Reg Lewis
Encyclopedia
Reginald "Reg" Lewis was an English
football
er.
Born in Bilston
, Staffordshire
, Lewis spent his entire career at Arsenal
. He joined the club as a schoolboy in 1935, and scored on his debut against Everton
on January 1, 1938. He made only four appearances in 1937-38
, however, and as a result missed out on a League Championship
winners' medal. Lewis broke into the first-team more in 1938-39
, making 16 appearances in league and cup, scoring 7 goals, but the advent of the Second World War interrupted his career.
During the war Lewis continued to play for Arsenal and shone as a natural goalscorer; although wartime appearances and goals are not officially counted, Lewis scored 143 goals in 130 games, including four in the 1943
War Cup
Southern Final, in a 7-1 demolition of Charlton Athletic
. Towards the end of the war he served in the British Army of the Rhine
in Occupied Germany, but returned to play for Arsenal once first-class football resumed in 1946.
On 24 August 1946 an additional fixture was arranged between England and Scotland with all proceeds going to the Bolton Disaster Fund. Lewis was called up to replace the injured Tommy Lawton
.
Although most of the Arsenal side of the 1930s were past their best by this time, Lewis was still only 26 and he continued to be a regular in the first team throughout the remainder of the 1940s. He was the club's top scorer in 1946-47
with 29 goals, and the following season (1947-48
), he partnered new signing Ronnie Rooke
and between them they scored 47 goals as Arsenal won the First Division title. Lewis continued to be a regular for the rest of the decade and he enjoyed arguably his best season in 1949-50
; he scored 19 goals in 31 league games, played twice for the England B team
and capped it by scoring both goals in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Liverpool
in the 1950 FA Cup Final.
However, during the early 1950s, Lewis became constantly afflicted with injuries, and he made only 12 appearances in 1951-52
and none at all in 1952-53
. In the close season of 1953, he retired from the game at the age of 33. His 116 goals in 176 matches makes him Arsenal's eleventh top goalscorer of all time. After retiring, Lewis first ran a pub
, then worked in insurance
. He died in 1997.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
er.
Born in Bilston
Bilston
Bilston is a town in the English county of West Midlands, situated in the southeastern corner of the City of Wolverhampton. Three wards of Wolverhampton City Council cover the town: Bilston East and Bilston North, which almost entirely comprise parts of the historic Borough of Bilston, and...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
, Lewis spent his entire career at Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. He joined the club as a schoolboy in 1935, and scored on his debut against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on January 1, 1938. He made only four appearances in 1937-38
1937-38 in English football
The 1937–38 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in England.-Overview:This season is notable as the reigning champions Manchester City became the only team to have won the League title one season then been relegated the next.-Honours:...
, however, and as a result missed out on a League Championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
winners' medal. Lewis broke into the first-team more in 1938-39
1938-39 in English football
The 1938–39 season was the 64th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
, making 16 appearances in league and cup, scoring 7 goals, but the advent of the Second World War interrupted his career.
During the war Lewis continued to play for Arsenal and shone as a natural goalscorer; although wartime appearances and goals are not officially counted, Lewis scored 143 goals in 130 games, including four in the 1943
1942-43 in English football
The 1942–43 season was the fourth season of special wartime football in England during World War II.-Overview:Between 1939 and 1946 normal competitive football was suspended in England...
War Cup
Football League War Cup
The Football League War Cup was an association football tournament held between 1939 and 1945 which aimed to fill the gaping hole left in English Football by the cancellation of the FA Cup.- Background:...
Southern Final, in a 7-1 demolition of Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
. Towards the end of the war he served in the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
in Occupied Germany, but returned to play for Arsenal once first-class football resumed in 1946.
On 24 August 1946 an additional fixture was arranged between England and Scotland with all proceeds going to the Bolton Disaster Fund. Lewis was called up to replace the injured Tommy Lawton
Tommy Lawton
Thomas "Tommy" Lawton was an English association footballer who rose to fame a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War and enjoyed a successful career which lasted until well into the 1950s....
.
Although most of the Arsenal side of the 1930s were past their best by this time, Lewis was still only 26 and he continued to be a regular in the first team throughout the remainder of the 1940s. He was the club's top scorer in 1946-47
1946-47 in English football
The 1946–47 season was the 67th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:The 1946–47 season was the first to feature a full football programme since the 1938–39 campaign. Eighty-eight teams competed over four divisions. Liverpool went top of the First Division with a 2–1 away win over...
with 29 goals, and the following season (1947-48
1947-48 in English football
The 1947–48 season was the 68th season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
), he partnered new signing Ronnie Rooke
Ronnie Rooke
Ronald Leslie "Ronnie" Rooke was an English footballer who played as a centre forward either side of World War II, and who later became a football manager....
and between them they scored 47 goals as Arsenal won the First Division title. Lewis continued to be a regular for the rest of the decade and he enjoyed arguably his best season in 1949-50
1949-50 in English football
The 1949–50 season was the 70th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:Portsmouth retained the First Division title by one of the narrowest margins in history ahead of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C....
; he scored 19 goals in 31 league games, played twice for the England B team
England B national football team
England B is a secondary football team run occasionally as support for the England national football team. At times they have played other nations' full teams; they have also played matches against 'B' teams from other football associations...
and capped it by scoring both goals in Arsenal's 2-0 victory over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
in the 1950 FA Cup Final.
However, during the early 1950s, Lewis became constantly afflicted with injuries, and he made only 12 appearances in 1951-52
1951-52 in English football
The 1951–52 season was the 72nd season of competitive football in England.-Honours:Notes = Number in parentheses is the times that club has won that honour...
and none at all in 1952-53
1952-53 in English football
The 1952–53 season was the 73rd season of competitive football in England.-Events:This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title by just 0.099 of a goal. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages...
. In the close season of 1953, he retired from the game at the age of 33. His 116 goals in 176 matches makes him Arsenal's eleventh top goalscorer of all time. After retiring, Lewis first ran a pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, then worked in insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
. He died in 1997.