Category: Football news

One of the themes in the book Making the Arsenal is that 100 years ago journalists could write and entertain, even with the most mundane subjects.   In fact the first page of the story is football match report from 1910 in which the author thinks the game is so terrible, he wanders off into other …

Read More “The days when football journalists could write, entertain and make us laugh.”

February 12th 1910. Woolwich Arsenal 0, Blackburn Rovers 1.  Attendance 7,500 It wasn’t just the defeat, it was the awfully low crowd.   With the club heading for administration, and no one other than Henry Norris flitting around the scene, survival as a club looked even more unlikely than survival in the First Division. After this …

Read More “Doom and disaster at Arsenal”

Here is a letter that appeared on Untold Arsenal on 6th February 2010 at 1036, from a Norwegian supporter… I love Arsenal since 1976. The beste team ever was with Henry, Vieira, Bergkamp and Pires. I dont see any of them todays Arsenal. I am finished with Arsenal now because i dont think they will …

Read More “Norway abandons Arsenal, and Everton beat us again”

I have a special feeling about 16th January 1910, as it is the day on which Making the Arsenal (the novel) starts its story.  Jacko Jones has been sent off to wildest Plumstead (then part of Kent, not a part of London) to watch the FA Cup first round match, Woolwich Arsenal v Watford). Lacking …

Read More “Arsenal in the FA Cup – 100 years ago.”

What happened in terms of reserve football 100 years ago? The notion of a club playing in several leagues at once was well established,  but did the notion of having a reserve team playing football in their own league also exist in 1909? The edition of Arsenal A Complete Record which I have includes a …

Read More “Do you know anything about Woolwich Arsenal reserves? If so please help.”

Next up for Woolwich Arsenal 100 years ago, after the disaster of Christmas Day, was Liverpool at home. At that time everyone knew the background: Liverpool were formed by the left-overs of Everton. When Everton moved out of Anfield Road and trotted off to the Goodison Park, a bunch of malcontents stayed behind and formed …

Read More “Liverpool: a team meandering”

Christmas Day at Woolwich Arsenal in 1909 – Arsenal play Newcastle.  Nice and easy for Woolwich, being at home, but one hell of a long journey for the visitors.   And remember this was not just a rail trip to London.  100 years ago Woolwich was a a small town in remote Kent, with only an …

Read More “100 years ago: next up Newcastle at home on Christmas Day”

It was the most unlikely result. There certainly was gambling on football 100 years ago, but I don’t know if anyone gambled on actual scores.  If they did , they would never have picked this result in a million goes. Woolwich Arsenal went into the match just about crawling out of the relegation zone.  Preston …

Read More “100 years ago Arsenal beat Preston to move up to 15th”

Back in 1909 football crowds in the First Division were highly variable – a bit like the Scottish Premier League 100 years later. Chelsea and Manchester United could get crowds of up to 60,000 or even more.  Bristol City, Bury and Preston NE would often be around the 6,000 mark. But crowds were variable not …

Read More “Why was football so popular 100 years ago?”

Of course the similarities between Woolwich Arsenal in 1909 and Arsenal 2009 are small.  It is the same club (the shares issued in Woolwich Arsenal after it was taken over by Henry Norris are the same shares as we have now) and the traditions of the club continue. But the style and approach to the …

Read More “100 years on and still the same problem: no Arsenal centre forwards.”