Gavin McGowan. One of the talents defeated by injury

16 January 1976 Gavin McGowan born  in Blackheath 6 May 1993: Sheffield W 1 Arsenal 0.  First game for Gavin McGowan and Scott Marshall – the last in a run of five without a win. ? May 1994: Gavin played in the FA Youth Cup final v Millwall held over two legs Arsenal winning 5-3 overall. 21 …

Matthew Connolly: Arsenal academy man who won the Championship 3 times.

Matthew Thomas Martin Connolly was born on 24 September 1987 in Barnet, and joined Arsenal Academy, graduating through the academy teams, becoming captain of the senior academy team, and then moving into the League Cup team for whom he played on 24 October 2006, in the match against West Brom. Having made his breakthrough on 23 November …

27 December: from the man who saved the stadium to the man who saved the season

Today’s stories from the Arsenal Anniversary Files 27 December 1902: Arsenal start their record breaking 10 match unbeaten run with 5-1 home defeat of Burnley 27 December 1904, Nottingham Forest (away).  One of five games in eight days.  We won two of the five including this one (0-3) but lost our next three without scoring a goal, …

The Arsenal player who became Minister of Finance and stood for President

By Tony Attwood Albert Sigurður Guðmundsson is said to have been the first ever Icelandic professional footballer, and he included in his varied footballing career a couple of league games for Arsenal, as well as playing in France and Italy. He was born on 5 October 1923 and is first found playing for Valurootball Club of …

Harry King – our greatest hat trick scorer of them all

By Tony Attwood The fact that we know so little about Henry Edward King is an absolute tragedy of overwhelming proportions.  For he was a true hero of Arsenal, scoring 26 goals in 37 league games in one season.  He also scored the first ever hat trick at Highbury on 14 November 1914 and undoubtedly …

When Henry, Bergkamp and Vieira played we could still lose 4-0

23 December 2000 Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0 By Tony Attwood There is a tendency in the season 2014/15 to imagine that when the great players of the Invincibles era played together, Arsenal always won, or at the very least, did well. Put out a team including Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, Dixon, Keown, Parlour, Ljungberg, then even if …

The Unbeaten Season: Henry hat trick destroys Liverpool

9 April 2004: Arsenal come back from 2-1 down to beat Liverpool 4-2 in the 31st league game of the unbeaten season.   Henry scores a hat trick   It was the moment when all the press turned out in order to knock Arsenal and their “pretentiousness” of thinking they could win the league without …

From Arsenal to playing for Tottenham v Arsenal, in one day.

Laurie Brown – one of the few players who played for Arsenal and Tottenham, and indeed surely the only player who signed for Tottenham from Arsenal and then played for Tottenham against Arsenal the next day. Plus a player who played in two of the most memorable Arsenal – Tottenham matches of the 1960s. So, …

George Curtis: the Arsenal player who managed Norway

By Tony Attwood The trouble with looking into the lives of players no longer with us is that quite often you find the same story in several places, but with no source and no verification, repeated on site after site. And just because it is there, does not make it true.   So we have …

Don Roper: 10 years of magic at Arsenal

Don Roper: the key dates… 14 December 1922 Don Roper born in Botey, Hampshire 11 August 1947: Dan Roper signs from Southampton  (See background article here) 23 August 1947: League Debut for Archie Macauley and Don Roper.  Arsenal 3 Sunderland 1. 4 September 1956: Final Arsenal match for Don Roper 8 January 1957: Don Roper …

David Nelson, an Arsenal career interrupted by war

David Nelson: the vital dates… 3 February 1918 David Nelson born, Douglas Water, Scotland ?May 1936: David Nelson joins Arsenal (exact date unknown) 28 December 1936: David Nelson’s first game, a 3-1 win over Preston 9 November 1946: David Nelson last match Preston 2 Arsenal 0 12 December 1946: David Nelson and Cyril Grant to …

Ending the story about Alex Mackie – the man who didn’t demand a monkey for signing on.

Here are the key dates for Alex Mackie’s footballing career 23 February 1903: John Mackie born in Co Antrim 10 February 1922: John Mackie signed from Forth River Belfast and the infamous monkey incident 9 December 1922: First league game for John Mackie 14 April 1923: Mackie plays his first international for Ireland against Wales …

Chris Buckley: the Arsenal player who became Villa chairman

9 November 1886: Chris Buckley born in Manchester, quoted in some sources as 1888. 22 May 1914:  Christopher Buckley signed 1 September 1914 first  game for Frank Bradshaw and Christopher Buckley (a 3-1 home win over Glossop) 5 January 1974: Christopher Buckley died.  Also quoted in some places as 11 January. Christopher Sebastian Buckley was born in Urmstone, …