Don Roper

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Donald George Beaumont "Don" Roper (December 14, 1922 – June 8, 2001) was an English footballer.

Born in Botley, Hampshire, Roper began his career at his local club, Southampton, making his debut for them during wartime matches. By the resumption of competitive football in 1946, Roper had established himself as a right winger of some repute, and he was signed by Arsenal in 1947 for £10,000, with George Curtis moving in the opposite direction.

Roper immediately became a regular for the Gunners, playing 40 times and scoring ten goals in 1947-48, as Arsenal won the First Division. He switched to the left wing in 1949-50 but was displaced by Denis Compton in Arsenal's FA Cup-winning side of 1950. He regained his place the following season, and continued to be a near ever-present for Arsenal for the next five seasons, playing in the 1952 Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, and winning another League title in 1953. He once scored five in a friendly match against Hibernian in 1952, which was one of the first in the country to be played under floodlights.

Roper lost his Arsenal first-team place during 1955-56, dropping down to the reserves. He played 321 matches for Arsenal in total, scoring 95 goals. He rejoined Southampton in January 1957, becoming club captain, before later playing for Weymouth and Dorchester Town, finally retiring from the game in 1963. He never played for the full England side, though he won a single "B" cap.

He also occasionally played cricket for Hampshire. After retiring from the game, he settled in Southampton and worked as an engineer. He died in 2001, at the age of 78.