 42</ref> and at Arsenal he had instituted an ongoing series of home-and-away friendlies against the likes of [[Racing Club de Paris]]. Chapman had proposed a Europe-wide club competition more than twenty years before the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] was instituted, and regularly took his teams abroad to play foreign sides.<ref>Say, p. 83</ref> He was one of the first managers to consider signing black and foreign players; as well as signing [[Walter Tull]], one of the first black professionals in the game, for Northampton Town in 1911,<ref name="tull">Page, p. 82</ref> he attempted to recruit [[Austria national football team|Austrian international]] goalkeeper [[Rudy Hiden]] for Arsenal in 1930, but was blocked by the [[Ministry of Labour (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Labour]], after protests from the [[Players' Union]] and the Football League.<ref name="hiden">{{cite news |title=Home and away: how Arsenal's imports have changed the game |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/home-and-away-how-arsenals-imports-changed-the-landscape-483550.html |newspaper=The Independent |date=16 February 2005 |access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref> However, in the same year he did succeed in signing [[Gerard Keyser]], the first Dutchman to play English league football, as an amateur, and Hiden was signed by Jimmy Hogan for Racing Club de Paris.<ref name="hiden"/>

After attending a night-time match in Belgium in 1930 with his friend Hugo Meisl, Chapman became an early advocate of [[Floodlights (sport)|floodlights]]. He had lights installed in Highbury's new West Stand when it was constructed in 1932; however, they were used only for training, and Arsenal would have to wait until the 1950s for their officially sanctioned use in matches.<ref name="arsenal_innovations"/> Chapman oversaw much of the development of Highbury in the early 1930s, including the building of the West Stand and the addition of a clock which was eventually placed by the south terrace, giving it the name of the "Clock End".<ref name="arsenal_innovations">{{cite web|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=465487 |title=Chapman's Innovations |publisher=Arsenal F.C |access-date=29 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528170636/http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=465487 |archive-date=28 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He is also credited with being behind the renaming of [[London Underground]]'s [[Gillespie Road]] station to [[Arsenal tube station|Arsenal]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ggm-37-local-tube-station-changes-to-arsenal- | title=Local tube station changes to 'Arsenal' | publisher=Arsenal F.C | access-date=30 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109083218/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/ggm-37-local-tube-station-changes-to-arsenal- | archive-date=9 November 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> He even designed the [[scoreboard]] and [[turnstile]]s at the stadium.<ref name="arsenal_innovations"/>

Chapman advocated the use of white [[association football ball|football]]s and [[squad number (association football)|numbered]] [[football shirt|shirt]]s, as well as adding hoops to Arsenal's socks to make it easier for players to pick each other out.<ref name="arsenal_innovations"/> He later made a further change to Arsenal's kit, adding white sleeves to the previously all-red shirt and brightening the colour, before a match against [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] on 4 March 1933; the same kit theme of red with white sleeves or trim survives to this day.<ref name="kitdesign">{{cite web | url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/the-arsenal-kit | title=Arsenal Kit Design | publisher=Arsenal F.C | access-date=30 November 2013 }}</ref> The tradition of both teams walking out together at the FA Cup Final was started in 1930 due to Chapman's involvement with both clubs, and has continued since.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.arsenal.com/history/herbert-chapman/arsenal-win-their-first-major-trophy | title=Arsenal win their first major trophy | publisher=Arsenal F.C | access-date=30 November 2013 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103163358/http://www.arsenal.com/history/herbert-chapman/arsenal-win-their-first-major-trophy | archive-date=3 November 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
{| class=wikitable style="text-align: center"
|+ Managerial record by team and tenure
|-
!rowspan=2|Team
!rowspan=2|From
!rowspan=2|To
!colspan=5|Record
|-
!{{abbr|P|Matches played}}!!{{abbr|W|Matches won}}!!{{abbr|D|Matches drawn}}!!{{abbr|L|Matches lost}}!!{{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}}
|-
|align=left|[[Northampton Town F.C.|Northampton Town]]
|align=left|1 August 1907
|align=left|1 August 1912
{{WDL|212|106|44|62|decimals=1}}
|-
|align=left|[[Leeds City F.C.|Leeds City]]
|align=left|1 August 1912
|align=left|9 December 1918
{{WDL|241|123|44|74|decimals=1}}
|-
|align=left|[[Huddersfield Town A.F.C.|Huddersfield Town]]
|align=left|31 March 1921
|align=left|11 June 1925
{{WDL|194|95|53|46|decimals=1}}
|-
|align=left|[[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]]
|align=left|11 June 1925
|align=left|6 January 1934
{{WDL|411|204|97|110|decimals=1}}
|-
!colspan=3|
{{WDLtot|1058|528|238|292|decimals=1}}
|}

==Honours==
[[File:Herbert Chapman blue plaque.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[English Heritage]] [[blue plaque]] outside Chapman's former residence in [[Hendon]], the first such plaque to commemorate a football player or manager]]
Although he did not win any major honours as a player, as a manager Chapman won a Southern League title in [[1908-09 in English football|1908–09]] with Northampton Town, four Football League titles ([[1923-24 in English football|1923–24]] and [[1924-25 in English football|1924–25]] with Huddersfield Town, [[1930-31 in English football|1930–31]] and [[1932-33 in English football|1932–33]] with Arsenal) and two FA Cups ([[1921-22 in English football|1921–22]] with Huddersfield Town, [[1929-30 in English football|1929–30]] with Arsenal). After his death the team he had built at Arsenal, under his successors [[Joseph E. Shaw|Joe Shaw]] and [[George Allison]], went on to win the [[1933-34 in English football|1933–34]] and [[1934-35 in English football|1934–35]] titles, emulating his Huddersfield Town team by completing a hat-trick. No team was to repeat the feat until [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] between 1982 and 1984.<ref name="threeinarow"/> Chapman was honorary president of Scottish amateur football club [[Chirnside F.C.|Chirnside United]] until his death in 1934.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chirnsidefc.co.uk/history.html|title=Chirnside Football Club – History|publisher=chirnsidefc.co.uk|date=2 June 2011|access-date=2 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317021852/http://www.chirnsidefc.co.uk/history.html|archive-date=17 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2003, Chapman was inducted into the [[English Football Hall of Fame]] in recognition of his impact as a manager.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2003.htm |title=The Football Hall of Fame |work=National Football Museum |year=2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116015236/http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/pages/fame/2003.htm |archive-date=16 November 2007 }}</ref> An [[English Heritage]] [[blue plaque]] commemorating Chapman was unveiled in March 2005, at the house in [[Hendon]] where Chapman lived from 1926 until his death. Chapman was the first footballer or football manager to be commemorated in this way by English Heritage.<ref name="blueplaque">{{cite web |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/chapman-herbert-1878-1934 |title=Herbert Chapman |publisher= English Heritage.|date=29 March 2005 |access-date=30 November 2013}}</ref> In 2004, on the seventieth anniversary of his death, ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' named him the greatest British manager of all time in a poll.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thetimes.com/sport/football/article/revealed-a-ruthless-pioneering-genius-who-ranks-as-the-best-british-manager-ever-cln2q6ljjsg | title=Revealed: a ruthless, pioneering genius who ranks as the best British manager ever | newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=10 January 2004 | access-date=29 June 2008 | first=Alex | last=Murphy}}</ref>

In tribute to his achievements at Arsenal, a bronze [[bust (sculpture)|bust]] of Chapman, sculpted by [[Jacob Epstein]] resided inside the marble halls of the East Stand of [[Arsenal Stadium]], [[Highbury]] until its closure in 2006, and was subsequently returned to Highbury to form part of the concierge entrance in the Grade II-Listed East Stand to the Highbury Square development.<ref name="q918">{{cite web | title=18. The bust of Herbert Chapman | website=18. The bust of Herbert Chapman | date=1 June 2017 | url=https://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/the-bust-of-herbert-chapman | access-date=11 October 2025}}</ref> A replica sits in the Directors' Entrance at [[Emirates Stadium]]; he is one of only two Arsenal managers to be honoured this way, the other being [[Arsène Wenger]].<ref name="bust">{{cite news | url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/club-legends-honoured-at-emirates-stadium | title=Club legends honoured at Emirates Stadium | publisher=Arsenal F.C | date=23 October 2008 | access-date=23 October 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081026072542/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/club-legends-honoured-at-emirates-stadium | archive-date=26 October 2008 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Furthermore, Arsenal's white away kit for the [[2007-08 in English football|2007–08]] season was dedicated to Chapman and his achievements.<ref name="kittribute">{{cite news|url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=464540&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=New+Arsenal+away+kit+coming+July+5! |title=New Arsenal Away Kit for Herbert Chapman |publisher=Arsenal F.C |access-date=29 June 2008 |date=5 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112091207/http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=News&article=464540&lid=NewsHeadline&Title=New+Arsenal+away+kit+coming+July+5%21 |archive-date=12 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Huddersfield Town were presented with a replica of Chapman's bust by Arsenal, to celebrate their centenary in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.htafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Arsenal/0,,10312,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090622050346/http://www.htafc.com/page/Arsenal/0%2C%2C10312%2C00.html |archive-date=22 June 2009 |title=Game with Gunners for Centenary Showpiece |publisher=Huddersfield Town Online. |date=20 May 2008 |access-date=30 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Additionally, as part of their centennial, Huddersfield contested the inaugural Herbert Chapman Trophy against Arsenal at the [[Kirklees Stadium|Galpharm Stadium]] on 6 August 2008, which Arsenal won 2–1.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/features/arsenal-take-home-herbet-chapman-trophy-1-930191 | title=Arsenal take home Herbert Chapman Trophy | work=Northampton Chronicle & Echo | date=6 August 2008 | access-date=30 November 2013 | archive-date=3 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203091610/http://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/features/arsenal-take-home-herbet-chapman-trophy-1-930191 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 9 December 2011, Arsenal unveiled a statue of Chapman outside Emirates Stadium in celebration of the club's 125th anniversary. The club also unveiled statues of former players [[Tony Adams (footballer)|Tony Adams]] and [[Thierry Henry]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-statues-picture-special|title=Arsenal unveil statues of three legends|date=9 December 2011|publisher=Arsenal F.C|access-date=22 July 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212133945/http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/arsenal-statues-picture-special|archive-date=12 February 2012}}</ref>

===Managerial===
'''Northampton Town'''
*[[Southern Football League|Southern League]]: 1908–09<ref name="hall of fame">{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalfootballmuseum.com/halloffame/herbert-chapman/|title=Herbert Chapman|work=Hall of Fame|publisher=National Football Museum|access-date=16 April 2019}}</ref>

'''Huddersfield Town'''
*[[Football League First Division]]: [[1923–24 Football League First Division|1923–24]], [[1924–25 Football League First Division|1924–25]]<ref name="hall of fame"/>
*[[FA Cup]]: [[1921–22 FA Cup|1921–22]]<ref name="hall of fame"/>
*[[FA Charity Shield]]: [[1922 FA Charity Shield|1922]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1921-22CharityShield.htm |title=1921/22 F.A. Charity Shield |website=footballsite.co.uk |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>

'''Arsenal'''
*Football League First Division: [[1930–31 Football League First Division|1930–31]], [[1932–33 Football League First Division|1932–33]]<ref name="hall of fame"/>
*FA Cup: [[1929–30 FA Cup|1929–30]];<ref name="hall of fame"/> runner-up: [[1931–32 FA Cup|1931–32]]<ref>{{cite web |date=11 March 2007 |title=FA Cup Final 1932 |url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1932.htm |access-date=12 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311060603/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1932.htm |archive-date=11 March 2007 }}</ref>
*FA Charity Shield: [[1930 FA Charity Shield|1930]], [[1931 FA Charity Shield|1931]], [[1933 FA Charity Shield|1933]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1930-31CharityShield.htm |title=1930/31 F.A. Charity Shield  |website=footballsite.co.uk |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1931-32CharityShield.htm |title=1931/32 F.A. Charity Shield  |website=footballsite.co.uk |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/CommunityShield/1933-34CharityShield.htm |title=	1933/34 F.A. Charity Shield |website=footballsite.co.uk |access-date=2 February 2022}}</ref>

'''Individual'''
*[[World Soccer (magazine)#Greatest Managers of All Time|World Soccer 9th Greatest Manager of All Time]]: 2013<ref>{{cite news |title=The Greatest manager of all time |url=https://www.worldsoccer.com/features/the-greatest-manager-of-all-time-341473 |access-date=18 January 2021 |work=World Soccer |date=4 July 2013}}</ref>
*[[France Football]] 24th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019<ref name="Top6FF">{{cite web |url=https://www.francefootball.fr/magazine/?prov=W-HP-LBMU|title=Top 50 des coaches de l'historie|publisher=France Football |date=19 March 2019 |access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 50 best coaches in history, according to 'France Football'|url=https://www.besoccer.com/new/the-50-best-coaches-in-history-according-to-france-football-607455|website=BeSoccer|date=29 March 2019|access-date=6 December 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of English football championship-winning managers]]

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book | last = Barclay | first = Patrick | title = The Life and Times of Herbert Chapman: The Story of One of Football's Most Influential Figures | year = 2014 | publisher = Hachette | location = London | isbn = 978-0-297-86851-4}}
*{{cite book | author=Cairney, John | title=Heroes are Forever: The Life and Times of Celtic Legend Jimmy McGrory | year=2011 | publisher=Random House | isbn=978-1-78057-061-7 }}
*{{cite book | author=Page, Simon | title=Herbert Chapman: The First Great Manager | year=2006 | publisher=Heroes Publishing | isbn=978-0-9543884-5-4 }}
*{{cite journal | author=Say, Tony | title=Herbert Chapman: Football Revolutionary? | url=http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportsHistorian/1996/sh16h.pdf | journal=The Sports Historian | date=May 1996 | volume=16 | pages=81–98 | doi=10.1080/17460269609446395 | access-date=30 November 2013 | archive-date=3 December 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015512/http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/SportsHistorian/1996/sh16h.pdf | url-status=dead }}
*{{cite book |author1=Soar, Phil |author2=Tyler, Martin | title=The Official Illustrated History of Arsenal | publisher=Hamlyn | year=2005 | isbn=978-0-600-61344-2 }}
*{{cite book | author=Spurling, Jon | title=Rebels For The Cause: The Alternative History of Arsenal Football Club | publisher=Mainstream | year=2004 | isbn=978-1-84018-900-1 }}
*{{cite book | author=Studd, Stephen | title=Herbert Chapman, Football Emperor: A Study in the Origins of Modern Soccer | publisher=Souvenir Press | year=1998 | orig-year=1981 | edition=2nd | isbn=978-0-285-63416-9 }}
*{{cite book | last = Wilson | first = Jonathan | title = Inverting The Pyramid: The History of Soccer Tactics | year = 2013 | publisher = Nation Books | location = New York | isbn = 978-1-56858-738-7 }}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book | title=Herbert Chapman on Football | last=Chapman |first=Herbert | editor-last=Graves | editor-first=John | orig-year=1934 | year=2007 | publisher=Robert Blatchford | isbn=978-0-9552399-0-8}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131203123312/http://www.nottinghampost.com/Notts-player-went-glory-giant-game/story-19672475-detail/story.html The Notts player who went on to glory as a giant of the game, ''Nottingham Post''. 17 August 2013.]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20131203121156/http://www.nottinghampost.com/career-rise/story-19672491-detail/story.html A career on the rise, ''Nottingham Post''. 19 August 2013.]
*[http://www.chrishobbs.com/herbertchapman.htm Biography and ''Times'' obituary]
*[http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/managers/chapman1.htm Biography at Leeds United history site] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220195637/http://www.mightyleeds.co.uk/managers/chapman1.htm |date=20 February 2020 }}

{{Navboxes|bg=gold|fg=navy|title=Awards|list1=
{{English football first tier championship-winning managers}}
{{FA Cup winning managers}}
{{English Football Hall of Fame}}
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{{Navboxes|title=Managerial positions|list1=
{{Northampton Town F.C. managers}}
{{Leeds City F.C. managers}}
{{Huddersfield Town A.F.C. managers}}
{{Arsenal F.C. managers}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Herbert}}
[[Category:1878 births]]
[[Category:1934 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Kiveton Park]]
[[Category:Men's association football inside forwards]]
[[Category:Men's association football player-managers]]
[[Category:Footballers from South Yorkshire]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Kiveton Park F.C. players]]
[[Category:Stalybridge Rovers F.C. players]]
[[Category:Grimsby Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Northampton Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Notts County F.C. players]]
[[Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. players]]
[[Category:Sheffield United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Swindon Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:Worksop Town F.C. players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Arsenal F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Leeds City F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Northampton Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Deaths from pneumonia in England]]
[[Category:English Football Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Ashton North End F.C. players]]