AISA Arsenal History Society: preserving Arsenal's heritage
Hindsight is so wonderful. We can sit here in the middle of summer, and look at the preparations of Woolwich Arsenal FC for the new season, 100 years ago, and know what happened. The longest serving player lining up to play in the new season of 1910/11 was Roderick John McEachrane known as Roddy. He …
Read More “The original “Mr Arsenal”. 346 games over 14 years.”
By Tony Attwood As I’ve noted before, three of the regular players from the 1909/1910 season left Arsenal in the summer First, McGibbon, the man who saved us with the vital goals at the end of the season. Second, McDonald – the goal keeper, and only man to sign three times for Arsenal. And finally, …
Read More “He left in 1910, but we should have his name carved on our hearts”
I have mentioned before that three regular players left Arsenal at the end of the 1909/1910 season. McDonald H (goal) – 36 appearances in 1909/10 McGibbon (centre forwad),- those four appearances with 3 goals Lawrence (inside right)- 25 appearances, 5 goals Here’s some details of the first… Hugh Lachlan McDonald was a goalkeeper who had …
The first effect that was noticed by Henry Norris’ takeover at Woolwich Arsenal in the summer of 1910 was that the manager who had taken just managed to avoid relegation was confirmed as manager for the following season. This was probably because Norris had one view of Woolwich Arsenal – the losses had to be …
Read More “The summer of 1910: Norris gets stuck in, but what about the squad?”
One of the many oddities about the revolution at Woolwich Arsenal 100 years ago is that it is almost impossible to set a clear date as to when the modern club was born. Going through the records it looks as if there were something like four separate attempts to set up new companies, with three …
Read More “Arsenal: the revolution nears completion, the new club is born”
—————— By R J Nicolle This is part two of the recollections by R J Nicolle. To read part one, please click here Oldham was very good to we schoolboys. Apart from the welcoming folk we were given free visits to the cinemas, swimming baths and, more importantly,free seats at Oldham Athletic. The peculiarities of …
By R J Nicolle Arsenal-the pre-war days. I was born in 1923 in the Channel Islands, where I have spent all my life except for the War years (spent in the UK and overseas). My Father watched the 1932 “over the line” Cup Final and that set the allegiance in stone. Pre-war, we football fans in …
Friday 10th June 1910 – 100 years ago to the day. By Tony Attwood Henry Norris who has taken over the club and tried to get share sales any which way he could, did an interview with the local paper – the Kentish Independent – which was published on this day. In it he announced …
Read More “The board admits the share sale of the new Arsenal has failed”
By 8th June 1910 there was no doubt at all who was in charge of Woolwich Arsenal – it was Henry Norris. And to prove it, he did what the previous owners had done – he told the manager (George Morrell) he was safe in his job – which was quite something considering the disaster …
Read More “Arsenal supporters refuse to hand over their money to the club”
Tony Attwood Archie Leitch’s involvement at Highbury in designing the main stand in 1913 is well documented, and out of the timescale of this site at present, but there are tantalising hints in the records that Leitch was involved much earlier in the improvements to the Manor Ground – the home of Woolwich Arsenal There’s …
Read More “Archie Leitch: golden boy of football architecture or something much nastier?”
Editor’s note: on 31 May I’m taking a short holiday, and so won’t be tending the site. I’ll be back shortly. Woolwich Arsenal was born in 1891, and after two years of playing friendlies against those who ignored the FA ban on playing them, they were admitted to the Football League to play their first …
Sam Hollis was not actually Arsenal’s manager but was Woolwich Arsenal’s trainer between 1894 and 1897. He was born in Nottingham in 1866 (exact date not recorded) and died on 17 April 1942 in Bristol where he subsequently spent much of his working life. He had worked for the government in the Probate Office and then …
Read More “Arsenal’s earliest quasi-managers: Sam Hollis and Bill Parr”
Thomas Brown Mitchell Manager of Woolwich Arsenal 1897 – 1898 Thomas Brown Mitchell was Arsenal’s first professional manager (although not the club’s first “manager” in the modern sense of the word) and the first of two managers who only lasted one year joining the club in 1897. Thomas Mitchell was a Doonhamer – that is …
Read More “Thomas Brown Mitchell: Arsenal’s first professional manager”
George Elcoat who is referred to in many Arsenal history books as a manager of Woolwich Arsenal, was in fact nothing of the kind. The manager in question was in fact his brother William Elcoat. I must admit we too fell into the trap initially of getting the names confused, following what others had written …
Read More “George Elcoat: the last of the one-year managers”
by Tony Attwood Henry “Harry” Bradshaw was Arsenal’s first successful manager. There are two totally contradictory stories about Harry Bradshaw before he came to Woolwich Arsenal, in circulation. One was that he was an ex-Burnley player who was invited to become Arsenal’s manager, and the other was that he was Burnley’s manager who left the …
Read More “Arsenal get their first ever successful manager: Harry Bradshaw”
Phil Kelso (26 May 1871 – 13 February 1935), was born near the Firth of Clyde he was part of Arsenal’s early Scottish tradition, as befits a club set up by the Scottish employees of the armaments factory. Although now forgotten at Arsenal he was one of the great innovators, paving the way for the …
Read More “Arsenal’s managers. So what did Phil Kelso do for us?”
As we sit around in 2010 waiting and watching and wondering if Fabregas and Merida are really buzzing off to Spain, 100 years ago to the day those who cared about Woolwich Arsenal wondered about the ownership of the whole club. There was no official announcement anywhere that Norris had now actually taken the club …
Read More “Norris finally takes over Arsenal – but the future is still unclear”
20th May 1910 the funeral of the King. You’d expect that it was a solemn day with everyone paying their respects. Like hell it was. What actually happened was that the pubs were open all day (no licensing laws at this time – they were brought in around the time of the First World War …
Read More “We’re waiting for Arsenal’s future to be resolved, and then once again everything stops.”
So on 18th May 1910 Woolwich Arsenal’s board met the Football League, at the Imperial Hotel in central London, with a view to explaining if the club could go forward for next season. The League were anxious to know because they wanted to settle down and draw up the fixtures for the coming season. Chelsea …
On Wednesday 18th May 1910 the board of Woolwich Arsenal FC turned up at the Imperial Hotel to see the Football League, and to explain whether they would be able to fulfil their fixtures in the 1910/1911 season. Also there were Henry Norris, chairman of Fulham, and two of his fellow directors, plus of course …
Read More “Arsenal saved from financial ruin with minutes to spare”
The days between 13th and 16th May, 1910 were a poker game as far as Woolwich Arsenal were concerned. The club had gone into administration. A new club (Arsenal Football and Athletic Club) had been formed and the shares had gone on sale, but the requisite number had not been sold. As with today, shares …
Read More “Tottenham and Chelsea show an interest in buying Arsenal”
By Tony Attwood 100 years ago, it was not looking good. May 11th – Leavey, the major shareholder in Woolwich Arsenal, admits he has not got enough local people to buy shares, and now must find others from outside the area to buy, or else put the club into administration. May 12th – In a …
William Garbutt – Arsenal’s original Herbert Chapman Tony Attwood Genoa Athletics and Cricket club was formed in 1893 with the football team being added in 1897. James Spensley, a doctor, goalkeeper and later an active member of the scout movement, took over the club and they became champions in six of the first seven seasons. …
Read More “The Woolwich Arsenal player who transformed Italian football”
By Tony Attwood It may have been the death of the King that did it, it may have been the worry over jobs, or it may have been a reaction to a dreadful season, but whatever the reason, local people failed to buy shares in Woolwich Arsenal FC when it was offered for sale in …
If you were at the Ems on Sunday, and bought a programme, you’ll know that there was an article over three pages about Henry Norris, written by “Highly respected football writer Brian Glanville”. I’m commenting on the piece because his version of events is so different from that which appears day by day on this …
Read More “Arsenal finally remember Norris, but get the facts all mixed up”
