Background
Collett was born in Sheffield and played for his working men"s club team in Oughtibridge, before moving to Arsenal in 1933.
Collett was born in Sheffield and played for his working men"s club team in Oughtibridge, before moving to Arsenal in 1933.
He would remain on the club"s book for sixteen years, although he only played 20 matches in this time. Collett"s best run in the Arsenal season was in 1938-1939, when he made nine appearances deputising for Wilf Copping at left half. However, soon after that World World War II began and league football was suspended.
He also guested for Brentford, playing (and winning) the London War Cup final with them in 1941-1942.
In June 1940, he was one of five Arsenal players who guested for Southampton in a victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Collett played another six league games in 1946-1947 before stepping down from the Arsenal first-team entirely, though he continued to play reserve-team football until 1949.
He died in 1980, after being struck in an accident by a fire engine, aged 65.
After that he became a member of the club"s backroom staff — he was at first George Male"s assistant in coaching Arsenal"s youth team, before moving into scouting, eventually became the club"s chief scout, a job he held until his retirement in 1979. In total he was with Arsenal for 46 years, making him one of the club"s most enduring servants.