AISA Arsenal History Society: preserving Arsenal's heritage
Latest articles in this series (a full index of all the articles in the series is given in each of these articles) 100 seasons in the top division: after the cup final, Arsenal in 1927/28 Athletico Bilbao – the Untold Arsenal team prediction Arsenal’s first cup final; Chapman’s second season In the previous edition of …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: Chapman takes AFC to the title”
By Tony Attwood 2025/26 represents the 100th consecutive season of Arsenal in the top division of English football. Arsenal joined the top league (Division One as it then was) for the 1919/20 season when football resumed after the First World War. It was then suggested, some 25 years later, as part of the promotion …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: after the cup final, Arsenal in 1927/28”
By Tony Attwood My apologies that yet again, Untold Arsenal has come under attack and the site is down. I have written the brief preview of tonight’s game below in the hope that we will get the site back later today and can transfer it there. I can only say that the problems …
Read More “Athletico Bilbao – the Untold Arsenal team prediction”
Background This article traces Arsenal’s 1926/27 season – the second season with Chapman as manager. In the previous season, Arsenal had defied all logic and risen from being relegation candidates under the previous manager Knighton, to contenders for the title. By Tony Attwood What was it like to return to Highbury on 28 August …
Read More “Arsenal’s first cup final; Chapman’s second season”
By Tony Attwood A list of the previous articles in this series, which celebrates Arsenal’s 100 seasons in the top division, can be found at the end of the article —————– Herbert Chapman’s first match in charge of Arsenal on 29 August 1925, after his surprise move to the club earlier in the …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: Chapman’s first season”
A list of earlier articles in this series celebrating 100 seasons of Arsenal in the top division can be found at the end of this piece By Tony Attwood Leslie Knighton was an inexperienced manager when he came to Arsenal in 1919, and it is certainly possible to argue that moving from having had …
Read More “100 seasons: Removing Knighton, the arrival of Chapman, and changing reality”
To follow this series from the start go to Celebrating 100 consecutive seasons of Arsenal in the top division. You will see at the top of the page on the right side a link to “100 Seasons in the top Division: The Election”. That’s the second article. And from there on look at the …
100 seasons in the top division: It’s time for us to hope history repeats itself 100 seasons in the top division. 1: The Election 100 Seasons in the top Divison. Part 2: The opening season 100 seasons in the top division: Part 3 – the first north London league derby 100 Season in the …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: 1921/2 (part two)”
By Tony Attwood 100 seasons in the top division: It’s time for us to hope history repeats itself 100 seasons in the top division. 1: The Election 100 Seasons in the top Divison. Part 2: The opening season 100 seasons in the top division: Part 3 – the first north London league derby 100 Season …
Read More “100 Seasons in the top division part 5: slippling down the league 1921/2”
By Tony Attwood 100 seasons in the top division: It’s time for us to hope history repeats itself 100 seasons in the top division. 1: The Election 100 Seasons in the top Divison. Part 2: The opening season 100 seasons in the top division: Part 3 – the first north London league derby Leslie …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: part 4 – oh no it’s all going wrong”
By Tony Attwood Previously in this series: 100 seasons in the top division. Part 1: The Election 100 Seasons in the top Division. Part 2: The opening season In the last article we took a look at Arsenal in 1919/20 – the first post war season, and the first season that Arsenal were back …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division: Part 3 – the first north London league derby”
By Tony Attwood; AISA Arsenal History Society As we noted in the previous article (The election), upon the expansion of the First Division at the resumption of football after the First World War, Arsenal applied for one of those two new places in the top league, and got by far the biggest number …
Read More “100 Seasons in the top Divison. Part 2: The opening season”
By Tony Attwood 2025/26 is the 100th anniversary of the appointment of Herbert Chapman as Arsenal’s manager. Our series commemorating the 100th anniversary began with our article on approaching the 100th anniversary of the arrival of Chapman and continued recently thereafter. There’s an index to the main 25-part series at the end ot this …
Read More “100 seasons in the top division. 1: The Election”
By Tony Attwood Previously in this series: 100 consecutive seasons in the first division: An Arsenal and a football record We have recently noted that Arsenal have been in the top division for 100 consecutive seasons (the 2025/26 season being number 100). We have also noted that Everton are currently running a rather …
Read More “100 seasons in the top divison: It’s time for us to hope history repeats itself”
By Tony Attwood; AISA Arsenal History Society Arsenal were elected to the first division of the Football League in 1919 upon its expansion to 22 clubs, following the conclusion of the First World War. Arsenal had come fifth in Division 2 in the last season before professional football was suspended for the duration, although …
Read More “Celebrating 100 consecutive seasons of Arsenal in the top division”
How an analysis of the last time Arsenal came runners up three times running helps us understand the Arteta approach today As you will know, Arsenal have just come runners-up three times running. But this is not the first time Arsenal havve come runners up three times in succession, so I thought it might …
Read More “The last time Arsenal came 2nd three seasons running, they won the league”
Herbert Chapman at Arsenal. How his arrival affected the crowds AISA’s Chapman Celebration Day: the personal reflections and pictures The celebration of Chapman in his resting place: a wonderful, wonderful day By Tony Attwood If you follow such things, you may have noticed that we have made a bit of a fuss about …
Read More “100 consecutive seasons in the first division: An Arsenal and a football record”
By Tony Attwood If you have kindly followed the series on 100 years of Herbert Chapman at Arsenal, you will have noticed that I stopped the series when we got to Chapman joining Arsenal in 1925, as I waited for our celebration of the 100th anniversary of the great man’s arrival before now picking …
Read More “Herbert Chapman at Arsenal. How his arrival affected the crowds”
ByTonyAttwood, AISA Arsenal History Society The pictures put up in the previous article concerning the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association visit to the church where Herbert Chapman is buried, were those taken by others not least as I don’t consider myself a photographer. But the day meant so much to me I felt I wanted to …
Read More “AISA’s Chapman Celebration Day: the personal reflections and pictures”
If you have been reading the history of Chapman’s time at Arsenal on this site, or taking in some of the articles about his history as a footballer and as a football manager, you’ll probably have picked up that we ran a celebration day at St Mary’s Church in Hendon, where we discussed …
Read More “The celebration of Chapman in his resting place: a wonderful, wonderful day”
It’s 100 years since Herbert Chapman signed for The Arsenal AISA is celebrating the centenary of Hebert Chapman’s arrival at The Arsenal at St Mary’s Church, Hendon on Thursday 12 June from 3 o’clock onwards. Chapman is buried at St Mary’s and had a long association with the church until his death in 1934 …
Read More “Celebrate 100 years since Chapman signed for Arsenal on 12 June”
By Tony Attwood In previous episodes in this series on Herbert Chapman and Arsenal FC (of which there is a full list at the end of this article,) I’ve tried to make clear what a huge change and challenge it was for Chapman to move from Huddersfield to Arsenal. With Huddersfield Town FC he …
Read More “Chapman at Arsenal 25: Why Chapman wanted to leave Huddersfield”
By Tony Attwood This is episode 23 of the series celebrating 100 years since Herbert Chapman joined Arsenal in 1925. The series so far…. 1: Taking over from failure 2: Approaching a 100th anniversary at Arsenal of mega-importance. 3: The Arsenal that Knighton left behind 4: Knighton is removed 5: A new manager 6: What happened to Chapman at Leeds? …
Read More “Chapman’s first season at Arsenal: Part 24: the player changes he made”
1: Taking over from failure 2: Approaching a 100th anniversary at Arsenal of mega-importance. 3: The Arsenal that Knighton left behind 4: Knighton is removed 5: A new manager 6: What happened to Chapman at Leeds? 7: Success at Huddersfield, and concern at Arsenal 8. Why did Chapman leave successful Huddersfield 9: Arsenal wait for the right moment 10: Why Knighton had to go …
Read More “Herbert Chapman at the Arsenal: Success did not come at once”
Here is the story so far… 1: Taking over from failure 2: Approaching a 100th anniversary at Arsenal of mega-importance. 3: The Arsenal that Knighton left behind 4: Knighton is removed 5: A new manager 6: What happened to Chapman at Leeds? 7: Success at Huddersfield, and concern at Arsenal 8. Why did Chapman leave successful Huddersfield 9: Arsenal wait for the …
Read More “Herbert Chapman at the Arsenal: the changes made for the 1st season”
