Jeff Blockley

English footballer

Jeffrey Paul Blockley (born 12 September 1949) is an English former footballer who played as a defender. He made over 300 Football League appearances and was capped by the England national football team.

Blockley was born in Leicester but began his career with Coventry City, making his debut for them in the 1968–69 season. Towards the end of his first season, and playing despite an injury, Blockley's uncertainty in the FA Cup semi final against Sunderland contributed to Arsenal's defeat, and his relationship with the supporters never really recovered. However, with Frank McLintock leaving Arsenal in the summer of 1973 Blockley became first choice centre back, and early in the 1973 74 season he scored his only league goal for the Gunners, versus Leeds United. However, the season was to turn out to be a difficult one for both Blockley and Arsenal, with defeats in both domestic cup competitions to lower level sides. Many of the club's fans laid the blame at Blockley's feet (Nick Hornby recounts in his memoir Fever Pitch that Blockley was "an incompetent to rival Ian Ure"); Bertie Mee would later reflect that signing Blockley was the worst mistake he ever made as Arsenal manager. Blockley's days at Arsenal were numbered – though he was still at Arsenal at the start of the 1974–75 season, he was dropped, and placed on the transfer list. In January 1975 Blockley was sold to Leicester City for £100,000. After 76 league matches He went on to join Gloucester City for the 1981 82 season, playing 15 times. After retiring, Blockley did not opt for a career in coaching or management and instead became a salesman for a power transmission company. He now owns his own business, Transmech.