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Here is the most expensive footballer in the World at the time that he was transferred from West Ham to Falkirk. Hard to believe! Read on....
 Syd Puddefoot was born in Limehouse, The East End, London on 17th October 1894 and died on October 2nd 1972. He played for his local club, West Ham, then Falkirk (a remarkable exchange considering the history of the clubs) and then Blackburn Rovers. He also played first class cricket for Essex, his local county.

Syd played for West Ham United 158 times scoring 102 goals (1912-22), originally as an amateur. Remember that West Ham only joined the Football League in 1919 having been in the Southern and Western League previously.

He created a record by scoring a hat trick for West Ham in 7 minutes in the 1st Rd of the FA Cup, and in the same game, an individual total of 5 v Chesterfield in a "mauling" on January 10th 1914. (Chesterfield had worked their way through the early rounds of the Cup, joining the competition in the Fourth Qualifying Round. They drew with Shirebrook (one of our "local" clubs here in South Yorkshire), beat them in the replay 2-0 then did the same against North Shields Athletic (still a regional draw). The Hammers lost to Liverpool in Round 3.

During the First World War Syd worked in munitions and joined the conflict. He played in the London Combination League (originally the Reserves' League) scoring 100 goals in 126 apps, including 7 v Crystal Palace in November 1918.

Puddefoot then joined the Scots, Falkirk, having been stationed during the war at the Bridge of Allan. He played 113 apps with 45 goals (1922-25).

In 1919-20  with West Ham he played for England three times in the Victory Internationals scoring 3 goals.

On the 7th February 1922 Falkirk paid £5,000, then a World record, the only time a Scottish club has achieved this. Part of the fee was paid for through a public collection at the club. Puddefoot benefited with a £390 signing on fee. The Post recorded the sale by writing "When will this folly on the part of football clubs come to an end?"

IN THE NEXT MONTH Warney Cresswell, "The Prince of Full backs", broke this record with a move from South Shields to Sunderland for £5,500 on March 3rd 1922. By the way, Warney fought in the war, was imprisoned, played in Scotland and then in England and ended up managing at Northampton Town in 1937.

Puddefoot moved on to Blackburn Rovers, 250 apps (79 goals) (1925-1933) and back to West Ham briefly 22 apps (3) from 1932-3. This included the 1928 FA Cup Final, an unusual "personal hearing" at the FA having objected to a sending off and made his last appearance in 1933, completing his time in Football as a scout for Southend United through to 1967.
In total he played 543 times and scored 229 goals.

Syd coached at Fenerbache in Turkey (1933), Galatasaray (1933-4) and exotically at Northampton Town (1935-7)......note the comment in Cresswell's paragraph..... Cobblers!!
and died in October 1972.

http://www.falkirk-football-history.co.uk/2013/07/when-falkirk-fc-broke-world-transfer.html