Below are the anniversaries of Arsenal for 12 April
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Arsenal in January 1922. progress resumes
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Covering all aspects off the life and work of the man who rescued Arsenal from extinction, secured the club’s future by moving it to Highbury, and then brought in Herbert Chapman as manager, our current series of articles is on Henry Norris at the Arsenal. The series is being worked on daily, and the articles thus far are here.
A list of many of our major series (including complete detailed reviews of Arsenal in the 30s and Arsenal in the 70s, and links to the anniversaries throughout the year, is given on the AISA Arsenal History Society home page.
Here are the anniversaries.
12 April 1895: Arsenal beat Walsall TS 6-1 to make it 13 goals in two games. Buchanan made it 4 goals scored in 3 games, but Mortimer’s two goals made him top league scorer for the season with 14.
12 April 1910: After Arsenal had played out their (previously abandoned match of 6 September) against Aston Villa George Leavey met with the group Dr Clarke had put together to buyout the company from the liquidators.
12 April 1913 – Woolwich Arsenal 1 Derby 2, and so Arsenal were relegated for the only time in their entire history in front of a crowd of 4,000. In fact they drew their final two games (including one away to Tottenham) but by then it was too late. However the news was overshadowed by the allegations of match fixing.
12 April 1919: With Leslie Knighton now the manager he had his first chance to watch his new club as Clapton Orient drew 2-2 with Arsenal in front of 10,000. Meanwhile at Highbury Tottenham played QPR (losing 2-3) while the result Brentford 5 Fulham 0 secured the last London Combination of the war era for Brentford.
12 April 1920: Despite having 7 league games to play in the month Arsenal also fitted in two friendlies – one on this day against near neighbours Clapton Orient. Arsenal lost 5-1 but Tom Whittaker scored his first goal for Arsenal.
12 April 1930: Arsenal played eight games in April 1930 and ended up a poor 14th in the league, but had the compensation of winning the cup. On this day however they beat Sheffield U 8-1. Lambert got a hat trick
12 April 1937: Frank Whittle ground-tested the world’s first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby.
12 April 1947: Alexander Rooney Forbes got his first Scotland cap. He went on to play 217 league games for Arsenal between 1948 and 1956.
12 April 1948: Arthur Shaw signed from Brentford. He was involved in the cigarette allegation story, playing 57 league games for Arsenal. Despite being a league winner with Arsenal little is known of him other than that he played also played for Watford and later for Southall, Hayes and Gravesend & Northfleet.
12 April 1980: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 0; FA Cup Semifinal number 15. It was the second season running that Arsenal needed four or more games to win an FA Cup tie, but then this didn’t happen again until Leeds in 1991.
12 April 1982: Arsenal 1 Tottenham 3, in a run of just one win in 6 as Arsenal slipped to 10th, the club’s worst position since 1976. Hawley got the goal, 48,897 were in the crowd.
12 April 1994: Arsenal reached the final of the Cup Winners Cup by beating PSG 1-0 in the semi-final 2nd leg at Highbury, having drawn the first match 1-1. Campbell got the goal on seven minutes.
12 April 1995: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 1 made it one win and six defeats in seven in the league as Arsenal sank to 12th in the table, after 37 matches. They were at this moment 39 points behind the league leaders and five points off relegation.
12 April 2013: Ex-Arsenal man Brian McDermott took over as manager of Leeds United, but the chaotic nature of the ownership of the club eventually saw him leave and return to the more stable Arsenal.
12 April 2014: In beating Wigan 4-2 on penalties in the FA Cup semi-final Arsenal equalled the all time record for Cup semi success. One year later they beat the record. Mertesacker got the goal in normal time, Arteta, Kallstrom, Giroud and Cazorla scored their penalties.
