Norman Catlin

Norman John Catlin (8 January 1918 – 29 May 1941) was an English footballer, who showed considerable promise as a schoolboy which was not fulfilled as a professional with Southampton Football Club. He lost his life in the controversial sinking of HMS Gloucester off the coast of Crete in May 1941.

Football career

Catlin was born in Liverpool but moved as a child to the Bitterne area of Southampton. When he scored 17 goals in an English Schools Shield match in 1932, he made the national sporting headlines. In all he scored 62 goals in 13 matches as Southampton schoolboys reached the final. This prolific goalscoring form attracted the attention of Arsenal who signed him on amateur terms; he was shortly afterwards capped for the England Schoolboys.

He subsequently returned to Southampton, joining the "Saints" as an amateur in June 1933, before signing a professional contract on his 17th birthday in January 1935. After playing in the reserves, he made his first-team debut away to Swansea Town on 28 December 1935, when he played at outside-right as replacement for Arthur Holt.