Introduction
Arnold Birch (1891 – 1964) was an English professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
World War I
Birch worked at Newton, Chambers & Company's Tankersley mine until it closed in 1914 at the outbreak of World War I. He voluntarily joined the 1st Royal Naval Brigade. After a flee from Antwerpen, Belgium with his division in October 1914, he spent World War I in a prisoner-of-war camp in Groningen, Netherlands playing football in the highly rated internal competition alongside Harry Waites.
He joined local side Be Quick in 1916 as a masseuge and later as coach and was allowed to play for the team in 1918. Be Quick won the Eerste Klasse North and qualified for the Championship play-off finishing fifth.
Football career
Upon returning to England, Birch made 27 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday in the Football League between August 1919 and January 1923. He later played for Chesterfield, scoring 5 goals in 141 League appearances. He later played non-League football with Denaby United.