April/May 1935 – Arsenal win the league for the third successive year

By Tony Attwood

Here’s the top of the table at the end of March 1935

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GAv	Pts
1	Arsenal	35	19	10	6	97	39	2.49	48
2	Sunderland	34	17	11	6	75	40	1.88	45
3	Manchester City	34	18	6	10	66	50	1.32	42
4	Sheffield Wednesday	36	16	9	11	59	58	1.02	41
5	Everton	36	15	9	12	78	71	1.10	39

Arsenal had seven games to play – meaning a total of 14 points available, and if Sunderland won their game in hand Arsenal would potentially have to win all of those games to secure the title.  But of course title runs in are always about points being dropped, and this one was no exception.

The first game of the month was against Chelsea – who were sitting 11th, having won five of their 17 away games thus far.  Arsenal had won 13, drawn 3 and lost one of their home games, scoring 63 and conceding 14.

It should have been a walkover – but it wasn’t, it was a 2-2 draw.  The first point of the run in had been dropped.   However elsewhere however results were kind.  Sunderland also drew (away to West Brom) while Manchester City and Everton did the same – drawing 2-2.   Tottenham at the bottom, lost 4-0 away to Sheffield Wednesday.

Arsenal’s side for the Chelsea match was certainly makeshift, and it showed just how far they had been stretched.  Moss was playing his third game of the season in goal, Compton his third game at right back, and Bob John his seventh, coming in at left back.  Even the normally reliable Bastin was missing as only five of the players who opened for Arsenal back in August were still present.  Drake scored, and Compton stepped up to take a penalty, which made it 2-2.

But with Sunderland also drawing, nothing had changed at the top.  However there was still danger for the following Wednesday, as Sunderland played their game in hand away to Manchester City… but they lost 1-0.   This meant that all eyes were even more keenly focussed on the top of the table.

On 13 April Arsenal were away to Wolverhampton – currently sitting in 17th.  Arsenal’s away form had improved of late so that it now read won 6 drawn 7 and lost 5 – not the championship winning form of Chapman’s teams which focussed on having away form running at the same level as home form, but a significant improvement on the first half of the season.

The team was much the same as the previous game, but with Male returning at right back and the ever obliging Compton moving to left back.  The result was a 1-1 draw, Hill scoring Arsenal’s 100th league goal of the season.

The feeling was Arsenal should be winning these games against lowly placed opposition, but once again Arsenal were saved by the results elsewhere…

• Grimsby 1 Manchester City 1
• Sunderland 2 Sheffield Wednesday 2

The top of the table now looked like this, with five games to go.  Sunderland could make 57 points meaning that four wins out of five would give Arsenal the title no matter what.

But this was not Arsenal’s current form… of the last eight games Arsenal had won three and drawn five.  True there was only one defeat in the last 15 league games, but even so, it only needed an improvement of Sunderland’s form, and Arsenal could be looking over their shoulder far more nervously.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts
1	Arsenal	37	19	12	6	100	42	2.38	50
2	Sunderland	37	17	13	7	78	44	1.77	47
3	Manchester City	37	19	8	10	70	53	1.32	46
4	Sheffield Wednesday	38	17	10	11	65	60	1.08	44
5	Everton	38	15	11	12	81	74	1.09	41

The only bit of light relief was Tottenham.  They were now five points from safety having playdd one more game than their rivals at the foot of the table.  Tottenham had now played 16 games without a victory and had sunk from 6th at the end of September to this parlous position.

But on 19 April (Good Friday) Arsenal returned to form big time.  3-0 up at half time they were in no mood to hold back and went on to win 8-0 against 19th placed Middlesborough (the clubs in 21st and 22nd position being relegated.)    They had only won once away, and Arsenal had just gone nine without defeat, so a win was predicted – but not a win of this size.

The reason for the size of the victory was not difficult to see  as some of the regulars returned and in particular we had Hapgood and Male at full back.  At outside right however there was a new name Tim Rogers – who stayed in place to play the remaining games of the season.  He had signed in January from Wrexham and remained with the club until June 1936.

Amazingly it was the third time Arsenal had scored eight.  Drake scored four, Rogers two, Bastin and Beasley one each.  It was a result that helped the goal average, and on this date Manchester City completely slipped away from contention, losing 2-4 at home to Portsmouth.   Sunderland however beat Preston 3-1 to keep up the pressure.

The following day Arsenal were at home again, this time taking on Huddersfield, and beating them 1-0, Beasley getting the goal   Not another eight, but with Arsenal winning, all eyes were on the other results….

• Birmingham City 2 Sunderland 2
• Manchester City 1 Preston NE 2
• Sheffield Wednesday 1 Leicester City 1

and at the bottom…

• Stoke City 4 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Now the table looked like this

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts
1	Arsenal	39	21	12	6	109	42	2.60	54
2	Sunderland	39	18	14	7	83	47	1.77	50
3	Manchester City	39	19	8	12	73	59	1.24	46
4	Sheffield Wednesday	39	17	11	11	66	61	1.08	45
5	Liverpool	39	19	5	15	81	80	1.01	43
6	Grimsby Town	39	16	10	13	73	57	1.28	42
7	West Bromwich Albion	39	17	8	14	82	79	1.04	42
8	Everton	39	15	11	13	83	80	1.04	41
9	Derby County	39	16	8	15	75	64	1.17	40
10	Preston North End	39	15	10	14	61	64	0.95	40
11	Aston Villa	39	14	12	13	73	79	0.92	40
12	Stoke City	39	17	5	17	67	67	1.00	39
13	Chelsea	39	15	8	16	66	72	0.92	38
14	Portsmouth	39	14	9	16	65	65	1.00	37
15	Huddersfield Town	39	14	8	17	73	66	1.11	36
16	Blackburn Rovers	40	13	10	17	60	77	0.78	36
17	Wolverhampton Wndrs	39	13	8	18	80	87	0.92	34
18	Leeds United	39	11	12	16	68	86	0.79	34
19	Birmingham City	39	12	9	18	56	75	0.75	33
20	Middlesbrough	39	9	13	17	65	87	0.75	31
21	Leicester City	39	12	7	20	55	78	0.70	31
22	Tottenham Hotspur	40	9	10	21	46	88	0.52	28

Sunderland could still reach 56, which meant that one more win for Arsenal from the last three games would be enough, given the advantage Arsenal had in terms of goal average.  For the absolute Championship without any questions as to potential goal average Arsenal needed a draw and a win from the three remaining games.

As for Tottenham they were now in dire trouble – they could still escape but they needed Middlesbrough and Leicester to perform badly and BOTH of them to lose ALL their remaining matches.

By chance the Easter Monday day included Middlesbrough v Arsenal – a match which could help relegate Tottenham as well as take Arsenal to the very edge of their third successive Championship.   Since Arsenal were undefeated in the last 12 games, it seemed quite likely.

The result was Middlesbrough 0 Arsenal 1 with Drake getting the only goal of the game in the first half.   Sunderland were away to Preston and drew 1-1; a result that meant that Arsenal had now, beyond any doubt, won the league.

Tottenham didn’t play on Easter Monday but the win for Leicester meant that Tottenham could only save themselves by not only winning, but winning big time, and hope that both Leicester and Middlesbrough each lost both their remaining games.  All it needed was a win for Middlesbrough or a draw for Leicester in those two remaining games, for Tottenham to say farewell to the league that their near neighbours had just won.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts
1	Arsenal	40	22	12	6	110	42	2.62	56
2	Sunderland	40	18	15	7	84	48	1.75	51
3	Manchester City	40	19	8	13	75	63	1.19	46
4	Sheffield Wednesday	40	17	12	11	67	62	1.08	46
5	Liverpool	40	19	6	15	82	81	1.01	44
6	Grimsby Town	40	16	11	13	75	59	1.27	43
7	West Bromwich Albion	40	17	9	14	83	80	1.04	43
8	Derby County	40	17	8	15	79	65	1.22	42
9	Everton	40	15	11	14	84	84	1.00	41
10	Preston North End	40	15	11	14	62	65	0.95	41
11	Stoke City	40	17	6	17	68	68	1.00	40
12	Aston Villa	39	14	12	13	73	79	0.92	40
13	Portsmouth	40	15	9	16	69	67	1.03	39
14	Chelsea	40	15	8	17	67	78	0.86	38
15	Huddersfield Town	39	14	8	17	73	66	1.11	36
16	Wolverhampton Wndrs	40	14	8	18	86	88	0.98	36
17	Blackburn Rovers	40	13	10	17	60	77	0.78	36
18	Birmingham City	40	13	9	18	59	76	0.78	35
19	Leeds United	40	11	12	17	69	89	0.78	34
20	Leicester City	40	12	8	20	57	80	0.71	32
21	Middlesbrough	40	9	13	18	65	88	0.74	31
22	Tottenham Hotspur	40	9	10	21	46	88	0.52	28

Having given Tottenham a helping hand by defeating Middlesbrough, Arsenal were now able to do it again by defeating Leicester, which they did 3-5 on 27 April 1935.  Beasley (2), Crayston (2) and Davidson got the goals.  Tottenham also played their part by beating Liverpool 5-1.   But…

Leicester City got the single point they needed to take them to 33 points, out of Tottenham’s reach.  Tottenham would thus end either 21st or 22nd and go down.

4 May saw the final round of games.  Arsenal, secure having won the league title three times in a row, were at home to Derby.  They introduced one new player – Reg Trim who had signed in April 1933 from Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic.  With Eddie Hapgood out again, Compton was rested and Trim given his chance, but he clearly did not impress.   Arsenal lost 1-0, and Trim did not play for the club again.   Leicester could only draw, and so joined Tottenham in the second division.

The following monday Arsenal played their one end of season friendly, against Norwich City away, in front of 15,500.  Parkin, Cartwright and Cox were the new faces in the team and Parkin it was who got the goal.

Here is, as always, the summary of the games of the month.

	Date	Opponent	Op Pos	H/A	Result	Pos	Pts	Crowd	AC
36	06.04.1935	Chelsea	11	home	D2-2	1	49	54,020	46,252
37	13.04.1935	Wolverhampton	17	away	D1-1	1	50	40,888	23,729
38	19.04.1935	Middlesbrough	19	home	W8-0	1	52	45,719	46,252
39	20.04.1935	Huddersfield T	15	home	W1-0	1	54	41,892	46,252
40	22.04.1935	Middlesbrough	20	away	W1-0	1	56	29,171	14,376
41	27.04.1935	Leicester City	20	away	W5-3	1	58	26,598	17,994
42	04.05.1935	Derby County	7	home	L0-1	1	58	36,421	19,251
Fr	06.06.1935	Norwich City	14*	away	W1-0			15,550	13,353*

*Norwich ended up 14th in Division 2.  The crowd figure is their average for league games in the season.

The abbreviations, as always mean…

• Op pos, is the league position of the opposition before the game
• Pos is Arsenal’s position after the game
• AC is the average crowd for the home team through the season, providing a comparison between the crowd on that day (in the previous column) and the norm expected by the home side.

Arsenal thus ended the season with an improved away record of eight wins, eight draws and five defeats – something that seemed out of their reach at the turn of the year.  What’s more in the 19 games between 29 December 1934 and 27 April 1935, Arsenal lost just one.  In the same period, the near neighbours Tottenham, won just two.

		P	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts
1	Arsenal	42	23	12	7	115	46	2.50	58
2	Sunderland	42	19	16	7	90	51	1.76	54
3	Sheffield Wednesday	42	18	13	11	70	64	1.09	49
4	Manchester City	42	20	8	14	82	67	1.22	48
5	Grimsby Town	42	17	11	14	78	60	1.30	45
6	Derby County	42	18	9	15	81	66	1.23	45
7	Liverpool	42	19	7	16	85	88	0.97	45
8	Everton	42	16	12	14	89	88	1.01	44
9	West Bromwich Albion	42	17	10	15	83	83	1.00	44
10	Stoke City	42	18	6	18	71	70	1.01	42
11	Preston North End	42	15	12	15	62	67	0.93	42
12	Chelsea	42	16	9	17	73	82	0.89	41
13	Aston Villa	42	14	13	15	74	88	0.84	41
14	Portsmouth	42	15	10	17	71	72	0.99	40
15	Blackburn Rovers	42	14	11	17	66	78	0.85	39
16	Huddersfield Town	42	14	10	18	76	71	1.07	38
17	Wolverhampton Wndrs	42	15	8	19	88	94	0.94	38
18	Leeds United	42	13	12	17	75	92	0.81	38
19	Birmingham City	42	13	10	19	63	81	0.78	36
20	Middlesbrough	42	10	14	18	70	90	0.78	34
21	Leicester City	42	12	9	21	61	86	0.71	33
22	Tottenham Hotspur	42	10	10	22	54	93	0.58	30

Finally a word on attendances for the season.   This was a season in which attendances rose.  Indeed even Tottenham, who had such an awful season, saw a 2% rise in their attendance figures (although rumour had it, a fair percentage of the number was Arsenal fans popping along to have a laugh).

No.	Club	Div	Average	Change
1	Arsenal	1	46.252	13,5%
2	Manchester City	1	34.824	15,9%
3	Tottenham Hotspur	1	34.389	2,0%
4	Aston Villa	1	33.241	8,8%
5	Chelsea	1	32.342	10,8%
6	Everton	1	26.232	-3,4%
7	Sunderland	1	25.397	39,0%
8	Liverpool	1	25.198	-14,4%
9	West Ham United	2	23.734	28,5%
10	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1	23.729	-3,9%
11	Manchester United	2	22.871	24,7%
12	Stoke City	1	22.349	-3,2%
13	West Bromwich Albion	1	22.277	10,8%
14	Birmingham City	1	21.790	-1,8%
15	Preston North End	1	21.472	43,4%
16	Bolton Wanderers	2	20.342	47,8%
17	Newcastle United	2	20.081	-16,8%
18	Derby County	1	19.251	3,1%
19	Sheffield Wednesday	1	18.568	15,9%
20	Brentford	2	18.062	10,3%

Brentford and Bolton won promotion to the first division.

Statistics from Statto.com and european-football-statistics.co.uk/