| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 26 August 1913 | ||
| Place of birth | Shouldham,Norfolk, England | ||
| Date of death | 18 August 1999(1999-08-18) (aged 85) | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Right winger | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1934–1935 | Norwich City | 14 | (11) |
| 1935–1943 | Arsenal | 92 | (38) |
| International career | |||
| 1935–1937 | England | 3 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Alfred John Kirchen (26 August 1913 – 18 August 1999) was an Englishfootballer.
Born inShouldham,Norfolk, Kirchen played for local clubs, and for his county at youth level. He was signed byTom Parker, the manager ofSecond DivisionNorwich City in 1934 and he immediately impressed, scoring seven goals in fourteen League games, and three in fourFA Cup games for the Canaries. He soon caught the eye ofFirst Division championsArsenal, and was signed for £6,000 in March 1935, at the age of 21.
Kirchen arrived too late at Arsenal to pick up a League winner's medal (the club completed a hat-trick of titles that year), but he still made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his debut against Arsenal's arch-rivalsTottenham Hotspur on 6 March 1935 – the match finished 6–0 to Arsenal, a record in aNorth London derby. Anoutside right, Kirchen had to fight for a first-team spot withJoe Hulme (who started the1936 FA Cup Final ahead of him), but by the start of the1936–37 season, Kirchen was the Gunners' first-choice outside right.
Kirchen became well known for his fierce shooting; unusually fast and immensely powerful, he was equally at home on either wing, for he could hit a ball left or right-footed, with equal facility, which soon attracted international attention; he picked up 3 caps and scored 2 goals forEngland on a 1937 tour ofScandinavia, his debut coming againstNorway on 14 May 1937, and his final match being againstFinland on 20 May of the same year. Despite these performances however, he was never picked again.
He finally picked up a League winners' medal as Arsenal won the1937–38 title, playing nineteen games that season,[1] but theSecond World War intervened just as he was reaching the peak of his career. Kirchen served in theRoyal Air Force as aPT instructor, which allowed him to continue playing wartime matches for Arsenal (he appeared 113 times, scoring 80 goals, as well as three more times for England), but a severe injury picked up in a match againstWest Ham United in 1943 forced his early retirement. In all, excluding wartime appearances, he played 101 League and Cup professional games for Arsenal, scoring 45 goals (total: 214 appearances and 125 goals).
Kirchen later returned to his old club Norwich City, as a trainer, before leaving football to become afarmer at Cringleford inNorfolk. He later returned to Norwich as a director of the club, and also served as Honorary President of theNorfolk Arsenal Supporters Club. He also represented his country atclay pigeon shooting and was a keen player oflawn bowls. He died in 1999, eight days short of what would have been his 86th birthday.