- Sam Sodje
Samuel Okeremute "Sam" Sodje (born 25 May 1979 in Greenwich, England) is a Nigerian centre half currently playing his football with Reading. His brothers, Efe, Steve, Akpo, Bright, and cousin Onome all play sports in England (all football, except Bright who plays rugby league).
- Nyron Nosworthy
Nyron Paul Nosworthy (born 1980-10-11 in Brixton, South London) is an English footballer of Jamaican descent. He is currently playing as a defender for Sunderland in the Premier League. He is also known in many songs, including: you try to take the ball off nyron and he says a no, no, no. and... nuggsy for england.
- Steve Bould
Stephen Andrew Bould (born November 16, 1962) is an English former football player. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, Bould signed for his hometown club Stoke City as a schoolboy in 1978, turning professional in November 1980. He made his debut at right back in a 3-2 defeat away to Middlesbrough in September 1981. However, he was unable to command a regular place in the team, and was loaned out to Torquay United in October 1982, playing 9 league games for Bruce Rioch's side.
- Chris Turner
Chris Turner (born 3rd April 1951 in St.Neots, Cambridgeshire) was an English professional footballer and manager, best known for a 9 year association as a player with Peterborough United. Turner began his playing career with Peterborough in 1969 and went onto make 314 league appearances as a centre half, scoring 37 goals before leaving the club in 1978 to join Luton Town. Spending a season with The Hatters, he played 30 games, scoring 5 goals before switching again, …
- David May
David May (born June 24, 1970 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a retired English footballer. He was primarily a centre half, but was sometimes deployed as right-back. May started his career with Blackburn Rovers as a trainee before graduating to the first team. He made over 100 appearances for the club and was part of the Blackburn team which was promoted to the FA Premier League in 1992 and finished as runners-up to Manchester United in the 1993-94 season.
- Terry Neill
William John Terence "Terry" Neill (born May 8, 1942) is a Northern Ireland former football player and manager. Born in Belfast, Neill played as a youth for Bangor, before moving in 1959 to Arsenal. He scored on his debut in December 1960 against Sheffield Wednesday, becoming an accomplished centre half (but also playing at full back). He became a regular in the Arsenal side of the 1960s, as well as the Northern Ireland national side, …
- Frank McLintock
Frank McLintock MBE (born December 28, 1939) is a former Scottish footballer. Born in Glasgow and brought up in the Gorbals, McLintock started his career as a midfielder at Leicester City, making his debut in 1959. He spent seven seasons at Filbert Street, reaching two FA Cup finals (1961 and 1963) and one League Cup final (1964), but was on the losing side on all three occasions. He was signed by Arsenal in October 1964 and went straight into the first team.
- Joe O'Cearuill
Joseph "Joe" O'Cearuill (born February 9 1987 in Edmonton, London) is a Republic of Ireland football player, who currently plays for Arsenal. He plays as a centre half or right back. His surname is pronounced "O'Carroll".
- Andy Morrison
Andrew "Andy" Morrison (born July 30 1970 in Inverness) is a Scottish ex-football player who played at centre half.
- Ibrahim Tall
Ibrahim Tall is a Senegalese international footballer. He currently plays for Scottish Premier League club Heart of Midlothian. He is a versatile defender capable of playing either right back or centre half. Tall started his career with Louhans-Cuiseaux before moving to Sochaux in 2002. He soon became a regular for the Montbéliard club, making over 70 first team appearances and helping them to win the 2004 French League Cup.
- John Roberts
John Griffith Roberts (born 11 September 1946 in Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taff) is a Welsh former footballer. Roberts began his career at Abercynon Athletic before joining Swansea City as a professional in 1964. Initially a striker who later switched to centre half, he moved to Northampton Town in 1967 and then Arsenal in 1969. He played for Arsenal for three seasons, including 18 appearances in the 1970-71 season, when Arsenal won the First Division title, …
- Ian Ure
John Francombe (Ian) Ure (born December 7 1939) is a Scottish former footballer. A centre half, Ure started his career at Dundee, playing for the club for five seasons, during which the club won its one and only First Division title, and reached the semi-finals of the European Cup. He transferred south of the border in 1963 to play for Arsenal. A regular for Arsenal in his first few seasons, …
- Colm Foley
Colm Foley (born May 30, 1979 in Dublin) is an Irish football player who currently plays for St. Patrick's Athletic F.C. in the eircom league Premier Division. Foley is a central defender and played schoolboy football for Belvedere F.C. In 1998 he signed for Drogheda United and soon established himself in the first team. In the summer of 2000 Pat Dolan signed Foley for St Patrick's Athletic.
- Daniel Gabbidon
Daniel Leon "Danny" Gabbidon (born August 8, 1979 in Cwmbran, Wales) is a professional Welsh footballer currently playing for West Ham United and for Wales. He plays at centre half.
- Peter Nicholas
Peter Nicholas (born November 10 1959) is a Welsh football player and manager. Nicholas was born in Newport, but his first professional club was Crystal Palace, with whom he began in 1976 as a youth player. He spent five seasons at Selhurst Park, and played over 150 matches for the Eagles, picking up the Second Division title up in 1978-79. In the meantime he had made his debut for Wales, and would go on to win 73 caps for his country.
- Tommy Caton
Thomas Stephen "Tommy" Caton was an English football player. Born in Kirkby Liverpool, Caton was a centre half who played for (and captained) England schoolboys, before signing for Manchester City as an apprentice in 1978. He made his debut on Saturday 18th August 1979 aged 16, and soon became a regular in the City side, playing in the 1981 FA Cup final, when still only 18 years old. He reached 100 First Division games on March 6, 1982, …
- Trevor Smith
Trevor Smith was an English footballer, who played as a centre half for Birmingham City and England.
- Jamie Harnwell
Jamie Harnwell (born July 21, 1977 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia) is an Australian football (soccer) player. He currently plays as a centre half or a striker for Perth Glory in Australia. He has previously played for Leyton Orient in England
- Peter Simpson
Peter Frederick Simpson (born January 13, 1945) is an English former football player. Born in Gorleston, Norfolk, Simpson initially joined Arsenal as a member of the club's groundstaff in 1960, before signing as an apprentice a year later in October 1961. He turned professional seven months later. He played for the reserves until 1964, when he made his first team debut against Chelsea, in a First Division match on March 14 1964.
- Neil Banfield
Neil Banfield (born January 20 1962 in Poplar, London) is an English football player and coach. He is currently the manager of Arsenal Reserves. As a player, Banfield had a fairly undistinguished career as a centre half, playing for Crystal Palace (1979-80) and Leyton Orient (1983-84), with a spell at Australian side Adelaide City in between. After retiring from playing he entered coaching, and joined Arsenal in 1997.
- Herbie Roberts
Herbert "Herbie" Roberts was an English football player. Born in Oswestry, Shropshire, Roberts first played as an amateur for his local club Oswestry Town, whilst working as a police officer. A tall, but quiet and unassuming right half, he was signed by Herbert Chapman's Arsenal in December 1926 for £200 and turned professional. He made his debut against Aston Villa on April 18, 1927, although he was not a regular in his first two seasons at the club, …
- Doug Smith
Doug Smith (born 1937) is a Scottish former footballer who played his entire career as centre half for Dundee United.
- Ray Daniel
William Raymond "Ray" Daniel was a Welsh football player and manager. Daniel was born in Swansea and started out at his local club Swansea Town as an amateur. In 1946 he was snapped up by Arsenal (whom his elder brother Bobby had played for, before he had been killed in the Second World War) aged 18. Thanks to compulsory National Service duty between 1947 and 1949, he did not make his debut for Arsenal until May 7, 1949 against Charlton Athletic, …
- David Watson
David Vernon Watson, sometimes called Dave Watson (born October 5 1946), was a centre half who was part of the Sunderland team that won the FA Cup in 1973.
- Mel Charles
Melvyn Charles (born 14 May 1935) is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played at both centre forward and centre half, and is the brother of John Charles and father of ex-footballer Jeremy Charles. A native of Swansea, Charles started out at his local club Swansea Town, and between 1952 and 1959 he played over 250 first-team matches for the Second Division side. He also made his debut for Wales while at Swansea, and played in Wales' 1958 World Cup campaign, …
- Obdulio Varela
Obdulio Jacinto Varela was an Uruguayan football player. He was the captain of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup after beating Brazil in the decisive final round match popularly known as the "Maracanazo". He was Nicknamed "El Negro Jefe" ("The Black Chief"), due to his dark skin and the influence he had on the pitch, and especially after the unlikely victory over Brazil.
- Bernard Joy
Bernard Joy was an English footballer and journalist. He is notable for being the last amateur player to play for the England national football team. Joy was born in Fulham, London and studied at the University of London, playing in his spare time for the university football side at centre half. After graduating, he played for Casuals, where he eventually became club captain, leading them to victory in the 1936 FA Amateur Cup final.
- Chris Whyte
Christopher Anderson Whyte (born September 2, 1961 in Islington, London) is an English former footballer. Whyte started his career as a youth player at Arsenal, turning professional in September 1978. A defender who played at centre half (but also less often at full back), he made his Arsenal first-team debut against Manchester City on October 17, 1981. He went on to start all but one of Arsenal's league matches that season, …
- Boro Primorac
Boro Primorac (born December 5, 1954 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian former football player and currently the first team coach at Arsenal. As a player, Primorac was an accomplished international centre half who captained Yugoslavia in the early 1980s. Now a respected coach, Primorac works as right hand man to Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger. He worked with the Frenchman at Grampus Eight in Japan before joining him at Highbury in March 1997.
- Dave Ewing
Dave Ewing (10 May 1929 - 1999) was a Scottish footballer who played in the centre half position. He played for Manchester City between 1952 and 1961 making 279 appearances and scoring 1 goal. He played in both the 1955 and 1956 FA Cup finals, the latter of which his team were successful in.
- Luis Monti
Luis Fernando Monti (May 15, 1901 - September 9, 1983) was an Italian-Argentine football player who has the unique distinction of playing in two World Cup final matches with two different national teams. The first was with his native Argentina in 1930, which he lost to Uruguay. The second was for Italy as one of their "Oriundi" in 1934. This time Monti was on the winning side in a 2-1 victory over Czechoslovakia.
- Stan Harland
Stan Harland (19 June 1940 - 30 August 2001) was a football Centre Half. Born in Liverpool, his football career began at local club New Brighton. It was from here that he attracted interest from Everton who signed him in 1959. Harland moved to Bradford City where he scored 20 goals in 120 league games for the club before being transferred to Carlisle United. Carlisle won promotion to the Second Division in his first season with the club, Harland played in every game.
- Derek Pace
Derek 'Doc' Pace (born March 11, 1932, in Bloxwich, England - died October 17, 1989) was a footballer who played in the position of Striker for Sheffield United and Aston Villa. Pace went to Essington Junior School in Essington and was captain for Walsall Schoolboys playing at centre half. On leaving school, he went on to play for amateur sides Bloxwich Scouts in the Bloxwich Combination, …
- John Dick
John Dick was a Scottish footballer. Born in Eaglesham, Renfrewshire, Dick first played for Airdrieonians, but in 1898 he was signed by London side Woolwich Arsenal as one of manager George Elcoat's many Scottish signings, with reserve striker James Devlin going the other way. A strong muscular centre half (in those days the centre half played in midfield), …
- Jimmy Simpson
James (Jimmy) McMillan Simpson (born October 29, 1908 in Ladybank, Fife; died 1972) was a Scottish international footballer who played as a centre half.
- Efstathios Tavlaridis
Efstathios Tavlaridis, sometimes known as Stathis Tavlaridis, is a Greek footballer. He currently plays for AS Saint-Étienne in the centre of defence. He started his career at Iraklis FC and in 2001 was transferred to Arsenal for a fee of $3,000,000 at the age of 21. He never fully broke into the first team, unable to displace Sol Campbell and Kolo Touré, and spent a period on loan to Portsmouth.
- Jesse Carver
Jesse Carver (7 July 1911 - 29 November 2003) was an English footballer, best remembered for his enlightened management of some of Europe's finest clubs.
- Lionel Smith
Lionel Smith (August 23, 1920 - November 6, 1980) was an English footballer.
- Ernst Ocwirk
Ernst Ocwirk (March 7,1926 - January 23,1980) was an Austrian football player and coach. He is considered one of the greatest Austrian footballers of all-time. He spent the majority of his playing and coaching years between Austria and Italy, being both player and manager for the clubs FK Austria Vienna and "Serie A"'s UC Sampdoria. He also went on to become a member of the Austria national team, …
- Alex Graham
John Alexander "Alex" Graham was a Scottish footballer. Graham was born in Hurlford, Ayrshire but started playing for local clubs in Lanarkshire. He was taken on trial by Arsenal in December 1911 and was signed permanently the following January. After a year in the reserves he made his debut in a First Division match on December 25 1912 against Notts County, and played another eleven games that season. Graham either played at centre half or left half, …