THE footballer George Swindin enjoyed a long and memorable relationship with Arsenal, both in the prewar and postwar era, and as a goalkeeper and a manager. He made 297 appearances for the North London club from 1936 to 1954, helping to guide them to one FA Cup victory and three First Division titles. Although his later spell as manager of the Gunners from 1958 to 1962 proved to be less auspicious, he will nevertheless be remembered by Arsenal fans, and those who recall the immediate postwar game in general, as a thoroughly reliable shotstopper. At his peak, he possessed one of the safest pair of hands in English football.

During Arsenal’s title-winning season of 1947-48, Swindin conceded a mere 32 goals. In today’s climate of goal-mouth austerity in England’s top flight, this feat may not seem particularly impressive, but in Swindin’s time, when strikers invariably scored prolifically, this established a First Division record — and served to cement Arsenal’s now long-borne reputation as having one of the meanest defences in the land. Swindin was, in the opinion of many Gunners fans, the best goalie never to have played for his country.

George Hedley Swindin was born in Campsall, near Doncaster, and began his footballing career with Bradford City in 1934. He moved to Arsenal in 1936 and after a somewhat inconsistent start, he had established himself as first-choice keeper two years later, when he earned his first championship medal.

The 1937-38 season proved to be one of the tightest First Division campaigns ever, in which only 16 points separated the winners from the two relegated teams. With Wolverhampton Wanderers leading the table on the last day of the season, Arsenal snatched the title at the very last with a 5-0 win against Bolton.

During the Second World War, Swindin served as an Army physical training instructor, before returning to Highbury. Arsenal again lifted the title in 1948, and then the FA Cup in 1950 in a 2-0 win over Liverpool.

This was the first final to have an attendance of more than 100,000 since the final of 1923, and Arsenal also made the record books in becoming the oldest FA Cup-winning team, their average age being 30 and two months — Swindin was himself 35.

In 1952, he was in the side that lost to Newcastle United in the cup final, but a year later he tasted success as Arsenal triumphed in another closely fought title race — beating Preston North End on goal average.

In 1954 Swindin left Arsenal to become player-manager of then non-league Peterborough United and after one season became full-time manager. There he showed promise at the helm, and although he could not lift the side into the football league, he is widely credited with laying the foundations for that eventual achievement in 1960.

Thus in 1958, with Arsenal’s fortunes now in worrying decline, he returned to North London, this time recalled to take charge of the side. As manager, he initially displayed great acumen; he made many changes to the side and by February of the 1958-59 season the Gunners were top of the table.

However, his side were plagued by injuries and ended the season in a disappointing third place; Swindin and Arsenal had not developed the kind of youth policies that had proved so profitable for Manchester United and the eventual champions Wolves. Further underachievement followed, made all the more unpalatable by local rivals Tottenham Hotspur securing the “double” in 1961. In March 1962, in a decision that came as a shock to most Gunners players and fans who were endeared to him, Swindin was replaced by Billy Wright, who had no managerial experience (and who subsequently did not stop Arsenal’s slide into mediocrity in the 1960s).

Swindin next became manager of Norwich City, before moving to Cardiff City, but he retired in 1964. He went on to run a service station in Corby, Northamptonshire. He was an enthusiastic golfer but in recent years he had to give up his favourite pastime when he developed Alzheimer’s disease.

Swindin is survived by his wife Stella and a son.

George Swindin, footballer, was born on December 4, 1914. He died on October 26, 2005, aged 90.