Arsenal go 15 matches and get just four wins

This is our daily review of Arsenal anniversaries taken from the Arsenal day by day  files prepared by the AISA Arsenal History Society.

Our headline is taken from this day in 1995 

Here are the stories from this day in history…

16 December 1893: In the first year in the FA Cup Woolwich Arsenal won through to the first round proper beating 2nd Scots Guards.

16 December 1905: William Garbutt (the man who made Italian football) joined Arsenal from Reading.  He was part of the Arsenal side that reached two FA Cup semi-finals in successive seasons; but was then displaced by Jackie Mordue and played in the reserves before moving to Blackburn at the end of the 1907/08  season.

16 December 1911: First game for Leigh Roose.  He joined from Aston Villa in what was to be his final season in football and in many ways his transfer was as much a publicity stunt as anything else, as he was just about the most famous footballer in the country at the time – an absolute showman whom the crowds would turn out to see.

16 December 1970: Charlie George played his first game for the first team since an injury on the opening day of the league campaign.  This match was against Beveren in the Fairs Cup 3rd round.

16 December 1983 Terry Neill was dismissed.  He was the 15th most successful manager at the club with a win percentage at under 45%.  He did however lead the side to one FA Cup triumph against Man U.

16 December 1983: Don Howe became manager, having previously been reserve team coach for Bertie Mee and first team coach in 1968.  See also here

16 December 1995: Arsenal drew with Chelsea during disastrous 15 match run which gained just four wins.  Dixon scored what was only Arsenal’s second goal in four consecutive games.

The latest post from our series on Henry Norris at the Arsenal

Norris at the Arsenal. 1-10 December 1918; allegations of corruption heard in court.

Yesterday’s anniversaries: 

The first time money from an Arsenal fund raising game did not go to those intended

Special feature: 

Highbury: from start to end with previously unseen pictures of the end of the stadium.

What’s on the Arsenal History Society site

An index to the various series that contain over 1,700 articles on this site concerning the history of Arsenal appears on our home page.

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