AISA Arsenal History Society: preserving Arsenal's heritage
Joe Mercer, OBE was born 9 August 1914 and died on his birthday 9 August 1990. He played 247 games for Arsenal in a nine year stretch post war during the Whittaker era. His father played for Tranmere and Nottingham Forest, but he died in 1928 from injuries sustained during a gas attack in the …
Read More “Joe Mercer: so harshly treated elsewhere, but with style at Arsenal”
Alexander Mark David Oxlade-Chamberlain was born 15 August 1993, the son of Southampton’s Mark Chamberlain. His uncle Neville was also a footballer (mostly with Port Vale) and was not Prime Minister of England. He (Alex) signed for Arsenal on 8 August 2011 from Southampton for whom he had been Southampton’s second-youngest player. Their youngest was …
By Tony Attwood Let me admit it from the start, with Christopher Wreh I just don’t get it. Here was a man who kept Ian Wright out of the Cup Final, and then was… well, in football terms, nothing. How come? I’m not a footballer, never have been. I work in the arts, as a …
Harry Woods was born on March 14, 1894 in St Helens and trained as a glass worker while initially playing football as a centre forward with St Helens Town. He then joined Norwich City and played for them before the first world war, serving his country in the Tank Corps in France. After the war …
Nelson David Vivas was born 18 October 1969 in Santa Fe, Argentina with a rare ability to play anywhere in midfield or defence. After seven years as a professional in South America he came to Europe and started with AC Lugano on loan, after which Arsenal signed him for £1.6m in August 1998. However at the …
By Tony Attwood This is a day of talk about transfers and transfer records, so not a bad day to go back over the times when Arsenal broke such records – especially as two major events happened on 4 August. On August 4th 1938 George Allison, the Arsenal manager broke the British transfer record in …
Trying to keep tabs on Arsenal’s juniors and reserves is tougher these days – there seems fewer times we can watch them. My judgement as to which youngsters will make it was mostly way out when I used to see the reserves. Now I don’t, I admit I don’t have a clue. One player I …
Read More “Herschel Oulio Sanchez Watt: from Arsenal to Colchester.”
Alexander Rooney Forbes was born 21 January 1925 in Dundee and started with Dundee North End, before joining Sheffield United 1944, towards the end of the second world war. Alex Forbes moved to Arsenal for £12,500 in February 1948 having already become a Scottish international. Arsenal’s first season after the war was George Allison’s final …
Archibald Renwick “Archie” Macaulay was born 30 July 1915. He was born in Falkirk and played at first with Rangers and then West Ham in the years leading up to the outbreak of war in 1939. During the war he served his country in the Army Physical Training Corps, the Essex Regiment and eventually he …
Read More “Archie Macaulay from great player to successful manager to traffic warden”
In Danskin’s footsteps: an Untold away day to Woolwich @Blacksheep63 On Saturday, given the lack of football and wishing to escape the seemingly endless transfer rumour roundabout, I decided to pack my camera, oyster card and sense of adventure, and set off on a bit of pilgrimage. My destination was the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. …
Read More “In Danskin’s footsteps: an Untold away day to Woolwich”
Kolo Touré was born in the Ivory Coast on 19 March 1981 and was a member of the Invincibles side of 2003/4. Touré joined Arsenal in February 2002 from ASEC Mimosas for £150,000 after a trial with Arsenal, and was granted a work permit on the basis of being a full international for the side. …
By Tony Attwood Marc Overmars is one of those Arsenal players who to me seems to have been at the club much longer than just the three years he played for us. He was also one of the first players to move on to Barcelona from Arsenal and for Barcelona to find that they were …
John Matthews was born in Camden on 1 November 1955 and joined Arsenal as an apprentice in 1971 turning professional in 1973. He made his league début in the opening match of the 1974/5 season – a 1-0 away win against Leicester. Matthews played right back while Sammy Nelson was left back. The rest of …
By Tony Attwood Alan Skirton was born 23 January 1939 in Bath, and was signed from Bath City for £5000 in January 1959 by George Swindin. In total he had 153 games for Arsenal’s first team in League and Cup. He moved on to play as an amateur with Bristol City as an amateur …
Read More “Alan Skirton: first man to score a European goal at Highbury”
By Tony Attwood Ask the average Arsenal supporter about Andy Linighan and you probably won’t get too grand a resume of what he did for the club, and how well he performed. At least that is how it seems to me. And yet look at his honours Football League champions – 1991 FA Cup – …
by Tony Attwood Are there any tell-tale signs that a player is going to be one of those people with no sense of loyalty to his employer? A person who thinks contracts are worth nothing and who exploits any situation to his own advantage having taken all he can out of a situation? I think …
Read More “Nasri; is there a way to tell if a player will show no loyalty?”
John Kay was born in County Durham on 29 January 1964 and joined Arsenal as an apprentice in April 1980. He turned professional in July 1981 and was part of the Football Combination winning team in 1983/84. During this season he also made his league debut against West Bromwich Albion (26 February 1983). He played …
Read More “John Kay, championship reserve who had success with Sunderland”
By Tony Attwood 11 July 2003. Peterborough 1 Arsenal 0 19 July 2003. Barnet 0 Arsenal 0 I was at the first match, but really don’t remember too much of it, although I do recall Mr Wenger being on the pitch before the game, talking to the squad and looking very happy. So I’m going …
Read More “Beware making predictions from what you see pre-season”
By Tony Attwood When Rosický moved to Borussia Dortmund, his transfer fee of €14.5 million was a Bundesliga record. He he played just 41 times for Sparta Prague but his reputation had grown quickly. When Dortmund got into financial difficulties everyone joined the queue to buy him, from Real Madrid to Tottenham. The Mozart of …
By Tony Attwood It is, I think appropriate to look back to this pre-season friendly from 17 July 2004, since it was (I believe) one of the biggest pre-season friendly scores in modern times. And the display as far as I can remember it, was not so different from that which we saw in the …
Flamini was one of those players who having had two fairly average seasons at Arsenal and then had one good season playing alongside Cesc. Forgetting the past the press talked him up, just at the moment that his contract came to an end. Despite the offer of a new contract he chose to leave. The …
John William Hollins MBE was born 16 July 1946 and played for Arsenal between 1979 and 1983: Season Lge games Goals Manager 1979/80 23 (3) 1 Neill 1980/81 38 (5) 5 Neill 1981/82 40 (1) 1 Neill 1982/83 22 (1) 2 Neill Total 123 (4) 9 He was born in Guildford into a family in …
Read More “John Hollins MBE – squad man who became a regular”
Manuel Almunia Rivero (born 19 May 1977) joined Arsenal on 14 July 2004 as a deputy for Jens Lehmann and made his league debut in December that year. In his first season he played in the FA Cup 5th round game and saved two penalties against Sheffield United to take Arsenal through and on to …
Read More “Manuel Almunia: first, second and third choice keeper”
Raymond Kennedy was born 28 July 1951. He was part of our double winning team of 1970/71 playing alongside Radford. His first bizarre “honour” came when he was rejected by Stanley Matthews, when he was manager at Port Vale as an apprentice. He was told at the age of 16 that he was “too slow …
11 July 2008: Arsenal fans voted Pirès as the club’s sixth greatest player of all time. I voted for him, because for me, he was the keyholder in the team. He could choose his moment and unlock the gate which allowed Henry to do everything he did. Time and again I watched Henry wander out …
