Back in 2013 I wrote an article on this web site with the title “The very strange story of Alex Manninger“. I think of that today as it was on this day in 1997 that the goal keeper joined Arsenal.
You can read the “very strange story” via the link above, but what happened to our goalkeeper thereafter?
In 2012 Alex had been transferred to FC Augsburg, for whom he played 34 games over a four year period. He finished off his playing career with the 2016/17 season as a backup keeper at Liverpool, but did not play for them. In all that meant he made 254 appearances for the 15 clubs for whom he played.
It also seems that before playing professional football, Alex Manninger was a carpenter. Since retiring from professional football in 2017, he has focused on his work in furniture and estate agency work.
3 June 1912: At the AGM of the Football League William Hall applied to be a director of the League. He didn’t get elected but gained the highest number of votes of those not elected. Thus when Tom Houghton of Preston North End died in September, Hall gained a place on the Football League board, and was the first Arsenal man on the board, and the only man from the south of England to do so for over 25 years.
3 June 1918: The penny post countrywide postal service, initiated by Sir Roland Hill in January 1840 came to an end as the price of posting a letter was raised by 50% to “three ha’pence” (1.5d – around one half a decimal penny.) By 2020, just over 100 years later, it had risen by 4600%.
3 June 1931: Jack, Lambert and Bastin scored in a 3-2 win over Gothenburg. Final senior appearance of Jimmy Brain. In September 1931 he moved to Tottenham for a transfer fee of £2,500. He played 47 games for Tottenham and scored 10.
3 June 1939 Jimmy Logie signed from Lochore Welfare. He served in the Royal Navy through the war before returning to Arsenal with whom he won the league twice.
3 June 1939: The Military Training Act came into force. It re-introduced conscription for all men aged 20 and 21. Six months military training was now compulsory.
3 June 1970: Bobby Gould transferred to Wolverhampton. In all he played for ten clubs, and the 65 league games he had with Arsenal was only beaten by the 82 he had for Coventry.
3 June 1997: One day before his birthday Alex Manninger joined Arsenal from Grazer AK, to become understudy to David Seaman. Seaman was injured in Manninger’s first season giving him the chance to play six games in a row without conceding.
3 June 2000: The song “Arsenal number 1″ entered the top 50 for one week.
3 June 2003: David Seaman was transferred to Manchester City. (Quoted in some sources as 4 June), after 405 games for Arsenal. He stayed one season at Man City and played 19 league games before retiring after 731 games.
3 June 2008: Jens Lehmann, the only player to play in every game of the Unbeaten Season, transferred to VfB Stuttgart.
3 June 2010: Philip Roberts signed from Norwich City where he had been a youth player. He was quickly loaned to Inverness and then transferred to Falkirk without playing a league match for Arsenal.