The list of anniversaries on 14 May is a strange bunch… I was mentioning the question of what happened in May 1910 when the club went to the very edge, and that crops up again here as the first time on the list.
Famous names appear too – Mel Charles, Alex Forbes, Bill Dodgin, Don Howe…
Plus some of those remembered in different ways – the strange Chris Wreh who had the talent but then lost it, and the desperate story of Paul Vaessen, now the subject of a new biography which I’ve just received and will review shortly.
Some are just oddities I have found – like the fact that Darwen FC went out of business – mentioned here because we have done an article on the game between Arsenal and Darwen in the FA Cup. And then there is our ex player David Platt who really tried hard to break into management. I am not sure what he is doing these days.
Today’s anniversaries
- 14 May 1910 The Times reports that the new share issue in Woolwich Arsenal had failed.
- 14 May 1935: Mel Charles born
- 14 May 1937: Alf Kirchen scored on his international début
- 14 May 1952: Alex Forbes plays last game for Scotland
- 14 May 1960: Bill Dodgin last senior appearance
- 14 May 1964: Don Howe’s first game for Arsenal
- 14 May 1970: Appolon 0 Arsenal 2 Fairs cup 4th round 2nd leg
- 14 May 1971: Arsenal Cup Final record entered the charts!
- 14 May 1975: Christopher Wreh born
- 14 May 1979: Paul Vaessen league debut v Chelsea
- 14 May 1980: Arsenal v Valencia, cup winners cup final
- 14 May 1983: Last appearance of Vladimir Petrovic
- 14 May 1986: George Graham becomes manager of Arsenal.
- 14 May 2009: Darwen FC, the club that Arsenal beat 11-1 on 9 Jan 1932, was wound up in the courts.
- 14 May 2013: David Platt sacked as assistant manager at Man City
