A much travelled player on his arrival at the Goldstone in May 1907, Arthur Archer brought a great deal of experience to the Albion defence, but the side struggled and his career in Sussex lasted just one season.
The Leicestershire-born full-back started out in local minor football with Burton St Edmunds, Tutbury Hamton and Swadlincote Town before joining Burton Wanderers in August 1894 for their first season as a Football League club. In July 1897 he was transferred to Small Heath (later renamed Birmingham) for a £50 fee and went on to make 170 League and Cup appearances in five seasons, being ever-present in their Division Two promotion side of 1900-01.
Arthur moved into the Southern League with New Brompton (later Gillingham) in March 1902, and was released in August 1903 to join Queen’s Park Rangers. During his time with New Brompton and Q.P.R., the stocky full-back also turned out occasionally – and somewhat oddly for Tottenham Hotspur in the London League, a secondary competition played in midweek.
In August 1905, together with his future Goldstone colleague Duncan Ronaldson, Arthur followed his Rangers team-mate John Bowman to Norwich City on the latter’s appointment as player-manager of the newly professionalised club, and enjoyed two fine seasons with the ‘Canaries’ before joining the Albion. A big man in stature and in heart, he was extremely popular during his only season on the South Coast. A contemporary report stated that he was ‘a rough-and-ready player with untiring energy and an effective style.’
Arthur made 39 appearances for the Seagulls in 1907-08.