Golden Len Goulden: The Life and Times of a West Ham Legend

• A unique insight into life as an inter-war footballing star
  
  
• Includes previously unpublished images and material
  
  
• Based on historical research and interviews with Len Goulden’s children
  
  
• A rare perspective on the character of the inter-war years in English football and the wartime game

Golden Len Goulden: The Life and Times of a West Ham Legend is a biography of one of West Ham United’s greatest players and the history of the club during his time in claret and blue. Goulden became an England star with a glittering career. This included, in May 1938, his scoring of the final goal in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Played in Berlin, the game became infamous as England players were obliged to give the Hitler salute prior to kick-off.

West Ham goal-keeping legend Ernie Gregory, who watched Goulden from the stands of Upton Park before signing for the club in 1936, claimed that: ‘We’ve had some great forwards over the years at West Ham, but Len was the greatest. The daddy of them all. He was the one I paid my money to see... I can still see Len now – controlling the ball, he killed it instantly... Len was the tops.’

This essential book provides a picture of a club, a man and a time that plucks from history a player who ranks with the best to wear the Hammers over his heart.

[custom_html] The biography of one of West Ham’s greatest players and the history of the club during his time as a ‘Hammer’.
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[smallDescription]The biography of one of West Ham’s greatest players and the history of the club during his time as a ‘Hammer’.
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[tabs] [tab title="AUTHOR(S)"]Emerging from the East London gang culture of the early 1970s, Brian Belton is a lifelong West Ham United supporter. After professionally qualifying in youth work, he gained a doctorate from the University of Kent and is currently a senior lecturer at the YMCA George Williams College in London. Belton has written close to eighty books as well as numerous articles and learned papers, spoken regularly at conferences and has appeared on radio and television.

[/tab] [/tabs][collection.author]brian-belton[/collection.author]