Arthur Gumbley’s involvement in WW1 was mercifully brief, he served between October and December 1914 with the Royal Warwickshire Regiment before being discharged for being “unfit”. His discharge document declared that he was “not likely to become an efficient soldier” owing to his overlapping toes and deformed feet. Bizarrely this did not it seem prevent him from playing football upon his return to Blighty and he came to the attention of Southampton’s midlands scout while playing as an amateur in the Birmingham League.

A forward, Arthur Gumbley had been playing as an amateur in the Birmingham League. His trial at The Dell consisted of a Southern League outing – out of position at left-half – against Brighton. Although he acquitted himself well in a 3-0 home win, Arthur quickly returned to Birmingham League football. Thge 1921 census describes his occupation as a “capstan hand motor worker” at Eddisons Electric Car factory, although he was technically out of work. In 1939 he was still based in the Birmingham and described his trade as being a “cold straighener” in the steel industry.