AISA Arsenal History Society: preserving Arsenal's heritage
By Tony Attwood In the last article, covering October 1914, we saw the football season at home continuing, while the war evolved in Europe. There was no conscription but there was a lot of recruiting of volunteers going on. By 1 November the war had reached the eastern Pacific where a Royal Navy squadron was …
Read More “November 1914: The Times journalist goes to a reserve match without realising it.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 31 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is As the death toll mounts Arsenal keep playing: October 1914 Meanwhile if you are fascinated by the headline quote – it comes from a match on this day… in the Unbeaten Season. …
Read More ““the worst 45 minutes [by Arsenal] that any of their fans could remember”.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 30 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is As the death toll mounts Arsenal keep playing: October 1914 30 August 1913: the first ever match played at the Gillespie Road ground, later renamed Highbury. It was the third training match …
Read More “The longest run in the 1st division begins by exposing corruption”
by Tony Attwood By October 1914 the new life of Henry Norris in war time was taking shape. The recruitment of young men at football matches was developing and the committee meetings and events such as that on 1 October at which Henry and his wife Edith and George Peachey went to a “patriotic concert” at …
Read More “As the death toll mounts Arsenal keep playing: October 1914”
Here are the Anniversaries from 29 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The newly named The Arsenal start their first season and go top of the League 29 August 1921: Dan Burgess (generally known as Dick) played his final game: a 2-3 away …
Read More “Chapman’s first game and Arsenal’s first XI beaten by Rotherham”
By Tony Attwood As we saw in the previous article in this series, the FA took it first preliminary decision that football should continue for the 1914/15 season as soon as war was declared in 1914, and the League concurred, probably both influenced by the commonly held view that the war was going to be …
Read More “The newly named The Arsenal start their first season and go top of the League”
Here are the Anniversaries from 28 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The newly named The Arsenal start their first season and go top of the League In 2011 Arsenal on this day lost 8-2 to Manchester United (see the anniversary files below). …
Here are the Anniversaries from 27 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal at the end of the world: May to August 1914. 27 August 1908: Newspaper talk shows Morrell very satisfied with his team’s progress as they prepared for the first game on …
Read More “Losing 5-1 away to Bury winning 5-1 away to Wimbledon: opening days of the season.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 26 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal at the end of the world: May to August 1914. 26 August 1893: The start of the infamous Tennant-Macfarlane Case in which James Tennant was tricked into signing for East Stirlingshire …
Read More “He signed for the club when drunk, so the transfer is not valid.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 25 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal at the end of the world: May to August 1914. 25 August 1899. Chairman and benefactor George Leavey warns his players about drinking before a match. “No man with a …
Read More “The Arsenal chairman warns, “no alcohol just before the match”.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 24 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal at the end of the world: May to August 1914. 24 August 1878: Believed date of birth of Archi Gray although there is considerable doubt. He joined Arsenal in …
Read More “Starting as champions: Arsenal open with two defeats and a draw”
By Tony Attwood We left Arsenal in last episode of this series (an index to the whole series is shown at the foot of the page) having missed out on promotion on goal average. The club had performed well in 1913/14 – far better than might otherwise have been expected given the poverty of results …
Read More “Arsenal at the end of the world: May to August 1914.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 23 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury. 23 August 1920: Lionel Smith born. He played for various local non-league clubs and signed for Arsenal as an …
Read More “From undefeated in the first 17 to 2 wins in the first 10.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 22 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury. 22 August 1914: Tottenham 1 Arsenal 5. This was the only pre-season friendly recorded for the season, although …
Read More “Playing Tottenham pre-season and launching football on TV”
Here are the Anniversaries from 21 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury. 21 August 1954: Last of 57 league appearances for Arthur Shaw. He later captained Gravesend to win the Southern …
Here are the Anniversaries from 20 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury. The answers to the question in the headline are to be found on 20 August 1966, 20 August 1977, and …
Read More “Opening runs: 3 wins in 10, undefeated in 7, 4 wins in 10. But for whom?”
Here are the Anniversaries from 19 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury. Today, the anniversary file is shared with Groucho Marx (see below). 19 August 1904: Woolwich Gazette reported Archibald Leitch …
Read More “Arsène Wenger accused of violent and threatening behaviour towards the 4th official”
By Tony Attwood Woolwich Arsenal entered the final month of their first season north of the river still entertaining hopes of promotion – something which was quite remarkable given the difficulties that had to be overcome in moving to Highbury, and in rebuilding the team’s morale after the disasterous relegation season of 1912/13. At the …
Read More “The end of Woolwich Arsenal and of the first season at Highbury.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 18 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal February and March 1914; the wall falls down, the team slips up. 18 August 1961: Laurie Brown purchased from Northampton Town. The following day he played against Tottenham, and then …
Read More “The start of the greatest run of away games of all time”
By Tony Attwood It is easy to assume that because football began at Highbury in the late summer of 1913, that the ground was completed. But of course this was in the days before the notion of health and safety took hold, and we are reminded of the fact that the ground was far from …
Read More “Arsenal February and March 1914; the wall falls down, the team slips up.”
Here are the Anniversaries from 17 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article on Arsenal’s history is Arsenal’s first ever FA Cup match at Highbury and a challenge for promotion: Jan 1914 17 August 1896: Andrew Young born. He was signed by Knighton in 1921 from Aston Villa. …
Read More “Henry’s birthday and some of the weirdest refereeing ever seen”
Here are the Anniversaries from 15 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article is Arsenal’s first ever FA Cup match at Highbury and a challenge for promotion: Jan 1914 16 August 1912. Ted Drake born. He started at Winchester City, and then went on to Southampton, Herbert Chapman …
Read More “Arsenal buy Highbury, Wilshere gets the number 10 shirt”
Here are the Anniversaries from 15 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article is Arsenal’s first ever FA Cup match at Highbury and a challenge for promotion: Jan 1914 15 August 1886: Charles Lewis born in Plumstead, (then a small town in Kent). He played for East Wickham, Eltham …
Read More “Chapman’s first game, trench warfare and a sending off to launch the Invincibles”
By Tony Attwood While the year 1914 will forever resonate as the year in which the first world war commenced, 1914 was not in any way a year in which the nation was expecting war in a matter of weeks or even months. Life continued, football continued. By way of example, 1914 saw the first …
Read More “Arsenal’s first ever FA Cup match at Highbury and a challenge for promotion: Jan 1914”
Here are the Anniversaries from 14 August – part of our regular daily look at Arsenal’s history. Our most recent article is December 1913, the alleged redcurrent shirts, and Chapman comes to Highbury for the first time 14 August 1894: Jack Butler born in Ceylon; he played 267 games for Arsenal. He was the first Woolwich Arsenal player …
Read More “Wenger makes his first signings. Both are unknown one of whom is injured.”
