John Arnott | Vital Football

John Arnott

H

Hampshiregills

Vital Youth Team
I note a story on GIllsconnect that John Arnott died recently. You have to be of a certain vintage to remember this player, but he was most certainly a key member of the defence which conceded just 30 goals throughout the 1963/64 season, when we were promoted to the old 3rd division. Indeed, barring injury, the defence formation of Simpson, Hudson, Hunt, Arnott, Burgess, Farrall, picked itself every week that year.

RIP John.
 
Him and Alec Farrell ran the midfield, if only we had a defence like that now. That's if the referees let them stay on the pitch.
 
R.I.P. John Henry.

'Him and Alec Farrell ran the midfield' Gentlemen footballers -but you wouldn't get past them easily. Arnott spent 6 years at Bournemouth, before Cox brought him to Gillingham where he spent 7 years and then onto Dover for another 6-7 years.
I make that about 22 years playing career, 'cos he didn't start playing for West Ham until he was 22!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Arnott_(footballer)
 
Sadly, my abiding memory of John Arnott was a game in which he scored 2 own goals. Both were identical and both were attempted diving headers near the edge of our own box, each going off the side of his head into his own net.
 
I think I remember that. Did we blow a three goal lead and it ended at three apiece after the two og's went in at the Gillingham End.

Very good player. RIP.
 
Remember that game well. Did not see gills lose for more than two seasons at home until that Exeter home game - what a shock to the system lol.
 
Very sad to jear of former players from any era passing away . They are all part of the Gills family. Although I didn't know the man I knew of him RIP John
 
IIRC he scored TWO own goals in a 3-2 home defeat to Orient (mid/late 60's I think). I was sat on the wall at the RE legs at risk of being broken from any bad shots.

Remember him fondly.

Also remember his son Andy playing for us and his last minute equaliser, also for Orient, in our promotion season 95/6
 
Gills1958, thanks for confirming my memory that it was against Leyton Orient. As I remember we had put a little run of results together but this defeat led to another season of mid table obscurity ! Happy days indeed.
 
I would very much doubt that Andy was John's son. John would have been in his forties by the time Andy was born.
 
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