Don Roper

Donald George Beaumont Roper (14 December 1922 – 8 June 2001) was an English footballer who played for Southampton and Arsenal, winning two league titles with the latter in the 1947–48 and 1952–53 seasons. Playing as a winger, he made nearly 300 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 88 goals. In addition to playing association football, Roper also made one appearance in first-class cricket for Hampshire in 1947.

Sporting career Football Roper was born in December 1922 at Botley, Hampshire. He was a prolific schoolboy footballer, who played for Hedge End at youth level and played his early league football for Bitterne Nomads in the Hampshire League. It was while playing for Bitterne Nomads what he was scouted by Toby Keleher, assistant manager to Tom Parker, and in July 1940 was persuaded to sign for his local club, Southampton, making his debut for them during wartime matches. During the war, he was employed in Southampton at the Supermarine factory, where he helped to manufacture the Spitfire.

After impressing in the Second Division in 1946–47, he was signed by Arsenal in the close season by Allison's successor Tom Whittaker (who had watched Roper at The Dell eleven times during that season) for £12,000, plus George Curtis and Tom Rudkin moving in the opposite direction, an estimated total fee of £24,000. Roper built a reputation for his "gargantuan appetite" at Highbury. Roper's performances during that season earned him an England B cap against Scotland B, although he never played for the full England side. He played for another two seasons as a first-team regular, but lost his Arsenal first-team place during 1955–56, dropping to the reserves. He played 321 matches for Arsenal in total, scoring 95 goals in league and cup competitions. He went on to become club captain, playing alongside star player Derek Reeves and the young Terry Paine.

Cricket Described by Wisden as a "useful middle order batsman", Roper made a single appearance as an amateur in first-class cricket for Hampshire against Cambridge University at Portsmouth in 1947. Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed in Hampshire's first innings for 30 runs by Michael Mills, while in their second innings he was dismissed without scoring by Guy Willatt. After joining Arsenal, he played club cricket in London for Southgate Cricket Club. 1953 FA Cup runner-up: 1951–52