Arsenal’s famous footballing families – The brothers who wore the shirt
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Matthew and Elijah Upson made history this week by becoming the first father and son to sign professional contracts with Arsenal.
Matthew Upson made 57 appearances for the Gunners, playing his part in the club’s memorable domestic Double-winning campaign in 2001/02.
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What are the odds of your child not only making it to the professional game in the same position, but also signing his first professional contract with the very club his father represented?
Upson senior must have felt incredibly proud walking back into London Colney.
Interestingly, the 47-year-old was also 18 when Arsene Wenger brought him to Arsenal.
Since retiring, Matthew Upson has worked in the media, primarily with BBC Radio 5 Live and Premier League Productions. If things continue to go well for Elijah, though, we may be seeing even more of the Upson family around the Emirates in years to come.
So, for part one of Keeping It In The Family, let’s begin with the siblings who have represented Arsenal…
The brothers who wore the Arsenal shirt
Four sets of brothers have played for Arsenal’s first team, while another family came incredibly close, with both siblings representing the reserves at the same time.
The Bradshaws
Technically, there were three Bradshaws if we include the entire family, although only the brothers played together for the reserves.
For your next football quiz, not only are the Bradshaws believed to be the first brothers at Woolwich Arsenal simultaneously, but their father, Harry, was also the club’s manager.
Joe never broke into the first team, while his older brother managed just four senior appearances.
Both later followed their father to Fulham, where Joe and Harry helped the club win consecutive Southern League First Division titles.
It’s fair to say the Bradshaw name left a greater legacy at Craven Cottage.
The Comptons
What are the chances of siblings being talented enough to play professional football and cricket at the highest level?
While Leslie enjoyed the more successful football career and Denis became a world-class cricketer, eventually earning induction into the ICC Hall of Fame, both achieved remarkable success during the same three-year period by winning league titles in football and cricket, as well as lifting the FA Cup.
Leslie won two England caps in football and remains the oldest outfield player to earn his first international cap.
Denis represented England in 78 Test matches.
History: The brothers that had amazing careers at Arsenal and cricket
DENIS COMPTON Mandatory Credit: Allsport Hulton/Archive
The Claptons
The most recent brothers to appear for Arsenal’s first team were Danny and Denis Clapton.
Danny made 225 appearances for the Gunners, which was 221 more than his younger brother.
While Danny went on to represent England, Denis headed to Canada, where he found both his best form and more lucrative contracts.
Danny later followed a similar path, moving to Australia, where experienced English players were well rewarded as the sport continued to grow.
The Hoytes
The Hoyte brothers were included in the same Arsenal squads for the occasional League Cup fixture, although Arsene Wenger never had them on the pitch together.
Gavin Hoyte made his senior debut just a month after older brother Justin had been sold to Middlesbrough.
While Justin’s departure earned Arsenal around £3 million, Gavin was eventually released following several loan spells.
Both brothers later dropped down the football pyramid, with 36-year-old Gavin currently playing for Sittingbourne.
The pair did eventually share a first-team dressing room at both Dagenham & Redbridge and with Trinidad and Tobago.
The Willocks
Incredibly, all three Willock brothers came through Hale End at the same time.
Ironically, the oldest sibling was released at the age of 15, while the youngest ended up winning both the FA Cup and League Cup with Arsenal.
The trio even shared the same under-23 pitch when Chris and Joe faced older brother Matty, who was then with Manchester United.
Joe has since gone on to make more than 180 appearances for Newcastle United, while Chris helped Cardiff City earn promotion to the Championship.
After battling injuries and dropping down the football pyramid, Matty retired at the age of 25.
Hope you enjoyed part one.
Dan Smith
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