The team to face Man U. Where they came from, where they went

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                                     …

Arsenal prepare for the new season – 100 years ago!

100 years ago… Woolwich Arsenal resume league football – 1 September 1910 By Tony Attwood In the 19th century league football started on the first saturday in September.  Not exactly the start of autumn but away from the “summer month” of August, which was given over to cricket. In fact cricket had the four months …

Man City; it’s freezing; 0-0; I loved every second

By Andy Barnett, Kent Both sides of the family were staunch Arsenal fans, eminating from the original Woolwich Arsenal days, so I was born a gooner. My first ever game was at Highbury on a freezing Saturday afternoon in October 1972. We played Man City, in what turned out to be a very dull 0 …

Arsenal v Forest 1972: my first time of seeing Arsenal live

MY FIRST TIME by Lucas On April 1st 1972 Arsenal were due to play Nottingham Forest at home. Forest had been a poor side for a few years, but this season they were particularly dire and bound for relegation. Now although Arsenal had been experiencing an up and down post-double season this was a real …

We lose to Stoke, but we avoid relegation – my first season with Arsenal

By Bernie Briffa, Essex It was August 23rd 1975 and an excited 10 year old hadn’t slept a wink the previous night. Why? Because this day, after many months of pleading was to be my first trip to watch my beloved Gunners live. My uncle who was visiting from Malta was to be my chaperone. …

Memories of Highbury: April 3rd 1948

By Jack Staniforth I guess it must have been sometime in 1947 that I first visited Highbury although what the occasion was I can`t remember, sixty three years is a long time. My first memory however is still very vivid in my mind, April 3rd 1948 versus Sunderland (I think).  The reason I remember the …

“That’s yer Christmas present, yer little Arsenal ****.”

By Gfor60 At just under 5 years old, my first game came thanks to my grand-parents, family and aunts and uncles who had organized a knees up in Southend. Up to this point, my knowledge of football was confined to my gran’s “Up the Lillywhites…best football team in London.” (Interesting how Spuds don’t change?) But …

Arsenal v West Ham: Are you superstitious?

Are you superstitious? by Frederick James McGregor I went to my first game at Highbury in 1998 vs West Ham, it was on a Boxing Day and Ian Wright had transferred to West Ham 6 months earlier. I was devastated, he was my favourite player. I was only 12 years old at that time and …

The refuse collectors were on strike, there was punk music in the air

This site is currently inviting all Arsenal supporters to write in with details of their first time of seeing the Arsenal play.   If you would like to write for this series, there are details at the foot of this article. By Walter Broeckx, Belgium. It was February 1979 when we came to London with our …

My first Arsenal game: May 1941.

The Arsenal History web site (which is where you are) sponsored by AISA, is currently inviting all Arsenal supporters to write in with details of their first time of seeing the Arsenal play.   If you would like to write for this series, there are details at the foot of this article. ———————- Aged 16, I …

I’m cold, I’m six years old, and the warmth of a flask of stewed tea is long gone

The Arsenal History web site (which is where you are) sponsored by AISA, is currently inviting all Arsenal supporters to write in with details of their first time of seeing the Arsenal play.   If you would like to write for this series, there are details at the foot of this article. ———————– The first time …

My first and last trip to Highbury

The Arsenal History web site (which is where you are) sponsored by AISA, is currently inviting all Arsenal supporters to write in with details of their first time of seeing the Arsenal play.   If you would like to write for this series, there are details at the foot of this article. ———————– My First and …

Arsenal memories – being at Highbury in 1955

By Tony Attwood I asked yesterday if anyone could send me some memories of their first time watching Arsenal live.  Thanks to everyone who did this – I will try and publish some shortly although I am about to go on holiday, so there might be a delay. I also said I would write up …

Could you write a few lines about the first time you saw Arsenal live?

As part of the AISA Arsenal History Project I am starting to collect reminiscences about Arsenal. There will be quite a bit to the project over time (at least I hope there will – although it depends on people’s responses) – and this is just one of the early stages. What I want to collect …

How Tottenham came to be so bitter. From the 80s to the present day

by Tony Attwood This article concludes the series of the reasons why Tottenham supporters seem so bitter about Arsenal.  Links to the earlier articles are at the end. Journalists have this phrase: “bragging rights”, which seems to be a shorthand way of talking about how fans from different clubs in the same town talk to …

How Tottenham H invented the concept of football franchising

By Tony Attwood In 1913 there was a bit of a rumpus.  If you  are a regular on this site, or indeed if you know your footballing history, you’ll know what it was: Woolwich Arsenal, after two years under the ownership of Henry Norris, decided they had had enough of Kent, and started looking for …