# David Nelson (footballer)

David Nelson (3 February 1918 – 27 September 1988) was a Scottish professional football player and manager, who played in the Football League for Brentford, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, Fulham and Crystal Palace as a wing half.

## Career

A wing half, Nelson began his career with hometown junior club Douglas Water Thistle, before moving to Scottish League Second Division club St Bernard's in January 1936. He scored seven goals in 12 appearances during the second half of the 1935–36 season and moved to England to sign for First Division club Arsenal for a £200 fee in May 1936. Nelson made just 9 appearances before the Second World War broke out in September 1939, but he had experienced some joy in the reserve team, winning the London Combination in 1936–37, 1937–38 and 1938–39. Nelson made 164 appearances for the Gunners during the war and also played as a guest for Motherwell, Celtic, Clapton Orient, Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford and Chesterfield during the Second World War. He made further competitive Arsenal appearances during the 1945–46 and 1946–47 seasons, before leaving Highbury in December 1946. Nelson made 29 competitive appearances and scored four goals in over a decade with Arsenal.
Nelson joined Second Division club Fulham in December 1946, as a makeweight in the deal that took Ronnie Rooke to Arsenal. He made 24 appearances and scored four goals before he and teammate Peter Buchanan transferred to newly relegated Second Division club Brentford for a £6,000 deal in August 1947. Nelson was a regular at wing half and made 113 appearances, scoring five goals, before transferring to Second Division club Queens Park Rangers in February 1950, in exchange for Bill Pointon. He remained at Loftus Road for just over two years and departed having made 31 appearances.
Nelson dropped down to the Third Division South to join Crystal Palace in March 1952, but he made just 12 appearances before his departure the following year. Nelson ended his career as player-manager at Kent League club Ashford Town between March 1953 and May 1955.

## Personal life

Nelson served as a sergeant in the British Army during the Second World War. He emigrated to the United States in the late 1950s and worked at a car plant in St. Louis. At the time of his death, he was living in Greenwich, Connecticut.

## Career statistics
### Player

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National cup | National cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| St Bernard's | 1935–36 | Scottish Second Division | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 7 |
| Arsenal | 1936–37 | First Division | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 3 |
| Arsenal | 1938–39 | First Division | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 |
| Arsenal | 1945–46 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Arsenal | 1946–47 | First Division | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 |
| Arsenal | Total | Total | 27 | 4 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 4 |
| Colchester United (loan) | 1945–46 | Southern League | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Fulham | 1946–47 | Second Division | 23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 3 |
| Brentford | 1947–48 | Second Division | 40 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 3 |
| Brentford | 1948–49 | Second Division | 40 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 2 |
| Brentford | 1949–50 | Second Division | 26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 0 |
| Brentford | Total | Total | 106 | 5 | 7 | 0 | — | — | 113 | 5 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1949–50 | Second Division | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 13 | 0 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 1950–51 | Second Division | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 |
| Queens Park Rangers | Total | Total | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 0 |
| Ashford Town | 1952–53 | Kent League | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 |
| Ashford Town | 1953–54 | Kent League | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 30 | 3 |
| Ashford Town | 1954–55 | Kent League | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Ashford Town | Total | Total | 44 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 54 | 3 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 244 | 21 | 16 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 266 | 22 |
* ↑ Includes Scottish Cup, FA Cup
* ↑ 2 appearances and 1 goal in Kent League Cup, 1 goal in Kent Senior Shield
* ↑ Appearances in Kent Senior Cup

### Manager

Managerial record by team and tenure :
| Team | From | To | Record | Record | Record | Record | Record |
| Team | From | To | P | W | D | L | Win % |
| Ashford Town | 21 March 1953 | 31 May 1955 | 86 | 24 | 20 | 42 | 027.9 |
| Total | Total | Total | 86 | 24 | 20 | 42 | 027.9 |