After bursting onto the scene in September 1981, striker Raphael Meade looked set to claim a regular starting berth in north London.
The 18-year-old scored with the first kick of his debut as a substitute in a 2-0 UEFA Cup victory in Athens against Panathinaikos, and then bagged a winner in his first league game, against Manchester City at Highbury in a tight 1-0 success.
Some Arsenal fans quickly compared the pacy and powerful Meade with the swashbuckling former crowd favourite Malcolm Macdonald, who’d left the club in 1979. But Meade never became a regular starter, and a clutch of expensive signings, including forwards Tony Woodcock, Paul Mariner and Charlie Nicholas, often kept Meade out of the side.
In late 1983, a Christmas purple patch saw him net a Highbury hat-trick against Watford in a 3-1 victory on December 17, and a well-taken Boxing Day brace against Tottenham suggested he may yet fully establish himself. But Meade’s form and opportunities once again fizzled out, and in the 1985 close season, he opted for a fresh start with Sporting Lisbon.
New coach Manuel Jose spoke excitedly about the now 23-year-old Meade’s potential, stating: “I believe that Raphael, who is exceptionally quick and strong in the air, possesses the attributes which I believe will make him a huge success over here.” Meade, clad in Sporting’s iconic green and white stripes, adapted very quickly to life at the sprawling Estadio Jose Alvalade, which stood adjacent to Sporting’s new stadium, opened in 2003.
Meade’s scoring statistics during his two seasons with the club were impressive. He grabbed 13 goals from 26 appearances in all competitions in 1985/86, and 20 goals from 33 appearances in the following campaign. He nabbed hat tricks against both Academica Coimbra and Vitoria Guimaraes in the Primeira Liga, and highlighted his excellent close-range anticipation from dead-ball situations and his speed of movement.
Home supporters regularly waved flags with Meade’s face on, and chanted ‘Meade, Meade, Meade,’ each time he began sprinting forwards. In a later Shoot! interview, the former Arsenal man also showed his love for the passionate fans: “Sporting Lisbon provided me with a great experience. I really enjoyed myself because the climate was great.”
Meade’s most memorable contribution in the Portuguese capital was scoring twice against Athletic Bilbao as Sporting reached the last eight of the UEFA Cup. Both strikes demonstrated his ability to gallop onto a through pass and finish emphatically. He also scored twice in a record-breaking 9-0 away drubbing of Icelandic side Iþrottabandalag Akraness in the first round of the following year’s competition.
Meade fell out of favour in the 1987/88 campaign, and returned to Britain where he played for several clubs. Thanks to his 1983 Boxing Day double against Tottenham, and his goal exploits in Portugal, he’s still a cult hero in the red and white half of north London, as well as the green and white section of Lisbon.
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