Andy Scores! Vol 1 - Part 1/2: An East End Boy

Andy Chapman, In His Own Words: From the East End to America

After our first on-camera interview with Andy Chapman for the documentary film God Save the Wings, we realized that charisma like his needed to be harnessed to make our film more compelling. Thus, he became our narrator. The Major Indoor Soccer League benefited greatly from characters like Chapman. He brought his London East End charm to the Wichita Wings, Cleveland Force, and Baltimore Blast in the 1980s. Chapman might have been the 8^th leading goal scorer in MISL history, but he was closer to #1 in the hearts of fans.

After a career as a youth player and then as a professional on Arsenal’s reserve team, Andy made a very lucrative career as an indoor player in America in the MISL. Considering his hardscrabble upbringing in the East End, it is hard to blame him for attempting to put his family in a position where they would never have to suffer the privations of poverty. This is his story, in his own words, lightly edited, as told to me in several different phone interviews ranging from 2016 to 2024. A portion of this story appears in my and Mike Romalis’ book, Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings. Now, Andy Chapman, in his own words:

I grew up in a council flat in Dagenham, which is where the Ford plant was in the East End of London. My mum never drove a car, which was normal because none of my mate’s moms did either. I wouldn’t say we lived in poverty, but we didn’t have a washer or dryer, and we didn’t have a telephone. You didn’t think you were without because no one had stuff.

My brother, Nigel, was seven years older. He was a good footballer. I used to play with him in pickup games on Sunday. All the dads used to come out. We’d throw down our sweaters and create a couple goals. I can remember being about four or five years old, playing one Sunday, and there’s dads in their regular street clothes playing; an old guy was playing; a couple teenagers; there was a tomboy called Bobbi, she would play. 

Andy’s mother (Josie Chapman) and his brother Nigel reminiscing over old photographs at her retirement home in London. [Photo Credit: God Save the Wings]

Nigel was very good…technically gifted. We thought he might go on to become a pro. I can remember him beating players and giving it to me in front of the goal and I used to score all the time, [even though I was] very young. Someone said, “Your brother’s just a goal hanger,” which means a “cherry picker.” Nigel said, “Yeah, but he’s really good at it.” I always remember that.