Category: Players

By Tony Attwood The final Woolwich Arsenal game played in Kent took place on April 26th 1913.  Just over three months later Arsenal opened up at Highbury. The match was a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough, and Woolwich Arsenal were relegated, having failed to win any of their previous eight games.  A crowd of 3,000 turned …

Read More “The final farewell to Woolwich Arsenal: 26 April 1913”

Arthur Elliott was an inside left, who like all the players in this series, played for Woolwich Arsenal in the first ever game that the club played in the league. But unfortunately, like so many members of that side, the details that we have about him are sketchy. He was born in Nottingham in 1870 …

Read More “Arthur Elliott: Arsenal’s untraceable record holder”

James Henderson was born in Thornhill, Dumfries in 1867 He first played for 5th Kirkcudbright Rifle Volunteers whom I have founded recorded playing in the Scottish Cup in 1891 and who are generally thought to have played between 1879 and 1896.  Entries on the internet showing the club existing between 1881-3, can’t be right. He …

Read More “James Henderson: Rifle Volunteer, Champions medal, Arsenal, then…”

This is a series of articles about the team that started the very first league game against Newcastle United in 1893/4. If we had trouble with David Howat in the last article, this one is even worse. Duncan Gemmell was born in Glasgow in 1870 He is recorded as first playing for Elderslie Rangers Swifts. …

Read More “Duncan Gemmell: three games for Wednesday, five games for Arsenal”

By Tony Attwood And so to the mystery that is David Howat.  He was a left half, born in Preston on 1 October 1870 who played for Fishwick Ramblers, Preston North End, Woolwich Arsenal and Third Lanark. His Arsenal career is recorded by the club as 1889 – 1896, and we know that he played …

Read More “David Howat, the mystery man”

By Tony Attwood This article was updated 17 December 2013 Robert Buist (recorded in some reports as “Bob” and elsewhere as “Bobby”) was born in Glasgow in 1870. He initially played for Fairfield Rangers (Glasgow), Cowlairs, and Clyde before joining Woolwich Arsenal. I have nothing on Fairfield Rangers that helps in putting the Bob Buist …

Read More “The man who caused us to go professional”

By Tony Attwood Poor Daniel Devine.  Played in our very first match in the league, and thus worthy a place in history, but then only managed one more league game and one cup game (the Ashford United game we won 12-0 where we had a mix of reserves and first teamers) before seeming to vanish …

Read More “Daniel Devine: played in our first league game, but then lost to history”

By Tony Attwood There are moments when doing research into Arsenal’s past that one finds a fact which has been completely overlooked.  Not, I must admit, a major fact, but nevertheless a fact which really ought to be mentioned.  That’s the case we have here. William Jeffrey was born in Dalerby, a small village in …

Read More “How all the stories of Arsenal’s history tend to repeat the same mistake”

Joseph Joshua Powell known as Joe was Woolwich Arsenal’s captain for their first ever league match in 1893 at the age of 23. He was born in 1870 and died on November 29, 1896 after playing against Small Heath just two weeks earlier. Joe was born in Bristol, and played initially for Walsall and the …

Read More “Joe Powell, our first captain who died as a result of injuries on the pitch”

By Tony Attwood Charlie Williams was born in November 1873 and died in South America in 1952.  He played in goal in Woolwich Arsenal’s first ever league match, at the age of 19. Prior to joining Royal Arsenal in 1891 he played for Phoenix, Clarence, and Erith.   Quite which Phoenix FC Charlie played for is …

Read More “The great nephew of Arsenal’s first league keeper now plays in Brazil”

Woolwich Arsenal launched their first division campaign 100 years ago, on September 1, 1910, with a match against Manchester United.  And the team that was put out was quite remarkable. Here it is E Bateup A Gray                                     …

Read More “The team to face Man U. Where they came from, where they went”

If you have been reading this column over the last two weeks you’ll know that the position during the summer break was… Players out McDonald (goal) – 36 appearances in 1909/10 McGibbon (centre forward),- those four appearances with 3 goals Lawrence (inside right)- 25 appearances, 5 goals Players in for the first game of the …

Read More “Ins and Outs for the start of the new season 100 years ago”

This article is one of a series reviewing all eleven players who played in the first Woolwich Arsenal league game in 1910/11 season. By Tony Attwood Willis Rippon joined Woolwich Arsenal in 1910 and played just nine games for the club scoring two goals.  But despite this tiny input into the club and despite the …

Read More “Willis Rippon – the last of the XI”

Continuing the series that covers all eleven players who played for Woolwich Arsenal in the first match of the season 1910/11. Alf Common Alfred Common joined Woolwich Arsenal for the 1910 season, aged 30.   The official list shows that he played for South Hylton, Jarrow, Sunderland (joined in 1900), Sheffield United (joined 1901 – transfer …

Read More “Alf Common – an unexpected signing”

Most if this article has appeared already on Woolwich Arsenal, but I am repeating here to give a complete collection of articles on the players who turned out for the first match of the 1910/11 season as a preview to the 100th anniversary of the season. Frank Heppinstall was an outside left who also played …

Read More “Arsenal players of 1910: Frank Heppinstall”

After our little diversion into some English members of the Woolwich Arsenal team of September 1910, we’re back to the Scots with David Greenaway. He was an outside right who between 1908 and 1920 played 161 league games and scored 13 goals – so he was another of the 1910 squad who carried on and …

Read More “The players who began the season 100 years ago: David Greenaway”

Continuing the story of the 11 players who played for Woolwich Arsenal in the first game of the 1910/11 season (the first under the ownership of Henry Norris) we come to Charles Henry Lewis. He was born on August 15, 1886 and died in 1967, although I can’t find record of the date of his …

Read More “Charles Lewis – a Woolwich Arsenal forward, but not quite as versatile as reports suggest”

Mr E Bateup (16 May 1881 – 29 April 1939) Why the formality with the name?  Because there is disagreement as to his name, as with almost everything else about this player’s life. The first name was either Edward (Arsenal, the Football Facts) or Edwin (Arsenal.com, wikipedia), and he was also known as Teddy.  The …

Read More “Arsenal sign, lose, sign and lose goalkeeper Bateup.”

So far in the review of players who were getting ready to start for Woolwich Arsenal in the first match of the 1910/1911 season (the first under Henry Norris) the names mentioned will probably have meant little. Their achievements were great of course… Percy Sands who started his career with eight straight wins, and who …

Read More “The first of the 50 greatest Arsenal players”

Percy Robert Sands. A name now hardly on the lips of every supporter, and yet he has the greatest of claims to fame, and he died in what I would call modern times – since I was alive then – December 1965. He was born in 1881 and joined Arsenal in 1903, playing 327 games …

Read More “Eight straight wins to start, and the first captain of The Arsenal”

This continues the series on the players who started the season at Woolwich Arsenal exactly 100 years ago. If you are reading this series as they are published you will be getting used to the phrase: “He was born in Scotland”.   Here we go again Archibald Colin Gray was known as Archie, and was born …

Read More “Archibald Colin Gray: another forgotten Gunners hero”