Chapman: the fifth season, and the first trophy

By Tony Attwood Herbert Chapman followed Leslie Knighton as manager at Arsenal.  Here’s how the last years of Knighton’s reign compared with Chapman’s opening years. Season Manager League Position Cup exit round* 1921/2 Knighton 17 4 (6) 1922/3 Knighton 11 2 (4) 1923/4 Knighton 19 2 (4) 1924/5 Knighton 20 2 (4) 1925/6 Chapman 2 …

Herbert Chapman Season 4: flirting with relegation and the signing of Charlie Jones

By Tony Attwood Three seasons gone and the man brought in to bring trophies to Arsenal had delivered a couple of near misses but no actual trophies.  In the league we had been 2nd, 11th and 10th – far better than under the previous management.  In the cup we had lost in a final, lost …

Herbert Chapman – season 3. A step backwards?

By Tony Attwood This is the third article in the series which reviews the reign of Herbert Chapman season by season.  Links to the earlier articles are at the foot of the page. 1927/28 was the third season of Herbert Chapman’s reign at Arsenal.  In the previous two seasons he had broken new ground by …

Herbert Chapman: season 2 and a cup final

Arsenal on Twitter @UntoldArsenal Untold Arsenal on Facebook here By Tony Attwood I don’t know of any contemporary commentaries from 77 years ago, but for the regulars at Highbury1926/7 must have started as a season as stupendous promise.   Having never won a single thing of consequence (not the second division, not the first division, not …

Herbert Chapman: the first year

By Tony Attwood Leslie Knighton was appointed manager of The Arsenal upon the return of the club to the first division at the end of the first world war, in 1919.  Arsenal were promoted after refusing to back down on the match fixing scandal in the last pre-war season (which actually went on into the …