When Herbert Chapman signed David Jack in October 1928, eyebrows were raised. Some thought the record transfer fee of £10,890 was obscene; others thought the 29-year-old was past his best. Not for the first or last time, Chapman was proved right.
Jack went on to play a major role in Arsenal's domination of the 1930s under Chapman and then George Allison. No wonder Chapman later described him as "one of the best bargains I ever made".
Jack was an instant hit at Highbury, finishing his first campaign as the Club's top scorer with 25 goals in 31 games. The title was beyond Arsenal that season and the next, but Chapman kept his promise to deliver a major trophy with the 1930 FA Cup.
Jack, who scored the first ever goal at Wembley Stadium when he represented Bolton in the 1923 Final, became the first player to win the Cup at Wembley with two different clubs as Huddersfield were beaten 2-0 seven years later.
In Chapman's W-M formation Jack was deployed as a forward alongside the likes of Jack Lambert and Cliff Bastin. As Arsenal grew in stature, the goals flowed. Jack registered his best tally in 1930/31, netting 34 times as Arsenal won their first League title.
Jack collected two more championship medals in 1932/33 and 1933/34, although his own influence had waned as the years caught up with him. Jack retired in May 1934 after scoring 124 goals in 208 matches for Arsenal. He won eight England caps during his career, scoring three times.
Jack immediately turned to management after hanging up his boots, taking charge of Southend for six years before stints at Middlesbrough and Shelbourne. He died in 1958, aged 59.
