Arsenal History news update: last chance to visit the old Arsenal factory buildings in Woolwich.

. I am very grateful to Arthur Manners who wrote in recently to point out that the Arsenal munitions site, has been transferred from MOD ownership to Greenwich council hands now. The Royal Artillery museum closes in July 2016 and soon after its all likely to be flats. So if you want to set foot in …

Arsenal in the 70s part 18: July to Dec 1976. Neill takes control

By Tony Attwood On 21 August 1976 Malcolm Macdonald made his league début in Terry Neill’s first game as manager, against newly promoted Bristol City. Mee had ended his final season with this line up: Rimmer, Rice, Nelson, Ross, Mancini, Powling, Armstrong, Ball, Stapleton, Cropley, Brady. Neill began his new regime with Rimmer, Rice, Nelson, Ross, O’Leary, …

Pat Howard: Terry Neill’s second purchase and a one season man

By Tony Attwood After Terry Neill became Arsenal manager in the summer of 1976 he is said to have presented the board with a list of players he wanted to sign.  Top of the list was Malcolm Macdonald.  I am not sure the list itself has ever been made public beyond that revelation so I …

Arsenal in the 70s Part 17 – the summer of 76. New manager. New superstar.

By Tony Attwood The 1975/6 season marked the end of the Mee reign, as we considered in the previous article in this Arsenal in the 70s series. Mee ended his tenure as manager with three defeats, 17 April: Ipswich Town (H) 1-2 19 April: Queen’s Park Rangers (A) 1-2 24 April: Manchester City (A) 1-3 which …

Arsenal in the 70s part 16. Jan to June 1976: the end of Mee

By Tony Attwood An index to the whole series of articles tracing Arsenal’s history through the 70s is given at the end of this piece. We left Arsenal in the last episode having won just two out of their six games in December, having scored two goals in their seven games.  The league table at …

Arsenal in the 70s: July to Dec 1975. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse…

An index of all the articles in the series before this one is shown at the foot of this article.   By Tony Attwood By the summer of 1975 Bertie Mee’s image was seriously tarnished.  From the peak of his reputation in 1970 with the Fairs Cup Win, and then the Double in 1971, he …

Arsenal in the 70s, part 14. Jan to June 1975 – trying to send Tottenham down

By Tony Attwood The story so far… Arsenal in the 70s, part 1: the re-birth of the club. 1969/70 Arsenal in the 70s, part 2: preparing for the impossible.  (July to December 1970) Arsenal in the 70s, part 3: The Golden Treble Arsenal in the 70s, part 4: What went so right in 1971, and …