Description
Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire born inside right Arthur Atkinson began his career with Goole LMS in 1928 before joining Yorkshire League club Goole Town a year later, from where he joined Second Division Lincoln City in 1932, making his Football League debut against Bradford Park Avenue that Christmas Eve, scoring in a 2-2 draw. After 5 goals in 9 appearances he moved to Hull City in the 1933 close season but made only 5 appearances for The Tigers in 1933-34 before joining Mansfield Town in June 1934.
He rarely missed a match over his three seasons at Field Mill, scoring 34 goals in 130 appearances for The Stags, where he developed a reputation as a constructive schemer with good ball control and shooting ability, and in his second and third season he was the club’s second top scorer both seasons, albeit a long way behind the prolific Ted Harston in both campaigns. He joined Southport in the summer of 1937, where he scored 8 times in 44 appearances during 1937-38 before joining non league Thorne Colliery in the 1938 close season.