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Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 4:53 pm Post subject: Mystery Arsenal photo

Hi All

99% sure this is Leslie Compton in the 40's or early 50's for Arsenal at Highbury.

Though it's stamped front & back by Reuters, there are no match details or dates so I'm guessing who the opposition might be.

It looks a change kit so it could be any of teams with red shirts (or stripes) plus perhaps the claret & blue kits who may have changed. But those socks are a bugger as they look to be red or blue or gold perhaps with a black top and I can't find anyone wearing socks like that.

So maybe someone here can help and also might ID the visiting centre forward assuming that's a 9 on his back. Here goes:-

Here's the visiting player

All help greatly appreciated as always - thank you.

Westbourne · Joined: 17 Oct 2017 Posts: 91

Its Bolton.. they used those socks

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Wed Feb 07, 2018 7:19 pm Post subject:

Cheers Westy, not noticed that before.

If it's them, then it's probably a young-ish Nat Lofthouse.

Flaming Pie · Joined: 26 Nov 2016 Posts: 968

Pete,, If it's late 1940s could be Bolton striker Ray Westwood .? He left Bolton for Chester in 1948.He played for Bolton and also a handful of appearances for England.He was Duncan Edwards' uncle.

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:43 am Post subject:

Just done some digging on Arsenal v Bolton games in the late 40's.

30.11.46 Compton & Lofthouse both played
10.9.47 Neither played
26.2.49 Both played
27.1.50 Both played

I don't have ref books thereafter.

This is all if this actually is Arsenal v Bolton and the 2 players are Leslie Compton & Nat Lofthouse!

Westbourne · Joined: 17 Oct 2017 Posts: 91

It's from January 1950 and it is Nat Lofthouse. There is one similar on Getty images

Pete’s Picture Palace · Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2018 1:55 pm Post subject:

Cheers Westy