Chaplin certainly had an eventful career! He started in his home town and earned his one and only full Scottish cap against Wales in March 1903. He played well at Bradford City helping them to reach the 1911 FA Cup final, but was struck down by tuberculosis. This illness took almost 3 years to clear. In May 1919, Chaplin signed for the League's new boys and was appointed captain. In the club's grey days, he was one of the few players that maintained a standard of play expected for the Football League. He was considered the best fullback ever to play for City until then.
The most famous, or infamous, incident involving Chaplin, took place in April 1920. Having desperately clawed themselves to the brink of safety from virtual relegation in the club's first season in Division 2, City had to gain points in two games against Bury. Unknown to his playing colleagues, but fully condoned by his chairman David Cooke, Chaplin made arrangements with Bury players to ensure that City gained 3 points from the games. A 2-2 draw at Gigg Lane was followed by a 2-1 victory for City at Highfield Road. Rumours spread that something amiss had taken place, and an FA commission found the clubs guilty of arranging the first match, but never proved the fixing of the second
Eight Bury representatives, plus Cooke, fellow director Jack Marshall and Chaplin were all banned, sine die, in May 1923. This notorious incident was remembered for years. Chaplin remained in Coventry for the rest of his life, but never revisited Highfield Road.