Street name honour for Bristol football legend

A footballing legend from Bristol has had a street named in his honour.

Eddie Hapgood, a former Arsenal and England player, was remembered at a ceremony marking the completion of new Barton Hill housing development by Sovereign South and West.

Mike Hapgood, who unveiled the plaque honouring his father, said: "This is such a terrific honour, and my sister, brother and I are very proud and touched that Bristol people still hold the memory of my father in the their hearts. Even though he played at the highest levels of international football, he never lost touch with his Bristol roots."

Edris Albert Hapgood was born in Barton Road, The Dings, and attended Hannah More's School. Although parts of the road still exist, Barton Buildings, the tenement that housed the Hapgood family, does not.

He started his footballing career in the mid Twenties as an amateur while employed as a milkman, moving to Arsenal in 1927 after first coming to the notice of Bristol Rovers while playing for St Phillip's Marsh Adult School Juniors. He made just under 400 appearances for the club, winning five league titles and two FA cups.

As well as captaining the Gunners up to the outbreak of World War II, the left-back became the regular captain of England.

His first match as captain was against, reigning World Champions, Italy in the Battle of Highbury on 14 November 1934. The match was notoriously dirty, with Hapgood sustaining a broken nose.

He also captained England in another infamous match, against Germany in Berlin on May 14, 1938, where players were made to give the Nazi salute before the match, under pressure from British diplomats. England won the match 6-3.

The street naming came as part of the launch of the second phase of new developments by Sovereign. A key focus for the Barton Hill redevelopment has been to provide improved homes and a safer and more sustainable community for local residents.

The new development contains 22 homes in a mix of two- and four-bedroom homes. The development also won the "best affordable housing scheme award" at the LABC South West Region Building Excellence Awards in June, and has gone through to the national awards to be held later in the year. The homes are rated "very good" on the eco-homes standard and provide spacious accommodation for those looking to get on to the housing ladder.

Bristol Councillor Mark Wright, Cabinet Member for Housing and Service Improvement, said: "This development will provide much-needed affordable housing which will meet the needs of people wanting to rent as well as those looking to get on to the housing ladder."