AISA Arsenal History Society: preserving Arsenal's heritage
By Tony Attwood Collating the anniversary files makes one very aware of just how fragile a career in football is. Even for those youngsters who play for their country at under 18 level or who win the Youth Cup playing for Arsenal. They must think they have the world in front of them. I was …
Read More “Winning the youth cup in 2009 and what happened next.”
By Tony Attwood It was the favourite knocking copy of the media for around six years – telling us how long it was since Arsenal won a trophy. Now they have the chance to knock other teams – but no, they don’t. I wonder why not. So I thought I would fill in the gap. …
Read More “How many years since they last won a trophy? And 1 June anniversaries.”
Here is a list of all the teams that have won the FA Cup in consecutive years. Where there was a reply only the second game is shown Season Winner Score Runners–up 1871–72 Wanderers 1–0 Royal Engineers 1872–73 Wanderers 2–0 Oxford University 1875–76(R) Wanderers 3–0 Old Etonians 1876–77 Wanderers 2–1 * Oxford University 1877–78 Wanderers …
Read More “Winning the FA Cup two years running – and top scores in finals.”
By Tony Attwood Today, 30 May, is the anniversary of Ted Drake’s passing, as I make mention on Untold Arsenal in the lunchtime preview. And besides the regular look at all our anniversaries it is also rather nice to consider our success in the FA Cup. First the anniversaries 30 May 1952: Alex Forbes made his …
Read More “Remember Ted Drake, a special day for Theo, and Arsenal’s history in the FA Cup”
Below I have selected about 30 Aston Villa related events from history – mostly matches between Arsenal and Aston Villa, but also including a couple of introductory notes that I think are of historical interest. Hope you find it fun. Tony. ———————————– 2 March 1888: Aston Villa write to five other clubs to propose the …
Read More “Arsenal v Aston Villa; the most famous moments in history”
Of course on 26 May the event that catches everyone’s eye still is 1989 and Michael Thomas. Phil Kelso, our first reforming manager won’t get a mention, which is a shame because what he achieved in his four years was remarkable. He took a club that had never got beyond the second round in …
Ralph Guthrie was born in Hartlepool in 13 September 1932 and died September 1996, aged 54. He was a goalkeeper who played twice for Arsenal.. He started out with Tow Law Town and was transferred to Arsenal in December 1952, at a time when the club already had Swindin and Kelsey on its books as …
Read More “Ralph Guthrie: he played twice in goal for Arsenal in 1954”
By Tony Attwood How can one friendly match from the early 20th century against Tottenham be singled out as being of special significance? I’ll try and explain. The match in question was on 24 May 1919, and the fact that it took place tells us a lot about the events of the era, and suggests …
Read More “Arsenal v Tottenham; when friendship broke out on 24 May”
Today 23 May is the anniversary of the great step forwards: Arsenal’s move towards professionalism. It was this move which ultimately caused the differences of opinion in the club (to put it mildly) which started out as a debate on professionalism, and ended as outright class war. In the midst of it all the landlord …
Read More “The moment that changed it all: Arsenal looked towards professionalism”
Today is the anniversary of the birth of Jack Lambert. His name is not widely remembered beyond those who study Arsenal’s history but his story of endurance in the face of early rejection, and his utterly brilliant achievements really should have a wider audience in my view. The story of Jack Lambert was carried on …
These details are taken from the Arsenal Anniversary files that include around 5000 such events taken from across Arsenal’s entire history. The complete Arsenal on this day index is now here and the files for May and June have recently been fully updated. Work is continuing all the time on the data, and when completed …
Read More “20 May Arsenal events: from the king’s funeral to the cup double”
By Tony Attwood If you have heard a bit about Henry Norris (later Lt Col Sir Henry Norris) the chances are it will be bad. Which is a shame, since he was the man who singled handedly made sure that Arsenal survived its darkest hour in 1910. Today, 18 May, is the anniversary of …
Read More “The day Arsenal went to the wall, and the man who brought us back from the dead.”
The full anniversary index is here and we’ve just updated the June file. Meanwhile here is the list of anniversaries for today 17 May. If you think we’ve missed any, please do write in. 17 May 1959: Eddie Magill signed from Portadown and started playing for Arsenal in December. In 1961 he also started playing for …
Read More “17 May: the day of 4 Arsenal cup finals and 4 last ever games.”
George Jobey (July 1885 – 9 May 1962) was born Heddon near Newcastle on Tyne. If George Jobey’s name is mentioned at all by Arsenal fans these days (and sadly precious few know his name) it will be because of one of two reasons, both related to 6 September 1913: the first game at Highbury. …
Read More “George Jobey, the real story of the man who scored the first Arsenal goal at Highbury”
Here are all the main events in Arsenal’s history from 13 May. The full list across the whole year will be published in Arsenal: The Chronology. ———————————- 13 May 1904: Archibald Gray joined Woolwich Arsenal from Hibernian with whom he had won the Scottish League and Cup, playing 51 league games. He played in Arsenal’s first …
Read More “It’s Coquelin’s birthday, and other Arsenal anniversaries”
12 May 1910: Arsenal announced that talks with Fulham to rescue the club had come to nothing, and the directors of Woolwich Arsenal FC had opened discussions with Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, to see if their boards wanted to buy all or part of the club. 12 May 1945: Alan Ball born. He played for …
Read More “From going bust to winning the cup. Arsenal on 12 May”
Win a free copy of the forthcoming volume, “Arsenal: The Chronology” The details below are taken from the forthcoming volume, “Arsenal: The Chronology” which will place around 5000 important dates in the history of Arsenal in date order, with a line or three on each event. If you spot an error here, please drop a …
Read More “From the advert that made Chapman apply to Arsenal to scoring 7 and 8.”
Win a free copy of the forthcoming volume, “Arsenal: The Chronology” The details below are taken from the forthcoming volume, “Arsenal: The Chronology” which will place around 5000 important dates in the history of Arsenal in date order, with a line or three on each event. If you spot an error here, please drop a …
Read More “From Bergkamp to Boldklubben Frem: 14 Arsenal events from 10 May”
By Tony Attwood Ehud ‘Tim’ Rogers was born in Chirk a town with a population of around 4000 in Wrexham County Borough in Wales on 15 October 1909. He played football primarily as an outside right at Weston Rhyn, Llanerch, and then Chirk. Chirk was obviously his local team, but it was much more prestigious …
Read More “Ehud ‘Tim’ Rogers; a Welsh winger whose chances were limited”
By Tony Attwood If Archie Low, the subject of our last investigation, was something of a mystery as an Arsenal player, John William “Jack” Lee is even more tantalising. Indeed the few sources that mention can can’t actually agree on his date and place of birth. Marylebone on 1 February 1902 is the version that looks right …
Read More “The strange case of Jack Lee and Arsenal’s link to Chesterfield.”
By Tony Attwood We’ve still got a lot of players to cover on this web site, but having written about many of the more famous sons of Arsenal, some of the names that come up now are getting a little obscure in terms of their time at our club. However, the aim is to cover …
By Tony Attwood On 17 January 1988 my pal Roger and I went to see Coventry City v Arsenal. It was a 2-2 draw with a crowd of 22,864 and Patrick Vieira was sent off on 65 minutes and David Seaman broke his finger. (We didn’t realise at the time but it was the 23rd …
Read More “Nicolas Anelka: the man who could have played alongside Thierry Henry”
14 historic Arsenal events that happened on 2 May across the years. 2 May 1910: As part of the attempt to build a recovery programme for Arsenal’s finances and show supporters that he was not trying to take over the club himself Henry Norris advertised shares in Arsenal in Athletic News for £1 each. …
Read More “14 historic Arsenal events that happened on 2 May across the years.”
?May 1889: Singleton and Stewart, two of the men who led the split away from Royal Arsenal to form ROFFC attend the annual dinner as leading members of RAFC. The exact date is unknown. 1 May 1902 Tim Coleman, one of the stalwarts of early football trade unionism, joined Arsenal from Northampton. He went on …
Read More “Arsenal on this day: Twenty Arsenal stories from 1st May.”
By Tony Attwood Jon Sammels played for Arsenal between 1963 and 1971 and I remember him well. Of course in those days the amount of information we had about the club was far less than now, and I never understood why he left when, as far as I could see, he was still such a …
Read More “Jon Sammels: wonderful player, victim of the 1960s Anti-Arsenal “fans””
