William Buckenham was a bombardier in the Royal Artillery and a regular at Woolwich Arsenal for one season.
He enjoyed a goalscoring debut against Bristol City in November 1909 after joining from Army football in the same month.
Buckenham worked in Woolwich Arsenal before joining the Army in 1905.
The centre forward played 21 times in his solitary season at the Club, scoring five goals in the First Division as Arsenal narrowly avoided relegation.
He transferred to Southampton in summer 1910.
WHAT THE FANS SAID:
"William Elijah Buckenham is one of those players from the early years of the club of whom we know little. He played only in the 1909/10 season, and Woolwich Arsenal was his only professional club. He was a serviceman, or working in the military much of his working life being associated with 86th Battallion Royal Artillery and 12th Field Artillery, both of whom he played for as an amateur. In his one season with us he took over the troublesome centre forward position, where we had tried seven different players before his first game in November. In all in this one and only season with Woolwich Arsenal he played 21 games and scored 5 times. He left at the end of the season and signed for Southern League Southampton. But there is one special point to note - he is one of those players who scored on his debut. He got a goal in a 2-2 draw at home to Bristol City on 20 November 1909. He was born in Woolwich in 1888 and died in 1954."
Tony Attwood, Corby, Northants
