Arsenal’s decline under Bertie Mee after winning the double in 1971 was one of the strangest and saddest periods in the history of the club. It is one thing to be a poor side, because that is what the club has generally been (as for example in the period from 1919 to 1925, and from 1953 to 1976, but another to be a poor team just three years after winning not just the league and cup double but also the Fairs Cup the season before.
The trouble was that the great team that had won the double had been broken up very quickly, and there were few youngsters coming through the now very depleted youth system at the club.
As we note below, at the end of October in 1974 Arsenal were in one of the relegation positions. On this day they were facing Liverpool who were top with a game in hand. Arsenal won, but the game was noted in some of the newspapers for the appalling behaviour of the Anfield crowd – including throwing a bottle at the police. But the League felt it was not a good idea to take action.
Arsenal won 3-1 with two goals from Ball and one from Brady. The team also included Rice, Storey, Radford, and Kidd, but somehow Manager Mee managed to take the club into the depths.
9 November 1974: Arsenal had ended October, 21st in the league and not won away, while Liverpool had won every home game thus far and were top with a game in hand.. Brady Kidd and Ball were all on song, Liverpool fans threw missiles onto the pitch including a bottle that hit a policeman, but as was their wont, where Liverpool were concerned the League took no action. Arsenal won 1-3.
Here are the anniversaries
9 November 1888: Chris Buckley born in Manchester – although the date is quoted in some sources as 1886. He played with Victoria Park, Manchester Ship Canal FC, Man City reserves, Xaverian Brothers College, WBA, Brighton and Aston Villa before joining Arsenal in 1914. He later became Aston Villa vice-chair.
9 November 1889: Arsenal beat West Kent 10-1 in Kent Senior Cup – the competition Arsenal had been expelled from in the previous season for refusing to play extra time after the opposition had arrived late for a match.
9 November 1896: In one of the early games between the two, Arsenal beat Tottenham 2-1 in the United League – a midweek league played using first team players, for clubs in the south of the country.
9 November 1907: The first ever London derby in the first division ended Chelsea 2 Woolwich Arsenal 1, in front of 65,000 – the largest crowd yet to watch Woolwich Arsenal.
9 November 1909: Henry Norris was elected mayor of Fulham after just three years as a councillor. He went on to be the longest serving mayor in England of all time – a record still held.
9 November 1914: Henry Norris continued his campaign to make Arsenal a club owned by its supporters. The latest share issue was announced to have resulted in the sale of 276 new shares to individuals. Not huge, but not bad given the prevailing situation.
9 November 1917: Henry Norris was re-elected mayor of Fulham for his 9th year in the post. In his speech of acceptance he called the conduct of the war “disastrous.”
9 November 1918: As a socialist government took over in Germany and the Kaiser abdicated, Arsenal played away at Millwall Athletic in a 3-3 draw in the London Combination in front of 4,000
9 November 1925: William Harper joined from Hibs for £4000 – a world record fee for a keeper. He only stayed for a couple of seasons before going to the USA, but then did return for a second stint as Chapman continued his endless quest to find the perfect keeper.
9 November 1925: Having beaten Millwall in the semi-final Arsenal lost 1-2 to West Ham United in the London FA Challenge Cup final played at Clapton Orient. Arsenal used the same team as had played the weekend before in the first division.
9 November 1929: David Halliday started a run in the Arsenal first team, having been signed from Sunderland. He scored eight goals in 15 games, but was then dropped. He then scored 39 goals in 29 games in the reserves before being released on a free!!!
9 November 1935: Arsenal drew 1-1 with Derby in front of 54,027 with Drake scoring the goal. Having scored 115 the season before it was becoming clear that Arsenal were not going to get anywhere near that total this season. See also here
9 November 1938: Les Jones scored his only goal for Wales in his 11th and last appearance for the principality.
9 November 1946: First match for Wally Barnes – Preston 2 Arsenal 0. It was the last game in a series of eight in which Arsenal won just one match. It was also the last match for David Nelson and the first for Cyril Grant
9 November 1965: Jimmy Carter born in Hammersmith. He spent two years at Palace, and two at QPR, with no senior games. But then Millwall bought him for £15k and in four years he played over 100 games and was part of the team that gained their first ever promotion to the first division in 1988.
9 November 1970: Arsenal’s only home defeat all season: 0-2 to Crystal Palace in League Cup round 4 replay after a 0-0 away draw on 28 October.
9 November 1974: Arsenal had ended October, 21st in the league and not won away, while Liverpool had won every home game thus far and were top with a game in hand.. Brady Kidd and Ball were all on song, Liverpool fans threw missiles onto the pitch including a bottle that hit a policeman, but as was their wont, where Liverpool were concerned the League took no action. Arsenal won 1-3.
9 November 1981: Stewart Robson signed pro forms for Arsenal. He went on to play 150 league games for Arsenal scoring 16 goals. He also played 126 games for West Ham and Coventry, and managed Southend for three matches, winning one and losing two of his games.
9 November 1985: Everton beat Arsenal 6–1. At the end of the season George Graham took over from Don Howe as manager; Don Howe resigning in March.
9 November 1997: In a game against Manchester Utd Anelka scored the first goal, as Arsenal won 3-2 after only one victory in five. Game 14 of the 2nd Double Season. This win was one of only two wins in eight games.
9 November 2002: Arsenal beat Newcastle 1-0. The Guardian said of Patrick Vieira: a “demonstration of tackling, control, awareness and movement that was exceptional even by his standards.”
9 November 2004: Only 27,791 turn up at Highbury for League Cup match v Everton.
9 November 2014: Swansea 2 Arsenal 1. Ten players (five from each side) were yellow carded during the game which Swansea won 2-1. The Arsenal cards went to Ramsey, Mertesacker, Chambers, Alexis and Gibbs. Alexis scored the Arsenal goal.
