Norris at the Arsenal 7: Completing the takeover and preparing for the new season

  By Tony Attwood All through the tumultuous period that we’ve been looking at in the previous articles, the fund-raising committee that had been set up before the full extent of this financial crisis was appreciated, had continued its activities.  However on 6 June at a meeting in Rotherhithe, the committee resolved not to hand …

Norris at Arsenal 6: It’s agreed, Arsenal stay in Plumstead for one (no two) years

This is part six of our series on Henry Norris at Arsenal.  The previous articles are Part 1. How Arsenal fell from grace. Part 2: heading for liquidation and the first thought of moving elsewhere Part 3: March and April 1910 – the crisis deepens Part 4: the proposed mergers with Tottenham and Chelsea. Part …

The collapse of Woolwich Arsenal: how the rescue took shape.

This is part 5 of the Henry Norris Files – the complete story of Henry Norris at Arsenal.  The previous sections are Part 1. How Arsenal fell from grace. Part 2: heading for liquidation and the first thought of moving elsewhere Part 3: March and April 1910 – the crisis deepens Part 4: the proposed …

Henry Norris at the Arsenal part 4: the proposed mergers with Tottenham and Chelsea.

by Tony Attwood This article updated 5 Dec 2018 This series of articles covers the 17 years in which Henry Norris was involved with Arsenal football club.   The story so far: How Arsenal fell from grace. Heading for liquidation and the first thought of moving elsewhere March and April 1910 – the crisis deepens …

Norris at the Arsenal 3: March and April 1910 – the crisis deepens

This article updated 15 November 2018 By Tony Attwood The previous article in this series is Norris at the Arsenal part 2: heading for liquidation and the first thought of moving elsewhere The full index of the series is here   By March 1910 it was being widely reported in local newspapers, the national press …

Norris at the Arsenal part 2: heading for liquidation and the first thought of moving elsewhere

This article updated 15 November 2018 This article continues from the opening of the series on Henry Norris at the Arsenal.  The full index to the complete series can be found here  By Tony Attwood Henry Norris at the Arsenal: 1910. Arsenal were having a tough time in the 1909/10 season, but two home wins …

Henry Norris at the Arsenal: Part 1. How Arsenal fell from grace.

by Tony Attwood Revised 14 November 2018 Background note: If there is a man associated with Arsenal whose name is regularly decried it is Henry Norris; a man whose actions were, it is claimed, so outrageous and so awful that it is just a total embarrassment to the club that he should ever have been …

8 May 1971 Arsenal win the Double for the first time

by Tony Attwood In 1971, at White Hart Lane Arsenal won their first league title since 1953 and won the league with just one point less than the record breaking 66 points achieved in 1931 when Herbert Chapman won Arsenal the league for the first time ever, the club playing the same number of games. …

7 May 1938: Arsenal make it five League titles & two Cups in nine years

By Tony Attwood On 7 May 1938 the glorious run of triumphs that was Arsenal in the 1930s had its final bow as Arsenal won the league in the most dramatic fashion on the last day of the season.  Even after their match ended they still didn’t know if they had got that fifth title, …

Ernie Collett: the reserve player who stayed with the club for 37 years

By Tony Attwood Ernest Collett known universally as Ernie, was born on 17 November 1914 in Sheffield.  He started out playing for Oughtibridge Working Men’s Club, a club that is still extant playing in the Sheffield and Hallamshire County Senior Football League.    Ernie joined Arsenal in April 1933 and won the Football Combination six times …

5 May 1935: Arsenal win the league for the third time under three different managers

At the end of March 1935 Arsenal were top of the league – a position most people had got used to them occupying.  They had been league champions for the previous two seasons, managed first by Herbert Chapman, then Joe Shaw, and now George Allison.  The question was could Arsenal not only win the title …

3 May 1971: Arsenal won the league at WHL (for the first time)

By Tony Attwood 3 May is quite a day in the history of Arsenal for it was the day that Royal Arsenal transformed itself into Woolwich Arsenal.  It meant being able to enter the Football League (the League insisted on clubs being limited companies, and limited companies cannot have a name that suggests royal approval …

Gordon Bremner: a tremendous talent whose career was lost to the war

By Tony Attwood Gordon Bremner was the embodiment of a superb player who lost virtually all his playing career to the second world war. He was born on 12 November 1917 in Glasgow and started by playing for Cartha Athletic.   Cartha Athletic Club, was founded in Glasgow in 1889, and was one of the largest and …